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  • 2018-11-14 (xsd:date)
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  • Did Goodwill Offer Free Supplies to Wildfire Victims Throughout California? (en)
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  • In November 2018, Northern California's Camp Fire caused more than 40 deaths and destroyed thousands of homes in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, especially the town of Paradise, which was almost completely destroyed in the inferno. In response, charities, churches, businesses and members of the public in the surrounding areas offered what help they could to those who were forced to leave their homes behind. Against this background, a viral Facebook post claimed that Goodwill, the non-profit organization that operates thrift stores throughout the United States, was offering free blankets, toiletries and other necessities to anyone in the state of California who could present identification and proof that their homes had been caught up in the Camp Fire: On 10 November, Lori McNeill wrote: However, the reality was more complicated. A spokesperson for the non-profit Goodwill Industries International explained in a statement to us that the Goodwill thrift stores familiar to many Americans are not akin to branches of a chain store, governed and overseen by a centralized hierarchy which decides on uniform policies. Rather, they are independent members of a nationwide network of organizations. So while some local Goodwill organizations in California and Oregon had decided to provide assistance of various kinds to victims of the wildfires, these were autonomous decisions, and not a universal policy handed down to all Goodwill locations in those states. As such, it's quite possible that someone forced to flee the fires would find help, potentially including free blankets, supplies or clothes, at their nearest Goodwill location. However, contrary to the viral meme's claim, this was not guaranteed for every store, or part of a uniform policy. The spokesperson provided some details of the initiatives being undertaken by some regional Goodwill members. (This list is not exhaustive, and will be updated when we receive further information from Goodwill Industries): Goodwill Industries told us that anyone affected by the wildfires could call 1-800-GOODWILL in order to find out what assistance might be available at their nearest Goodwill outlet. Many other local charities and churches were providing assistance of various kinds to those caught up in the fires. The details can be found in this article published by the Redding-based news channel KRCR. (en)
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