Community to Community Programs
Every person's needs and their capacity to recover are different. And when you can break it down and share the load, it's more likely that people will make it through.
-Pamela Van Halsema, After the Fire Director of Community and Digital Programs, Tubbs Fire Survivor
No disaster affected community should begin at the beginning.
We support and mentor newly disaster survivor communities in a variety of ways; advocacy, mentorship, survivor networks and partnerships. We understand the challenges of undergoing the trauma of experiencing a major disaster and then searching for answers on how to recover, rebuild, and reimagine. We are not prescriptive; we are adaptive.
We don’t have all of the answers, but we do have a number of strategies, tools, and resources to help other communities affected by any type of disaster, from wildfires to pandemics to wind and rain events. Our goal is to shorten the “pain period” between disaster and recovery.
The Wildfire Survivor Network
There is nothing to compared to the empathy, trust and advice of others who have been through wildfire recovery too. We convene monthly, in our Community to Community meetings on Zoom, to listen, share perspectives, information and care with the people who are emerging and established leaders in their own community's recovery. We record these sessions, often with guest participants from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, and we share them on YouTube for others to access. We do this because these human connections are an essential part of resilience and recovery, and wildfire survivors know that it is healing to #PayItForward.
The Bench
We bring our experience along with 'The Bench', our growing network of disaster recovery and resilience experts across many disciplines and sectors, to inform our work, and help communities with the right information at the right time.
After the Fire On the Road
From our visit to the Santiam Canyon fire zone in Marion County, OR to learn about their recovery progress 14 months post fire, which devastated the region on Labor Day weekend 2020. We spent a few days and toured the area and met with local recovery leaders along with a group of experienced, trusted members of our network--Jim White, Executive Director, Nonprofit Association of Oregon, John Russell, CPCB Manager/Community Planning Expert, and Michael Morter, Wildfire Recovery Ombudsman, Oregon Office of Emergency Management.
From our visit to Greenville and Taylorsville in Plumas County, CA to support them as they navigate the first steps after the Dixie Fire.
Community to Community Monthly Meetings
Newsfeed
After the Fire Announces $220,000 Grant from Walmart Foundation to Support Community to Community Programs (C2C)
Jennifer Gray Thompson, CEO and Judy Coffey, Board President of After the Fire, a leading nonprofit in wildfire recovery in the United States, announced a grant from the Walmart Foundation to support programs dedicated to helping communities recover, rebuild and reimagine after experiencing a megafire.
The $220,000 grant supports the work of After the Fire USA, specifically our Community to Community Programs (C2C) supporting, mentoring, coaching and sharing best practices with those affected in the devastating 2020 wildfire season that burned over 10 million acres and caused $16.4B in damage across California, Oregon, and Washington states. “The 2020 wildfire season was not only unprecedented, it was also a confirmation that we are living in the Era of Megafire. This generous grant from the Walmart Foundation demonstrates their commitment to ensuring wildfire survivors have equal access to adaptable systems, resources, best practices, and our Wildfire Resilience Network of leaders,” stated Jennifer Gray Thompson.
ONLINE EVENT: Managing Effective Communications with the Community As You Rebuild
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ONLINE EVENT: How to Plan for Rebuilding after Wildfire, and Practical Tips for Selecting a Builder
This session was recorded, and the video is posted on our YouTube Channel View this information on our Events Calendar…
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ONLINE EVENT: Ready for Rain – Land Care After Wildfire
About this Meeting This session was recorded, and the video is posted on our YouTube Channel View this information…
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This work is made possible in partnership with Fannie Mae: Disaster Resiliency & Relief.