Central Coast residents are stepping up to help provide relief to the survivors of California’s wildfires.
KSBY has teamed up with Meathead Movers in San Luis Obispo to collect donations.?
Living life by the Golden Rule, people from across San Luis Obispo have begun to drop off donations to those who lost everything.
“I’d hope that if this happens to us – I hope it never happens – but if it does or did, I would want to be cared for and I would hope others would be generous too,” said Lisa Ankenbradt, who donated supplies on Monday.
“I just feel really bad for them (in Northern California) and in Southern California. There’s just fire everywhere and we have to help out,” said Donna Clipperton, who also donated supplies.
Donations can be dropped off at Meathead Movers locations and the company is hoping for a good turnout.
“This is just what the community is about. We’ve been getting requests from people saying, ‘how can I help?’ And this is exactly what we can do. We are a transportation company so we have the ability to bring the items here. We’re gonna fill our trucks and take them to where we can,” explained Call Center Manager for Meathead Movers Frances Heredia.
Direct Relief in Santa Barbara is stepping up as well, donating tens of thousands of N95 masks and medical supplies across the state.
“So I think when these events emerge we all do three things – we communicate what we know and what we have available to help with and get the information back from what people are seeing, then we respond immediately,” said Thomas Tighe, Direct Relief CEO.
Many donation sites are only collecting new and unused items, including clothes. Tighe says that may be because places aren’t equipped to clean and sort used items.
“A lot of times people will just clean out their garages and send it somewhere and then it becomes a big junk pile, so that’s why I think you see on the news sometimes some resistance to having an open door to send clothes or food because it becomes a management problem for whoever the organization is. They can get overwhelmed pretty easily,” he said.
To drop off donations of new clothing and other supplies, visit the Meathead Movers locations in San Luis Obispo, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oxnard, and Santa Ana from now through Thursday, Nov. 15. Click here for a list of needed items and drop-off addresses.
