The Slater Fire: Rita's Story
In early March, United Way of Northern California’s Disaster Response team received an inspiring story of success from a local case manager we had been working with:
After surviving the Camp Fire, my 73-year-old female client lived in a FEMA trailer for most of the following two years. She searched for a new home to rent that would allow her dog, hoping to stay in Butte County, but the search was difficult.
In January 2021, she finally found a place in Gridley that she financially qualified for. She applied for the two bedroom [apartment] that was available and found out that, as a Camp Fire survivor, she was considered priority!
Meanwhile, her FEMA worker was pushing for her to move out [of her trailer]. I spoke with the FEMA worker a couple of times a week to let her know that my client was doing everything she could. Unfortunately, there are not many local housing options for someone on Social Security. Her FEMA worker appreciated the updates and was able to push back the 15-day leave letter for quite awhile, but it was still coming. My client's new date to move out of her trailer was March 3rd, 2021.
On February 19th, my client received the amazing news that everything was approved for her to move into her new apartment...on March 1st! This didn’t give us much time to apply for the available funding to help with first months’ rent and deposit, so we started working on it right away. I received everything needed from the office manager to apply to United Way of Northern California's amazing S.H.O.P. program (Stable Housing Opportunities Program) by the following Tuesday, but an unexpected expense of $350 presented an additional problem. My client called crying, and stated that she didn't have the funds to cover it. This could ruin all the work we had done! I immediately contacted the utility company in Gridley and a fantastic woman named Sandra, was able to get me the bill and a W9 by Wednesday morning, allowing me to update the S.H.O.P. application to include the new expense. Then, we waited.
On the morning of February 26th, a Friday, I received an email that a check was waiting for me. (What a wonderful way to start a Friday!) I called my client and the office manager for her new apartment to share the exciting news. My client was overjoyed! She was terrified that she might have to live in her truck with her dog, and she prayed over and over that everything would work out, and it did.
My client and her dog are now living happily in their new home. She says she loves being close to town but not too close and she is appreciative of United Way of Northern California’s S.H.O.P. program, knowing that none of this could have happened if you weren't there. (And so quickly, too!) The checks came through only two days after applying. If that hadn’t happened, we don't know where my client would be. This has been one of many times that S.H.O.P. has saved the day!
Thank you so much for all you do at United Way for our survivors! They just need a step up and you have been there for so many of them. Thank you!
For more stories on our work with wildfire recovery, check out our YouTube channel at NorCalUnited.co/youtube.