Grant money is helping maintain relief and recovery efforts for the 2020 Oregon wildfires. The United Way of Lane County is one of the latest beneficiaries.
Last year’s wildfires are considered the worst in state history. In Lane County, the McKenzie River Corridor saw hundreds of homes and businesses destroyed, as the Holiday Farm Fire scorched 173,000 acres.
Jared Pruch of United Way says five months later, attention has waned but financial support is still coming in. The AARP Foundation provided his organization with a $50,000 grant.
“We know it’s going to take years for a lot of these families and individuals to get back to where they were prior to the fire. We know there’s just tremendous need connected to the recovery: the community centers, the food pantries, the health clinic.”
The news comes as survivors are dealing with heavy winter rains, and word that FEMA has denied many requests for wildfire disaster assistance in Oregon.
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