The people of Greater Spokane and Medical Lake came together for us after the Gray and Elk Fires - with millions of dollars in donations.  Unfortunately for those of us who were Survivors of the fires, many of us have received little to no support.  There are still countless stories of those who are displaced and have enormous unmet needs.  Stories of those who lost their homes and remain displaced, have personal items they are still in need of, yard cleanup and tree removal that has never been finished - and others who are still feeling like post-fire victims.  Many were denied by qualifying rules that were so stringent,  very few were approved for aid.  Of those that were approved, the amount of help was very small.  This was coupled with mountains of paperwork during a very traumatic time of our lives, only to be told we were denied or didn't qualify. 

It wasn't that our community didn't try.  They tried valiantly - with donation drives and businesses who offered matching donation campaigns and fundraising efforts that made us proud.  Thank you Spokane! The problem was - that most of those monies got tied up in large non-profit bureaucracies like Innovia, Red Cross and the Long Term Recovery Group - all local organizations claiming to serve the Greater Spokane Region.  As of today's date - a recent survey shows that over 94% of Gray and Elk Fire Survivors do not feel that their needs were met as a result of reaching out to obtain help.  Of those people - 100% felt that the monies were not spent wisely or fairly. 

If you are a Survivor of the Gray and Elk Fires of 2023, or know someone that was, please help us bring some light and attention to this issue by signing the petition to encourage the people of Spokane and surrounding areas to donate directly to those in need - (individual families, churches, foodbanks, shelters) so that life saving resources and aid don't get tied up forever in some large interest bearing account for self serving middlemen.