Health department outlines how Community Self Help Fund aided families after April fire; seeks ongoing support

Dr. Monica Saavedra, director of Health and Human Services, used a community television segment to describe the Community Self Help Fund and to thank participants in the Hope for Hoffman golf fundraiser for supporting local residents in crisis.

Saavedra said the fund provides "fast, flexible support to residents facing sudden hardship," citing examples the program has supported: an emergency food pantry in the department lobby, food vouchers for local grocers, holiday items for children in need, rental assistance for families who lost jobs, home-repair materials for a senior veteran with a disability (including a ramp), and beds purchased through a partnership with the Lions Club. She said one large-scale use of the fund this past year was response to an April fire that displaced approximately 18 families and that the fund helped secure emergency shelter, clothing, hygiene items, diapers and formula that same day.

"The Community Self Help Fund is a local lifeline built on compassion and collective action," Saavedra said, and she encouraged continued community generosity during the Hope for Hoffman golf event. The segment emphasized the cross-department and volunteer response — fire, police, social workers and development services — that coordinated immediate assistance.

Saavedra framed the fund as an example of community-based emergency support; the broadcast did not specify the fund's current balance, eligibility thresholds for aid, or the process for applying for assistance beyond broad examples described on air.