September 17, 2021 – SAN DIEGO - A team of eight skilled construction volunteers deployed by San Diego-based International Relief Teams (IRT) are returning to San Diego on Sunday, September 19, 2021. They have spent the past week rebuilding a home in Paradise, California for victims of the 2018 Camp Fire who cannot recover on their own.
Two of the San Diego volunteers will return on Sunday, September 19; Alaska Airlines Flight 3369 from Sacramento arriving in San Diego at 12:40 p.m. The four remaining volunteers will return by vehicle with an expected arrival of early evening. Interviews can be conducted at the airport, or through arrangement with our office.
The 2018 wildfires in California were the deadliest and most destructive in the state’s history. About 30,000 families lost their homes, their livelihoods, and their hopes for the future. Paradise was nearly wiped off the map by the fire. Now, many low-income and retired families in Paradise are still struggling to begin rebuilding even three years after the fire.
“This is our third team to deploy in 2021, with two more teams scheduled for this year. We will continue to help families who cannot recover on their own by sending construction teams for as long as needed,” said Barry La Forgia, IRT Executive Director.
Volunteers interested in working on a construction team can find more information here: https://www.irteams.org/about/volunteer-opportunities
IRT has 33 years of experience in assisting victims of disasters, both nationally and internationally. IRT also has a long history of providing aid and/or volunteer construction teams following major wildfires in California including the 2018 Camp and Carr fires, the 2015 Valley fire, and the 2007 and 2003 San Diego firestorms.
International Relief Teams alleviates the suffering caused by poverty and disaster around the globe, from the forgotten corners of the world to right here at home, by sending volunteer teams and medical supplies to make immediate change for the world’s most vulnerable people. For more information visit: http://www.irteams.org. Also, see us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram.
