How to Help Wildfire Victims Get Back to Normal
If you know someone who has been the victim of a wildfire, here are a few gift ideas to help them out!
Wildfires are unfortunately a reality for many folks, especially those who live in California, Texas, Colorado, and Arizona, but they can occur anywhere there are forested areas. Although there are different sizes of wildfires (and some even intentionally set as a controlled burn to reduce flammable undergrowth), there’s no doubt of how destructive they can be. This is especially true of large wildfires that can displace people or destroy whole towns like the Maui 2023 wildfires that caused $5.5 billion dollars in damages and ruined the homes and businesses of residents.
Wildfires can do significant amounts of damage to property and displace people and animals, which is why it’s essential that victims of wildfires receive aid and support. If you know someone who has been affected by a wildfire, or you just want to offer some assistance, we have a list of 10 ways to help wildfire victims that includes:
- Gift cards to help them get back on their feet
- Places you can send donations
- Items needed for wildfire victims of all ages
Send a GiftYa to help a wildfire victim
GiftYa is the all-digital gift card platform that you can use to instantly send help to a victim of a wildfire. There are all kinds of local and national brands available, and all you have to do is choose the merchant, decide on the amount you want to send, add a photo or video to personalize it, and then send. The recipient will have access to it in seconds, and they’ll never have to worry about losing or forgetting a plastic gift card at home again.
1. Visa gift card
Send a Visa gift card to victims of a wildfire
One of the most sought-after gift cards is a Visa, because you can spend it on anything you might need at any store that accepts Visa. This would make a great gift idea to send to a wildfire victim because chances are they’re a few states away from you, and you don’t know what types of merchants are in their area. With a Visa gift card, they can use it at their local grocery store, to fill up on gas, or to purchase supplies to help rebuild their property.
Another one of the major benefits of choosing to send a Visa GiftYa is that it can be used for online purchases, as well as in store. Giving wildfire victims the ability to choose to spend it on exactly what they need can help give them a little more control over the rebuilding process.
2. Donate essentials
Victims of wildfire always need everyday essentials
Another great way to help the victims of a wildfire is to think of what they may need in their daily lives that they no longer have access to. Depending on the extent of the fire’s destruction, you may find people and families that have lost their entire home, and everything that they have. This means they may be in need of some basic necessities that we take for granted daily. In addition to securing medical treatment and a safe, warm place to stay, there are always personal care items that you can donate to victims.
You can either contact a local Salvation Army or Red Cross and see if they have a list of items that people are in most need of.
- Adults.some text
- Toothpaste and mouthwash
- Deodorant
- Soap
- Hand sanitizer
- Bottled water
- Non-perishable food
- Blankets
- Children and babies.some text
- Baby formula
- Wet wipes
- Diapers
- Animals.some text
- Cat/dog food
- Blankets
- Cow feed/milk replacer for livestock
3. Home Depot gift card
A Home Depot gift card can help wildfire victims make home repairs
Wildfires don’t discriminate what areas or homes they hit, and if you know someone who has had property damage, you may want to consider giving them a gift card to a store like the Home Depot. While they can’t replace personal, sentimental items like photos, jewelry, or antiques, there are a lot of ways someone could use the supplies at the Home Depot to start rebuilding. If they had a fence damaged, a porch, part of their house, or even fire damage to the inside, the Home Depot offers supplies to help them get back to normal. You can pick up paint, wood, tools, cement, and anything else a victim of a wildfire might need to help get their house looking like a home again.
4. Help or send money to the ASPCA or local Humane Society
Donate time or money to help agencies rescue pets and reunite them with their families
In addition to displacing people and destroying property, a wildfire can also cause havoc with pets and domesticated animals. If a family is required to evacuate, they may not have time to take large animals like cows or horses with them, or they may not be able to keep track of a family pet like a dog or a cat. Sometimes animals flee when they’re frightened, and no matter how you might try, you can’t seem to find them when the time comes to leave.
There are a lot of families who have lost animals during wildfires, and agencies like the ASPCA, the Humane Society, and local shelters work hard to bring pets back to their families. Making a donation to any of these places will help volunteers locate and temporarily house animals until families can come looking for them. Monetary donations or items like food, blankets, and carriers can help these agencies keep animals safe and hopefully reunite them with their families after the wildfire is contained.
5. Hotels.com gift card
Send a Hotels.com gift card to help victims safely get out of danger
If someone’s home is destroyed in a wildfire, where will they go? A lot of the time there isn’t someone close by to offer to take them in, which is why a gift card to Hotels.com can be a really great idea. This company makes it easy to find affordable places to stay in the area that are away from the threat of wildfire. Having to leave your home behind is never easy, but it’s also important that wildfire victims have a place to stay like a hotel for as long as they need to.
Depending on the extent of the damage done to their home, it may be days or weeks before it’s safe to return and start the rebuilding process. Giving the gift of a hotel room can at least take one worry off their plate.
6. Donate money to charities helping those affected
You can always donate money to an organization that provides care for victims of wildfires
One major way you can have an impact on the lives of wildfire victims is by donating to charities or organizations who are on the scene helping people. Typically after disasters you’ll see the Salvation Army or the Red Cross in the area helping people get access to medical supplies, food, shelter, and water. But these organizations can’t do their life-saving mission without donations from people all over the world.
In addition to the options mentioned above, you can also try donating through:
- Americares helps provide medical relief and emergency supplies to those affected by disasters.
- Direct Relief provides medical aid, emergency funds, and electricity through a variety of means to communities impacted by wildfires.
- Local food banks in the area
Although it may not feel like you’re doing a lot, sending a donation to an organization that assists after wildfires is one of the best ways to ensure teams never run out of crucial supplies like first aid, non-perishable food, water, and temporary housing. Having a consistent supply of donations ensures they don’t have to worry about running out or turning someone away who needs help.
7. Applebee’s gift card
Send and Applebee’s gift card to help victims get a good meal
When you’ve just experienced a wildfire, there’s a lot of uncertainty about how you’ll start to rebuild your home and return to normal. One of the best ways you can ensure that someone who has gone through a wildfire can keep their spirits up is with a good, wholesome meal. Having access to food in a time of crisis is one way that they can perhaps forget for a while about what’s happened, and instead focus on getting a nutritious meal and enjoying some time spent with family or friends.
Applebee’s is a favorite of folks everywhere, and there’s a good chance that if you’re sending this to a loved one in another state that there’s an Applebee’s not too far away. They serve a variety of comfort food options, such as burgers, steaks, chicken, appetizers, salads, and soups—perfect for refueling after a long day. In addition to going to the restaurant to sit down, the victims of the wildfire can also get Applebee’s take out, if they prefer to have their meal elsewhere.
8. Donate air miles
Help emergency workers get to wildfire victims and donate your air miles
Credit cards that offer air miles/sky miles are very popular for good reason—you can earn free flights just by using your credit card on everyday items. If you already have one of these types of cards, why not put your unused miles towards helping a wildfire victim? Sometimes victims who have lost everything might need to travel far in order to stay with a friend or family member, but do not have the funds available to pay for a flight. Donated air miles can help make this trip a reality.
In addition to helping victims, donated air miles can also assist volunteers who are headed to the wildfire location to help on the ground. Most major airline carriers offer you the chance to donate your miles to a variety of charities that assist after a disaster like a wildfire. This gives volunteers one less thing to worry about when they have a plane ticket that’s paid by a helpful donor!
9. Donate to a local fire station
Help front-line workers in fire stations with critical funding
If there’s a wildfire that’s impacting people’s homes and businesses, you can bet some of the first people on the scene are local firefighters. They have the tools and experience necessary to safely fight the fire and help residents evacuate safely. If there’s a local town near one of the fires, why not call or visit their site to see if there’s any way you can make a donation? They can use the donation to ensure there’s proper equipment, medical supplies, as well as food and water available to residents and firefighters alike.
10. GiftYa Select
Send a wildfire victim a GiftYa Select so they can choose how they use it
If you’re not sure what to get a victim of a wildfire and you want to leave the choice up to them, consider sending them a GiftYa Select. This option allows the recipient to choose the merchant of their choice that’s available on GiftYa. All they have to do is choose the merchant, then they can activate it to a credit card or debit card, use it as an e-gift, or transfer it to their Zelle account. GiftYa Select ensures they’ll definitely use the gift card and it will go towards something they can really use.
These are the best ways you can help wildfire victims
If you know someone who has been impacted by a wildfire, there are definitely ways you can help make their lives a little better. While you can’t replace all the items that might have been damaged, you can help restore a little normalcy back to their days as they rebuild. Consider sending any of these gift cards or donating to organizations that help victims recover faster.
Trae Bodge
Trae Bodge is the shopping expert here at GiftYa. Trae helps people find the best deals and ideas on popular new items to purchase.
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