SACRAMENTO >> This week, Senator Mike McGuire announced that $50,000 had been awarded to the Lake Area Rotary Club Association (LARCA) to improve Lake County’s evacuation shelter system by a Bay Area nonprofit organization.
McGuire has been working with local elected officials and nonprofit leaders to secure the funds which will make “desperately needed investments to enhance and modernize” the county’s emergency shelter system.
The nonprofit organization to award the funds for the improvement is Tipping Point Community, which focuses on breaking the cycle of poverty and has been a significant funder in the North Bay fire recovery efforts.
“We are grateful for the incredible generosity of Tipping Point, the Lake County Community Action Group who have been leading this effort and PG&E,” McGuire said. “All have stepped up to make these needed improvements and help the County and City become more resilient in times of disaster.”
Funds are said to make critical improvements to the Clearlake Community Senior Center, which has been used as the area’s emergency facility in the past. Following the Sulphur Fire in October of last year, resources from in and outside the county provided food, shelter and social services to over 100 affected locals. Still, room to offer more was always in mind by organizers.
Paired with grants from PG&E and other community groups, the improvements will include purchasing a generator so the shelter can provide uninterruptible power, 24-7, for seventy-two hours. Also, local officials will buy or construct portable shower/bathroom facilities with one ADA compliant facility, a storage room for emergency supplies, and a trailer frame to transport the portable shower/bathroom facilities. These enhancements will fix glaring challenges the County and City of Clearlake have faced during the multiple mass evacuations over the last few years.
“The Lake County fires, along with two flood events, have had an immense impact on our community over the past several years,” said Russ Cremer, Clearlake City councilmember and treasurer of LARCA. “Thanks to the leadership of LARCA, Senator McGuire and the fantastic generosity of Tipping Point, these funds will provide us with the ability to complete the infrastructure for an emergency evacuation shelter at our Clearlake Community Senior Center. Residents from all across the county will be better served by these enhancements during our greatest times of need.”
The project is estimated to cost a total of $169,437. Already, an estimated $147,000 has been raised in support, with a grant from PG&E of $75,000 to purchase a generator and transfer switch for the facility. The Clearlake Rotary, through fundraising, will contribute $14,000 and LARCA will provide $8,300.
“The impact of the North Bay fires will be long felt in the region, but those who are low-income will have the steepest climb ahead,” said CEO and founder of Tipping Point Daniel Lurie. “Improvements to the evacuation shelter will provide a safe haven in the event of another disaster for those who have nowhere else to turn.”
