Author: Andrea Sousa (2018)
In the wake of the #WoosleyFire, I chose to donate $100 to the California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Relief Fund as part of The Poirier Group’s annual Holiday Goodwill initiative. This fund supports immediate and long-term recovery efforts for major California wildfires.
As a proud Pepperdine University alumnus and former resident of Malibu, California, I was sad to hear about the devastation that the Woolsey Fire caused to the area. Combined with the Hill Fire, nearly 300,000 residents were forced to flee and thousands of people lost their homes. The fire spread dangerously close to my school, leaving students on lock down inside. Thankfully, students and the school were unharmed.
However, I received word from friends in the vicinity that their homes and places of work burned down. I felt helpless watching the extensive news coverage from afar in Toronto, Canada. The Malibu streets I know so well looked virtually unrecognizable through the flames and smoke.
Therefore, it was important to me to direct my donation to the Wildfire Relief Fund (WRF). The WRF provides grants to key organizations working to aid communities affected by the fire, such as Malibu Fire Relief Fund, Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, and Ventura County Animal Services. On December 18, the WRF announced that $1.2 million in grants would be awarded to these organizations to help rebuild homes, support those who lost housing, belongings, or employment, provide medical care and supplies to victims, and educate locals on disaster preparedness.
I am grateful to The Poirier Group for enabling me to give back to a community that I care about deeply. Our company’s Holiday Goodwill initiative is exemplary of how The Poirier Group strives to contribute in meaningful ways beyond day-to-day servicing of clients.
