PHOENIX—Following the emergency declarations issued by Governor Ducey last week, the Arizona Community Foundation has activated its Disaster Relief Fund to respond to the Telegraph and Mescal fires in eastern Arizona. ACF will seed the fund with $10,000 to support recovery efforts.
The fund will address post-fire recovery, repair, and community rebuilding efforts. These needs may include environmental and infrastructure projects, community clean-up, support for displaced families, animal care, and/or rehabilitation and rebuilding of damaged buildings or homes resulting from the Telegraph and Mescal fires.
ACF has a successful track record of deploying disaster relief funds to address long-term needs, particularly in response to wildfires. In the wake of the Yarnell Hill Fire in 2013, $1.14 million was deployed to address the most critical post-emergency needs including help for the underinsured, unmet needs of fire victims, and aid to the Yarnell Water Improvement Association and the Yarnell and Peeples Valley fire departments. ACF deployed a similar strategy in the wake of the Monument Fire in Cochise County in 2011 and the Slide Fire in Oak Creek Canyon in 2014.
“After over a decade of organizing disaster response funding ACF has honed its strategy and tactically activates the Disaster Response Fund when Arizona communities are impacted by the unknown,” said Lisa Urias, ACF Chief Program & Community Engagement Officer. “We work in partnership with local leaders, community residents, and nonprofits to assess needs after the immediate crisis ends and then decide how best to deploy resources to help communities heal and rebuild.”
Donors looking to support the Disaster Relief Fund for either the Telegraph or Mescal fire response can make tax-deductible donations online at azfoundation.org/telegraph-mescal. ACF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Established in 1978, the Arizona Community Foundation is a statewide family of charitable funds supported by thousands of Arizonans. With five regional offices serving communities across Arizona, ACF is among the top 25 community foundations in the nation with more than
$1 billion in trust and endowment assets, and is certified under the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations. Since inception, ACF and its affiliates have awarded more than $1 billion in grants, scholarships and loans to nonprofit organizations, schools, and government agencies. More information is available at azfoundation.org.