As wildfires continue to rage throughout California and elsewhere in the West, residents, ranchers and business owners in the greater Winters area are putting their lives back together after seeing their homes and businesses go up in flames.
Valley Clean Energy, the local electric generation service provider, urges locals to join the agency in offering support in the form of donations to the Greater Winters Fire Relief Fund created by the Rotary Club of Winters. VCE contributed $1,500, and so far, nearly $40,000 has been raised toward a goal of $60,000.
Many of the fire victims live outside the Winters city limits and are “our friends, our extended family, business owners, and parents to classmates of our children,” says Winters Councilmember Jesse Loren, a member of the VCE board of directors.
Donations to the fire relief fund are being solicited by the city of Winters, the Winters Chamber of Commerce, and several local businesses and community organizations. These tax-deductible donations, collected at specific donation sites in Winters and through First Northern Bank, will be distributed to residents and business owners in the greater Winters area who were impacted by the fire.
“The city of Winters and Rotary of Winters are working together to help our greater community heal and thrive in the midst of total loss and displacement,” Loren says. “We welcome any and all help for our greater Winters family. Thank you for your generosity.”
A spokesperson for the relief fund said two rounds of giving are planned, assuming sufficient funds are available. The first round, which is underway now, is a flat amount that is based on the size of a household and is intended to help victims cover immediate expenses such as clothing, food, animal feed, etc.
“If we have funds to move into Round 2, that funding will be needs-based and focused on helping with longer-term items such as rental assistance, cleanup, etc.,” the spokesperson said.
Donations can be made in three ways:
- Directly though the Winters Rotary Club Facebook page;
- Via check made out to the Rotary Club of Winters and mailed to Rotary Club of Winters Foundation, P.O. Box 565, Winters, CA 95694; or
- In person at any First Northern Bank branch or office.
To learn more about how to get involved, check the Winters Rotary Club Facebook page.
About VCE: Valley Clean Energy is a not-for-profit public agency formed to provide electrical generation service to customers in Woodland, Davis, Winters and the unincorporated areas of Yolo County. Its mission is to source cost-competitive clean electricity while providing product choice, price stability, energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emission reductions and reinvestment in the communities it serves.
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