United Women in Faith Laments Over the Wildfires in California

For Immediate Release

Contact: dfrancisco@uwfaith.org

NEW YORK – United Women in Faith today lamented with the people of California over the devastating wildfires there. The fires were exacerbated by the climate crisis which has brought prolonged droughts and hardships to communities already struggling to access support. The organization released the following statement:

“Our hearts are in agony over the devastating wildfires in California. We mourn with the Altadena, Pacific Palisades and the entire Los Angeles community. We grieve with those who are grieving over the loss of life, the loss of ways of life, and the loss of items that contributed to a family’s well-being. We can only imagine the pain of going to sleep in one’s home only to be displaced several hours later. The trauma of the fires cannot be understated.

“We are holding all impacted persons in our hearts and prayers. We are also mindful of the unique challenges of communities of color, low-income communities, persons who are unhoused, renters, and persons who are incarcerated. They are particularly vulnerable. These groups have also historically faced barriers accessing FEMA funds and resources in emergencies. We pray that they — and all impacted persons — obtain the support and resources they need to rebuild.

“We know that in times of natural disasters or conflict, women, children, and youth are uniquely vulnerable. They are more likely to be displaced, more likely to suffer from gender-based violence, and more likely to struggle to rebuild. We are also concerned about the acute vulnerability of young people currently incarcerated near the wildfires.

“We pray that the nation’s leaders take seriously their responsibility to address the root causes of these disasters by confronting the climate crisis and ensuring equitable access to resources and support for all.

“It is not lost on us that there are some people who are navigating this crisis while attempting to serve others. We are mindful of our friends and colleagues at the California-Pacific Conference of The United Methodist Church, who are serving even as they are in agony over this challenging time.

“United Women in Faith is urging its members and the public to bolster the United Methodist Church’s efforts to help in relief and recovery by contributing to UMCOR’s US Disaster Response and Recovery (Advance #901670). Alternatively, our members and the public can give directly to the Advance at umcmission.org/advance-project/901670/.”

Media Contact:
Dominique Francisco
Director of Public Relations & Marketing
dfrancisco@uwfaith.org