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September 25, 2015
Jill Peeler, Marin County Employee, Starts Bike Donation Program to Help Lake County Fire Victims
The Valley Fire has been devastating in nearby Lake County. Hundreds of homes and thousands of structures have burned. Jill Peeler, a Marin County Sherriff Services Assistant, has volunteered with the Local 798 San Francisco Firefighters’ Toy Program for nearly 20 years and started a new way you can help fire victims.
The Local 798 S.F. Firefighters’ Toy Program delivers toys to children during the holiday season. They also deliver toys year round to children whose homes have burnt down or who are in homeless shelters, cancer wards, battered women and children’s shelters, and more. They serve over 40,000 children every year. Jill and the Local 798 S.F. Firefighters’ Toy Program have already delivered 30 bags of toys to fire victims in Lake County.
“Seeing the fire in the news is already devastating enough, but seeing it in person truly makes your heart sink. These children have seen so much negativity, and we really want to bring something positive into their lives,” Jill told KMM.
After visiting the Lake County area, Jill noticed that many fire victims don’t have access to transportation.
“Most everyone is living in tent cities, and many don’t have a way to travel. They aren’t able to do things like pick up groceries or go to the doctor, so I decided to start a bike donation program.”
Jill aims to collect 100 bikes. Each bike is about $100. Once the bikes are collected, Jill and the crew will head back to the affected areas.
How you can help:
- Donate online to the Toy Program
- Send a check made out to San Francisco Firefighters’ Toy Program at 1139 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94103.
- Drop off a bike or other toys at the Toy Program Headquarters (2225 Jerrold Ave., San Francisco 94124) or, for Marin Residents, Jill has offered to meet people at the Marin Civic Center to collect donations
- You can also donate toys year round – donations are especially needed during the holiday season. (You can drop off toys at any S.F. fire station around the holidays.)
Additionally, Jill and the Local 798 S.F. Firefighters designed T-shirts to benefit the four firefighters that were severely burned fighting the Lake County Fire. All four are still in the hospital and proceeds will help pay for their medical bills. The T-shirts should be ready soon, and will be available for purchase on the Local 798 S.F. Firefighters’ Toy Program Website.
“The fire is practically in our backyard,” said Jill, “It could have been us.”
We are so thankful to Jill and all of the other Marin County Public Employees who are taking time to help fire victims. The Local 798 S.F. Firefighters’ Toy Program runs solely on donations. Your donation is greatly appreciated.
Check out the website or call (415) 777-0440 for more information.
http://www.marincounty.org/main/county-press-releases/press-releases/2015/valley-fire-aid-091615
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