Mudslide Relief Campaign

As you know, a massive mudslide rocked our fellow citizens in the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River, killing at least 36 people, leaving 9 missing and dozens of homes damaged.

In response to this devastating incident, the CFD has put together a special campaign for those affected. To be a part of the campaign, the charity must be a current active member of the CFD and have provided the CFD with written accounts of their efforts on the ground.

Current charities that have reached out to the CFD include:

The American Red Cross has long been associated with disaster relief, and the organization was among the very first responders to the disaster site.

Catholic Community Services is currently assisting parishes in the Arlington-Oso-Darrington area to help people in the community in a variety of ways, including helping to defray funeral costs for loved ones. Assistance will also be provided to those who have lost their homes and possessions. Click here for more information on what the organization doing in the community.

Hope Unlimited is a part of the Stanwood Camano Incident Support Team that assists first responders when dealing with disasters. The organization is currently providing chaplaincy services for fire fighters and emergency workers if needed. Check out the SCIS webpage for more information.

The Snohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue Unit is a local organization that coordinates with law enforcement to help first responders in the search for those that are missing. You can check out the organization's Facebook page and continue to get updates of its progress.

The Soup Ladies are a group of volunteers that help provide warm, home cooked meals to first responders in disaster areas. The ladies have been present at sites in Hurricane Sandy, the Oklahoma Tornado and now in Oso helping firefighters and first responders stay warm and fed. In just three days, they have already served more than 215 meals. Check out their Facebook page by clicking here.

The United Way of Snohomish County has ALREADY recieved $75,000 in pledges to its Disaster Recovery Fund for Mudslide Relief, and are working with local officials, community groups and others in the Oso area to distribute any funds it receives to the places that need it most. Check out the United Way of Snohomish website for more details.

The Washington State Department of Transportation Memorial Foundation assists fallen DOT workers in the field. Since WSDOT is on site, the foundation will be assisting them with funding upon request. Click here for more informaiton on what this organization does.

Combined Fund Drive Disaster Relief Special Campaign Policy:

The Washington State Combined Fund Drive knows that when disasters strike, help is needed and the CFD will always provide an avenue for our donors to give during any time of need. The process we use to determine what charities may participate in a disaster relief campaign are as follows:

CFD staff send an email to every single active member charity in the CFD program asking who is providing services and goods to the disaster relief efforts and give 24 hours for charities to respond to our request;
Once the 24-hour time period has elapsed, the CFD verifies that the charities who have responded to our request are members of the CFD with a current/active status at the IRS and Office of the Secretary of State Charities Division and launches the disaster relief campaign;
- Any charity that responds after the initial 24-hour period is still eligible to participate in a disaster relief campaign if they meet the required qualifications;
Proof of charity involvement in disaster relief zones must be provided to the CFD; Proof can come in the form of press releases, statements, verification through news vendors or other means;

The Combined Fund Drive is not a policing agency and has no means to verify that charities involved in any disaster relief campaign are providing the services and goods they have stated they are providing. Charity participation in a disaster relief campaign is not an endorsement on behalf of the CFD. The Combined Fund Drive reserves the right to eliminate any charity from disaster relief campaigns if it is discovered that they are not providing services specific to the disaster relief effort.

The Combined Fund Drive understands that many calls will be made for monetary donations during relief campaigns, so please give, but give wisely. For more resources about the charities involved in any disaster relief campaign, please visit any of the organizations below: