OperationOC opened its recovery center at the Village of Hope located at One Hope Drive, Tustin, California 92782 on Monday, October 22, 2007 through February 21, 2008 for activation level 2 recovery services. OperationOC staff sprung into action by providing evacuee case managers to interview the evacuees that were seeking services.

Direct recovery services included: evacuee case management, FEMA registration assistance, food boxes, hygiene supplies, clothing assistance, gift certificates to local restaurants, transportation assistance, gift certificates for gas, gift certificates for clean-up and construction supplies, gift certificates for clothing, and basic health care assistance. A total of 2,063 units of service were provided to these evacuees.

General Statistics:
Level 2 activation start date:		October 22, 2007
Level 2 activation end date:		February 21, 2008
Total number of days activated:		123
Total number of requests for assistance:		738
Total number of evacuees served:		377
Total number of unduplicated households served:		176
Total number of units of service:		2,063
Total number of volunteers:		864
Total number of volunteer hours:		7,776
Total number of pounds of food received:		22,642
Total number of bottles of water distributed:		6,696

Numbers are important, but let's not forget that we are rescuing our neighbors; real people, not just statistics. Let me share with you just one of the hundreds of stories that we encountered.

Stacey and Robert Stacey and Robert* have four children and live in Modjeska Canyon. They suffered greatly during the recent Santiago wild fires. In July, Robert was electrocuted at work and they were living on the small amount of disability insurance which left them with a very tight budget. The aftermath of medical issues for Robert included memory loss and seizures. When the Santiago wild fires moved quickly towards their home, things turned significantly worse for their family. They were forced to evacuate their home for two weeks. They sought out emergency shelter and slept on friends’ couches as they waited to get the OK to return home. When they were finally able to return home, they discovered how devastating a wild fire can be. Because of smoke damage they had to throw away all of their bedding, mattresses and clothing, in addition to all of their spoiled food. In the midst of this entire crisis, Robert missed appointments with his disability insurance doctor and they suspended his claim, leaving his family with no income. In Stacey's words “I just was so overwhelmed, I could not make myself pick up the phone and make the calls.” Stacy was referred by emergency workers to OperationOC for assistance. OperationOC staff immediately assisted Stacy by negotiating the reinstating of Robert's disability insurance claim and was able to secure retroactive payments. An OperationOC case manager provided them with gift cards for gas, clothing, and groceries. OperationOC volunteers provided a complete Thanksgiving Meal with all the trimmings along with a Christmas Dinner and Christmas gifts for all four of the children. Stacy shared with us that her family is on the mend from the wild fires and Robert is getting better. They are completely back on their feet financially. Both Stacy and Robert wish to thank the entire OperationOC Team for helping them in their moment of crisis. *Note: The actual names listed above were changed to respect their privacy.

In closing, OperationOC would like to thank all of the 864 volunteers and recognize those organizational partners who played a significant role in this recent response effort. We want to express our gratitude for the heart they have in helping those who are in need. Participants include the following service delivery and/or resource delivery organizations: