SUBLETTE COUNTY, WYO – As is often the case in the west, when faced with trials like the Roosevelt Fire, we are a people that bond together. Community is counted on when crisis hits and already there are dozens of stories of neighbors helping neighbors in the midst of tragedy.
Several options exist to help. Buckrail verified the following as ways to help by donating items or offering service, and by giving money that will stay here locally with the lowest overhead.
The Bondurant Community Club, the Lions Foundation of Wyoming, and the Red Cross of America are partnering to ensure that the needs of our community are met in a timely and efficient manner.
Organizers are working tirelessly to establish a system of distribution based on priority and need. Here is what you should know so far:
FUNDRAISING:
The best place to donate money is to: https://www.gofundme.com/roosevelt-fire-disaster-recovery.
GoFundMe does take a percentage of the donation (paid by the donor) and we are encouraging those who wish to make larger donations to do so using checks or the Lions Club donation page here. Aside from the GoFundMe fee, 100% of all funds raised by the Lions Club will go to the Bondurant Community victims. The Lions Club does not take any administrative or processing fees.
This is set up through the Bondurant Community Club in conjunction with the so that all donations and recipients of donations will be tax exempt. The funds will be allocated and managed by the Bondurant Community Club with an established criteria for distribution based on need.
Tax deduction donation letters will come from the Lions of Wyoming Foundation. If people prefer to write checks, they should be made out to “Lions of Wyoming Foundation” with a memo stating “Roosevelt Fire” and mailed to Bondurant Community Club, PO Box 71, Bondurant, WY 82922.
RED CROSS:
Everyone who experiences loss or is in need of support during the evacuation should contact the Red Cross. They work on an individual basis and everything is completely confidential. We have two Red Cross Representatives locally stationed at the LDS Church in Pinedale. Their names are Mel and Cindy. Call them at 307.286.0576.
They are able to help with a wide span, ranging from temporary housing, vouchers, aid with prescription medication, eyeglasses, child care, mental health counseling, etc. You will work with a caseworker and they’ll customize response to your needs. They have so many people wanting to help, but they need to understand what we need. Many of us do not yet know what we need, since some of us lost everything, and some of us are still waiting to know the status of our homes. This is still a great starting place however.
HOUSING (SHORT AND LONG TERM):
If you need temporary housing, contact Trudy Fry at the Red Cross at tfry0303@yahoo.com. They are maintaining a list of people who have offered temporary housing and can make connections between those with housing to offer and those in need.
For those in need of longer term housing, please contact Melissa Harrison at melis.harrison@gmail.com or 307-690-0086. We are currently working on developing lists of people willing to donate/rent their homes on a longer term basis as well as a list of people in need. We will then match up those in need with those with housing to offer based.
NON-MONETARY DONATIONS:
There are many amazing people who want to contribute on a variety of levels. The Lions Club in Pinedale is working with the Red Cross to establish a location as well as a donation management system to accept, organize, house, and distribute items. We expect this to be completed in the next couple of days. We will keep you those who are offering contributions and those in need posted on the details.
