Updated daily so check back for new ways to get involved.
Some 65 residents including 17 children were displaced in the January 28th fire at Mission and 22nd and there has been an outpouring of support from the neighborhood and beyond. Some have started to move to Treasure Island, and others are still looking for places nearer to the Mission.
Last chance: Zachary Crockett’s fund for the displaced families at gofundme is just shy of 180,000 and will close tonight, 2/17, at 10 p.m. Crockett posted on the fundraising site that he would keep the fund open a week past its original deadline and extend the goal to $200,000 to offset the cost of GoFundMe’s fees, which the company refuses to waive.
Crockett will be working with the The Mission Economic Development Agency to distribute the donations as soon as possible. SF Eagle, Southpaw, Doc’s Clock, and several others have had fundraising events. Love and Luxe jewelry will donate 10% of its Valentines week sales to the victims. When Crockett’s fund closes, MEDA will continue to take donations directly.
Earlier, Doc’s Clock at 2575 Mission Street raised $8,0000 at a fundraiser. Google added another $16,000 to the fund to bring the evening to $24,000.
We have taken down the list of victims and their needs because the Salvation Army said that they now have enough in clothes donations from all of the items that have been dropped off at Doc’s Clock, Double Dutch and L’s Caffe. The items that are needed now are soap, shampoo, razors, and feminine hygiene items.
Tartine Bakery, Bi-Rite, Central Kitchen, Sprig, Tacolicious and other local restaurants have been sending over meals and snacks, turning it into the hottest eating spot in the Mission.
You can see all of Mission Local’s coverage here.
Individuals affected by the fire have also started to set up individual accounts. Note: We have confirmed the funds listed below as best we could, but we discovered one (not listed below and never listed on this site) to be suspicious so we urge readers to be cautious about random e-mails or comments. I went over to the Salvation Army to confirm the Funez de Quintero campaign that we added today. Readers should know that kids and families are very much tracking of these funds.
The Funez Family in Apartment 310 has a gofundme campaign here. They have raised $4,605 of $7,000 .
The Caro Family in Apartment 308 has a gofundme campaign here. They have raised just over $6,000 of $10,000.
Alessandro Gonzalez and his family, in Apartment 312 have a gofundme campaign here. They have raised $8,600 but are shooting for $15,000.
Seven of the Nine Children are students at the Thomas Edison Charter Academy and a fund for them has been set up here. They have raised more than $12,000 and are aiming for $35,000.
Maya Alvarez and her family who were in Apartment 316 has set up a gofundme campaign which is less than $3,000 away from reaching its $30,000 goal.
A fund has been set up for the funeral costs of Mauricio Orelleno, who died in the fire. The $3,000 goal has been surpassed, but the fund is still open.
Ivette and Hector Funez de Quintero’s giveforward fund closed last week after raising four times its $5,000 goal, surpassing $21,000 raised.
Please contact Jill Marinelli at jill@missiongraduates.org with any questions or additional support.
Doc’s Clock at 2575 Mission will continue to collect everything – goods and monetary donations – until Friday, Feb. 6th when it will turn everything over to the Salvation Army. Families have been dropping in to pick things up.
The city is also advising people who would like to give clothing and other non-monetary goods to give through the Salvation Army, which has a drop off location located at Valencia at the corner of Cesar Chavez for the affected families.
Those who would like to give to the Red Cross and its Disaster Relief Fund, can go to its website here.
A representative said they do not have a designated fund for the Mission families, but the team assisting the families would draw money from that source.
Checks can also be mailed to the Red Cross at:
1663 Market Street
San Francisco, CA
(415) 427-8000
Assistance for Residents:
Benjamin Amyes, disaster response manager for the city.
Benjamin.Amyes@sfgov.org
Phone: 415-5575370
More than a dozen businesses on the second floor have been displaced. Here is the city official who can help with paper work.
Assistance for Businesses:
Francis C. Chan
Jobs Squad – Office of Economic and Workforce Development
Email: Francis.C.Chan@sfgov.org
Phone: 415.554.5106
We’ve also been in touch with the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development, who is working in collaboration with the Human Service Agency and the Department of Emergency Management. They’ll be additional updates on the relief effort tomorrow morning.
Note the number of residents has changed from 54 residents including 11 minors to 65 residents including 17 minors. We update the numbers as the Red Cross updates their information.
I’d like to add that the Salvation Army is between 22nd and 23rd on Valencia. I had assumed the one at 26th Street was taking donations.
Are they still in need of feminine products, soap and razors?
Yes the victims are staying at the Salvation Army, but the Salvation Army asked that the donations be taken to their store further south. We will check in with them tomorrow to see what is needed.
You can also reach me at jamiedsongs@gmail.com
“The items that are needed now are soap, shampoo, razors, and feminine hygiene items.” I have those. Should I bring them to the Salvation Army?
Sorry, yes, the one near Cesar Chavez.
Is there a similar effort underway for the fire that took place only a couple days later, up at Alamo Square? (that burned through parts of 4 buildings in under an hour?) I’m having trouble finding any update on that fire, or efforts to help. I only found this: http://hoodline.com/2015/02/fundraiser-established-for-victims-of-western-addition-fire and I’m wondering if somehow the two groups can team up to make sure that everyone can get access to the clothes, food, and monetary donations?
Em: A good reason to support local news sites, but as to your question, I’m sure the Red Cross and Salvation Army are attending to both groups.
Is it possible to get shoe sizes needed?
Crystal: We posted sizes and a list last week, but Salvation Army said this week that the victims of the fire had enough clothes – thanks to all the generous donations that had been coming in.
Just wanted to not that Alessandro’s sisters name is Eyra, not Elvira. Thank you for setting up this list!
L’s caffe on 24th street between Florida and bryant is collecting donations everyday this week. 6:30 am to 3 : 00pm. We are dropping off at the Salvation Army all donations.
are there any sunday collections?
Doc’s clock will be open at 1 p.m. and you can go there. Six of the families are also at the Salvation Army at 1156 Valencia Street, but we went over there this morning and announced that they could also go to Doc’s Clock to collect things.
There is a Walgreen’s just one block away. Does anyone know if they’ve been approached to help? There’s a lot they could do.
Great that Missin Local has assembled sites to send funds and drop off places for goods. Question. How does one email this information to friends and what has happened to the New Mission Market which was great for meat and fish?
You could e-mail friends a link to the story, which will then give them all the links to the funds and to the drop off places. I’m unsure where the fish and meat market will end up. All of that is very much up in the air, but we will report the information as we get it.
I have extra asthma inhalers. Where should I drop those off?
The families are staying now at the Salvation Army at 1156 Valencia Street and you can drop them there.
I just saw this. I dropped off the inhaler at Doc’s Clock.
The SF Foundation link you give goes to their main donation page. Is there a way to donate specifically to a fund that has been set up for the families through the SF Foundation? Can you provide a better link? Thanks for all your work.
You mention that the 2nd floor businesses have been displaced. What about the 1st floor businesses? Was the damage light enough that those folks will be able to re-open soon?
A family friend’s business was on the 1st floor and they are displaced as well. Most of the damage to the first floor was water damage, I believe.
It does not look as if anyone will be moving back into the building soon. But we will update as soon as we get more information.
Doc’s Clock is accepting clothes and toys for boys. More details on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/docsclock?fref=ts
We have collected details for all of the different efforts and posted them here. http://missionlocal.org/2015/01/fund-for-the-families-displaced-by-wednesdays-fire/
In regards to raising funds for victims: Once all the funds have been gathered, they should be distributed immediately. Let no organization hold them indefinitely for a “group vote” or need assessment. My place burned down a couple of years ago, not far from there. The help I received was crucial to my ability to regain normalcy in my life and I appreciate it, but fundraisers were held that collected a couple of thousand dollars of which I never saw a penny and no one returned my calls.
I don’t mean to deter anyone from donating at all, please do help!
Zack, please make sure these funds get everyone affected. If you are not sure how to reach everyone, contact Ben Aymes who, in my experience, a complete angel.
Zack is definitely focused on ensuring that the funds collected will go directly to the victims of this fire. A few people are looking into how donations of food and clothes and so on can be managed.
Is there a place to donate clothes for the people who have lost all their belongings?
Yes. Doc’s Clock is collected clothes and other items. The details for the different efforts are here. http://missionlocal.org/2015/01/fund-for-the-families-displaced-by-wednesdays-fire/
I have a bunch of sheets and towels I can donate. Can I bring these to Doc’s Clock? There was no link for the most needed items, but I’m assuming sheets and towels would be on it.
Yes drop them off there. The families will be going over there to look through the donations.
Thanks.
Thanks to Zack for taking the lead in helping the people burned out of their homes by starting this fund.
I would like to suggest that the funds go to a local organization to distribute and not to the Red Cross. There has been a great deal of credible reporting over many years on the Red Cross misusing funds. Here’s a recent NPR piece:
http://www.npr.org/2014/10/29/359365276/on-superstorm-sandy-anniversary-red-cross-under-scrutiny
and more:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/red-cross-accused-of-misusing-funds-during-hurricanes-isaac-and-sandy/
http://www.jacksonadvocateonline.com/red-cross-misuse-of-funds-for-haiti-sparks-protest-in-12-u-s-cities/
I’ve been working at the shelter for days as an American Red Cross volunteer. Every one of the people I helped in the shelter lost their home. After doing relief work for 3 years, I still find the idea of losing everything you own to be inconceivable.
The past few days I have personally helped families with clothing, diapers, formula, medical requests, time-off-work letters, lost passports and IDs.
None of this is possible without donations. Thank you to everyone who has offered help to the people who lost their homes in this devastating fire.
No disaster operation is perfect and none ever will be, because disasters are chaotic and unpredictable by their very nature and we are all human and we all make some mistakes. On balance, I think the Red Cross does an amazing job with compassionate and dedicated local volunteers.
Here is a Myths vs. Facts document that responds to the inaccuracies in the ProPublica story: http://rdcrss.org/1vQWt6B
PBS Newshour did a more balanced piece about the Red Cross response to Hurricane Sandy: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/red-cross-defends-response-hurricane-sandy-two-years/
Ordinarily I wouldn’t take up this space to argue about this, but people are looking for ways for their money to go directly to the victims of this fire and there is ample evidence that the Red Cross is not a good way to help them.
PBS didn’t retract anything. They just allowed the Red Cross to present their point of view.
In fact, on December 4, 2014, less than 2 months ago, in a story entitled, “Red Cross Misstates How Donors’ Dollars Are Spent,” NPR reported that “Instead of 91 percent of people’s money going to services [as Red Cross claimed], the real number could be in the 70s, or lower.”
http://www.npr.org/2014/12/04/368453320/red-cross-misstates-how-donors-dollars-are-spent
I encourage the community to keep it local.