LAKE COUNTY >> Despite overwhelming support from across the country, Lake County is struggling to manage Valley Fire donations. County officials estimate they have received approximately 500,000 pounds of clothing and thousands of pounds of other items.
“It overwhelmed county resources to respond,” Deputy Public Services Coordinator Jeff Rein told the Board of Supervisors at its regular meeting on Tuesday. “There’s frankly no end in sight.”
Among the county’s problems is the lack of distribution centers. There are only two in the area: the previous Sears building near the Safeway in Lakeport and the Little Red Schoolhouse in Cobb. The old Sears building, according to the Valley Fire Long Term Recovery Task Force, has served 782 families. Nearly 3,400 pounds of food, and 3,200 articles of clothing have been distributed.
Long Term Recovery Coordinator Carol Huchingson said the county is working on the issue and negotiations are taking place for the old Middletown Senior Center to become a distribution center, in addition to its other uses.
The distribution centers also brought the problem of staffing, but not because of the lack of manpower.
In fact, the county originally hired the California Conservation Corps to sort and manage the donations, preparing them for distribution. Rein told the board that he recruited the CCC because he assumed their approximately $260,000 cost would be covered by the California Disaster Assistance Act.
Instead, the group informed them that they may have to foot up to 25 percent of the bill. Rein said the matter is currently being resolved and Americorps, whose service is free, replaced the CCC.
“It’s clear that donations aren’t as free as you may think,” Huchingson told the board.
However, help is on the way from Team Lake County. At the task force’s meeting on Nov. 10, the public was informed that TLC will establish a donations committee and coordinate with Donation Management Team to avoid duplication.
Until then, the county still receives many donations that need to be processed and distributed.
“The outpouring of generosity has been incredible and wonderful, but it can reach a point where the donations can’t be used by the survivors,” Huchingson said.
