Local News

Stronger than Fire online giving campaign meets its match

Jul 24, 2015

After three weeks of intense fundraising, the Carlton Complex Long Term Recovery Group (CCLTRG) is thrilled to announce that it has met its online campaign goal—raising more than the additional $250,000 required to match an anonymous donor’s challenge gift. All told, the campaign raised $509,023.60—lifting the cumulative total raised by the CCLTRG to $1.83 million—of a three-year goal of $4.3 million.

The campaign closed with a flurry of donations over the weekend—which coincided with the one-year anniversary of last year’s wildfires, the largest in Washington state history. Large, weekend donations from Grace City Church in Wenatchee; the Upper Columbia Conference of Seventh Day Adventists, and Brewster Seventh Day Adventist Church totaled $60,377—putting the campaign over the top. Another congregation—North Creek Presbyterian, of Mill Creek, Washington—contributed more than $33,000 to the campaign, in addition to providing the volunteer labor to dry in three of the first 11 homes.

In all, the campaign received 164 gifts—some as small as $10; one as large as $100,000—and all worth twice as match due to the match. Most gifts were from throughout Washington, but a few came from donors scattered across the country: as far away as Hanover, Maryland, and Alexandria, Virginia, Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Ojai, Santa Barbara, and San Rafael, California. (The location of those who gave anonymously is unknown.)

“We’re very grateful for the outpouring of support, which means we can begin planning for Phase Two—another 15 homes—in our effort to rebuild homes for those who can’t afford to rebuild on their own,” said Carlene Anders, CCLTRG executive director. “However, to complete those 15 homes, we’ve still got fundraising to do,” she said.

For now, however, Anders and her team are breathing a sigh of gratitude and appreciation. In a year, a lot has been accomplished: seven of the first 11 homes being built are already through the dry-in phase of construction—meaning the homes are framed, sided, and roofed, with windows and exterior doors installed. Two of the homes are well-along with interior construction, as well. The foundations for the final four homes in Phase One will be poured as soon as building permits are issued, Anders said. Of the 11 homes being built in Phase One, two are in the Methow Unified School District, two in the Pateros School District, two in the Okanogan School District, and five are in the Brewster School District.

Home rebuilding, however, is not the group’s only accomplishment. The CCLTRG has been instrumental in successfully lobbying the state legislature to designate funds to repair the fire-damaged water systems in Pateros and Brewster, upgrade the county’s emergency communications system, and contribute to a new Twisp Town Hall—better-equipped to handle future emergencies.

The CCLTRG is also responsible for coordinating the 678 volunteers who have arrived to date to help county residents with everything from removing debris to planting trees and fixing fences. The CCLTRG is also raising the funds to employ the Disaster Case Managers (DCMs) who, since the fall of 2014, have handled more than 500 cases—helping fire victims develop plans and identify resources for recovery and assisting them with everything from snow tires and gas cards to rent and tools. A year after the fire, the DCMs are still working with162 open cases—assisting county residents with various aspects of recovery.

“Long-term recovery is a long-term process,” Anders emphasized. “We’ve made a lot of progress in a year, and we believe we have about two more years of work ahead of us.”

Although the matching campaign has ended, the fundraising and volunteer needs continue. At present, skilled plumbers, electricians, and fence builders, as well as heavy equipment operators—with equipment—are especially needed. To volunteer, contact Kathy Power, CCLTRG volunteer coordinator, at 509-429-3133, or visit the website: CarltonComplexRecovery.com/volunteer. To donate to the Carlton Complex Long Term Recovery effort, visit CarltonComplexRecovery.com/donate. All donations are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law through the fiscal sponsorship of the Community Foundation of North Central Washington.