FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Beylah R. Marks
(877) 355-8922 x16
bmarks@unitedwaysca.org

(Los Angeles, CA) — In partnership with six local United Ways across the state, United Ways of California has been awarded $1 million to implement disaster preparedness outreach in nine California counties through the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Listos California Statewide Grant Program. This is United Ways of California’s second Listos California grant.

As part of an unwavering commitment to respond to the most pressing community needs, United Ways across California invest in programs that support their communities before, during, and after disasters. This includes distributing emergency funds for those affected by natural disasters in their communities, operating 211 call centers that connect community members to disaster support resources, and supporting communities in rebuilding, even long after disaster strikes. Disaster preparedness outreach complements this work, ensuring communities across the state are ready in case of an emergency. United Way brings people together to build strong, equitable communities where everyone can thrive, and community strengthening work like disaster preparedness and relief is a critical component.

Listos California is a state-funded initiative that “engages a statewide network of community-based organizations, Tribal Governments, and Community Emergency Response Teams across the state to boost resiliency, provide accessible in-language information, and advance a new culture of disaster preparedness.” 

United Ways are trusted by their counties and communities around disaster response because of their work with emergency response and recovery groups as well as their track record responding to emergencies and disasters like: 

• The Thomas Fire & Debris Flow in Ventura and LA counties
• COVID-19
• The 2023 floods in Merced, Monterey, and Santa Barbara Counties
• The Carr and Camp Fires in Shasta and Butte
• The Maui Wildfire Disaster 

And many more.

United Ways of California’s partners in this year’s Listos California grant are: United Way Fresno and Madera Counties, United Way of Merced County, United Way Monterey County, Northern Santa Barbara County United Way, United Way of Santa Barbara County, and United Way of the Wine Country. United Way of Northern California also received separate Listos California grant funding for this cycle. 

This collective’s work will include peer-to-peer disaster outreach and education, addressing service gaps, promoting community resilience, and more. 

Local United Ways will deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate disaster preparedness, response, and recovery training to diverse communities, empowering community members and local community organizations to become leaders in disaster preparedness, disseminating vital information, and promoting resilience within their own social networks.

Additionally, local United Ways will identify gaps and unmet needs in the current local disaster management plans, meeting with their County Emergency Manager, local CBO representatives, and other relevant offices to integrate response plans together cohesively. Local United Ways will address information-based gaps directly. To address needs that go beyond training and information, local United Ways will present to relevant county administrators to find a policy solution or another way to address the service gaps.

Working together, California’s United Ways are uniquely equipped to efficiently implement disaster preparedness outreach while still addressing needs at the local level. The California United Way network has a strong track record of successful collaborative response programs like this in recent years, most notably in activating 15 local United Ways to outreach and distribute cash payments to about 56,000 food and farmworkers across the state through the USDA’s Food and Farm Worker Relief program. United Ways of California also operates a statewide free tax preparation and tax credit education and outreach collective each year to connect tens of thousands of California families to free tax preparation and tax credits each year. This experience and learnings from it will help United Ways of California successfully implement this collaborative Listos California grant work. 

By coming together to support Californians in times of crisis, California United Ways strive to build stronger and healthier communities. 

Learn more about California United Ways’ community response solutions.

Prepare yourself, your family, and your community for emergencies and natural disasters.

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United Ways of California improves health, education, and financial stability for low-income families and individuals by coordinating the statewide advocacy and community impact work of California’s United Ways.