To all of those thoughtful community members who have donated to this fund, our deepest appreciation. In total, the community has come together to donate over $290,000 to date to help the 59 residents that were displaced by the fire.

These funds have been distributed this week to Canal Alliance and Extrafood.org to provide immediate and direct support to the folks. Canal Alliance is acting as the lead in this effort, providing case management, cash assistance, temporary housing costs, funeral expenses, and other needs associated with stabilizing residents. Extrafood is coordinating all food-related activities with supermarkets, restaurants, and farmers to ensure nutritious meals and groceries are provided to each person.

The 59 residents, including 5 small children, are all currently being housed in 27 rooms at an extended-stay hotel in Marin. They lost everything – clothes, furniture, technology, school supplies, bikes, toys, important documents, cash and more. 10 cars were destroyed. This is a human tragedy of significant proportion for Marin County and has shaken the Canal community.

We will continue to raise money to support efforts to get our neighbors back on their feet, as this will be a long road to recovery that will require a great deal more funding. Identifying permanent housing is the most important need and concern, and we will partner with the County and the City of San Rafael to create a plan of action. As we’re all aware, there is a shortage of affordable housing in Marin, so this will need to be a truly collaborative effort to arrive at solutions.

In the meantime, your ongoing donations will continue to make a tremendous difference in the lives of the residents, as they take small steps to rebuild their lives and their spirits. Thank you so much for caring.

Do you have an existing donor fund with MCF?

If so, please click HERE to log in to the Giving Center and make your donation to the Canal Residents Emergency Fund of MCF.