For anyone who thinks there are no atheist charities…
From Jim Underdown, Executive Director of the Center for Inquiry — Los Angeles:
We are deeply concerned about the hardship and suffering caused by the wildfires here in Southern California. We want to help, so the Center for Inquiry—Los Angeles is launching an effort through SHARE (the Secular Humanist Aid and Relief Effort) to raise charitable funds to assist low income and displaced families who have been affected by this disaster.
Those of us who have seen some of the devastation first hand understand the magnitude of the situation. Since last Saturday, at least 15 fires have destroyed over 1,500 homes in Southern California. The fires have razed nearly 460,000 acres—about 719 square miles. Over a half million people were evacuated from areas that stretch from Ventura County northwest of Los Angeles east to the San Bernardino National Forest and south to the U.S.-Mexico border. A smoky haze continues to drift over our Hollywood offices.
Losses total at least $1 billion in San Diego County alone, and include much of the state’s southern farmland. A full third of the state’s avocado crop has been destroyed. The loss of these agricultural products will no doubt put some of our neighbors and their children at risk from a severe loss of income. This is something that many families can ill afford and may affect their foreseeable future.
The current financial loss estimates are sure to rise. The needs of those who’ve lost their homes and their livelihoods will be very great. Your assistance is very important. Please join with us and other humanists and skeptics to help out in this crisis. Your support is greatly appreciated!
The address for SHARE is PO Box 664, Amherst, NY 14226, or you may make your contribution to SHARE directly by clicking here. All funds sent to SHARE are tax exempt in the United States.
Thank you.
If you haven’t heard of SHARE:
The Center for Inquiry and its affiliated organizations have launched this initiative to raise charitable funds to aid children and families affected by the Southern California wildfires. Secularists, humanists, and skeptics may make their contribution directly through SHARE, the Secular Humanist Aid and Relief Effort, sponsored by the Council for Secular Humanism. This charity, maintained by the Council for Secular Humanism for over two decades to channel aid to victims of natural disasters, forwards funds received to organizations providing direct relief to the victims.
I donated.
Will you do the same?
Update: To answer some of the questions posed below, Debbie Goddard, a CFI staff member, made this comment:
Hi there,
I’m one of the field organizers at the Center for Inquiry. I asked why the SHARE link hadn’t been put on CFI West’s website yet–it’s because the person who updates the website was out for a couple of days, and the SHARE message originally went out on Friday. (The site was also still advertising an event on October 24th…) It should be up some time this afternoon.
Secondly, the Secular Humanist Aid and Relief Effort is indeed a part of the Council for Secular Humanism, which is listed on the Charity Navigator site. So, go ahead and give!
Debbie Goddard
Center for Inquiry
[tags]atheist, atheism, California, fire, relief, charity[/tags]