Friends Unite National Neighbors

Who we are: Since the wildfires, my friends and I have started a group called, Friends Unite National Neighbors. The individuals in this group are all located in Sonoma and Marin County, California. Our group’s mission is to help those that have been affected by natural disasters by offering relief in the form of goods, funds, and services in a time of desperate need and loss. We aim to help families take the first steps towards rebuilding their lives. At the moment our focus is primarily on helping 7 direct families that we have privately taken on. These families were introduced to us by pesonal friends or tenants that survived the wildfires in Santa Rosa that were hosting the surviving families. 

These are some of the current challenges our families are struggling with:

One of the families has found a small apartment for their three young children and two adults after a long search. Their mother has found herself in the ER due to anxiety and stress since the wildfires. Her five year old daughter has been acting out since the fires and they are not sure how to manage her outbursts or calm her down. This is due to the trauma the family has endured since being told that they had sixty seconds to leave their home before it burned to the ground. 

Another one of our families is a single mom who has 7 children. Her thirteen year-old child is battling leukemia and another child is autistic and requires more attention. The mother’s parents are also living with her and her children because their home also burned down. She just got a restaurant job to help provide for her family, but is in desperate need of funding and additional goods. An Airbnb host has extended their stay and is allowing them to live there for a year at a very low cost.

These are just a couple examples of the current families we are assisting through this process. 

We asked them to give us a Christmas wish list to help give their children something for the holidays. We are raising money for all of the families and any additional funds to help with continuation of medical assistance, rent relief, children's education, grief counseling, etc. Our goal is to continue supporting these families, who we now see as an extension of our own families, for however long is necessary. Most of these families are low income and need our help. Any amount helps, especially during the holidays.

We need your donations. Please pass this along to any other contacts that might want to lend a helping hand this Christmas to those desperately in need.


Thank you.

Warmly,
Friends Unite National Neigbors

Stephanie Barrera, Katharine Garrison, Mary Garrison, Bri Bohanan, Keira Guasco, Danielle Silverman, Jenna Cespedes