Help is Still Critically Needed for People
Affected by Recent Local Disasters
Although more than half a year has gone by since hundreds of people in Ventura County and Santa Barbara County had their lives shattered by the Thomas Fire and the Montecito mudslides, the impact (physical, financial, and emotional) of those disasters has nowhere near subsided for a great many of them. Emily Barany, founder and owner of Visionality Partners, brought that sobering message to Rotary Ventura South on Monday, August 6.
Like many others in the area, Emily wanted to help in the immediate aftermath of these tragedies. She put out the call for volunteers and, as she puts it, "people showed up." What started as a simple spreadsheet quickly turned into a valuable website designed to connected people in need with people willing to help: thomasfirehelp.org. "Our youngest volunteer was four years old," says Emily.
Soon, Emily and her volunteers were connecting people with dozens of resources, including transportation, financial help, mental health services, food, and clothing. In her presentation on Monday, she related several touching stories, including the 64 private pilots who helped 117 medical patients get to critical appointments, particularly when Highway 101 was closed for two weeks. One of those patients was eight-year-old Allie who needed to quickly get to Childrens Hospital in Los Angeles for a heart monitor. A local helicopter pilot responded and a grateful Ellie had the ride of her life.
Emily noted that her organization also responded to the recent Holiday Fire in Goleta. Even more recently, they added the devastating Carr Fire in northern California to their list of projects. "My vision is to pay it forward," she said. Thank you for that vision, Emily!