More than $1.2 Million in grants allocated throughout Northwest Region
SPOKANE WA, November 24, 2021 — More than one year after the 2020 Labor Day wildfires sparked throughout Washington State, scorching thousands of acres and destroying homes in Whitman and Okanogan Counties, the American Red Cross continues to help people recover. This month, the Red Cross announced more than $1.2 million in recovery grants to local organizations that are helping impacted communities rebuild.
The Red Cross is supporting community-based recovery efforts through grants awarded to two long term recovery organizations, focused on meeting the needs of individuals impacted by wildfires. In Okanogan County, the Carlton Complex Long Term Recovery group will receive up to $500,000 in grant funding and in Whitman County the Pine Creek Community Restoration group (via Innovia Foundation) will receive an additional grant up to $750,000.
The decision to support recovery through locally established organizations reflects mutually established recovery priorities with the Red Cross. Priorities such as housing, relocation assistance, community development, health and wellness, and disaster preparedness. Through their efforts, funding can be maximized, coordinated, and jointly focused on the greatest needs.
“The American Red Cross is proud to partner with the Carlton Complex and Pine Creek Recovery groups to support community recovery from the devastating wildfires of 2020,” said Alex Dieffenbach, Northwest Region CEO. “No one organization can possibly meet the multitude of needs created by the impact of such destructive disasters. This investment will help put some of the families displaced back into homes of their own. We thank both the Carlton Complex and Pine Creek Recovery groups for working tirelessly to provide support and leadership to the collective wildfire recovery effort over these many months. We are grateful for their continued work and for helping to forward our mission of alleviating human suffering in the face of emergencies.”
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About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross is a United Way agency that shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.