After the 2013 Mountain Fire in the San Jacinto Mountains, a group of residents gathered to better understand the risks of, and solutions to, wildfire in the region. The group hosted a series of community meetings on the history of the local forest and ways to mitigate wildfire danger, and researched ecological forest thinning. In 2017, the Idyllwild Forest Health Project (IFHP) secured nonprofit status.
In 2020, in response to the escalating challenges brought on by the COVID-19 ... Mehr lesen
After the 2013 Mountain Fire in the San Jacinto Mountains, a group of residents gathered to better understand the risks of, and solutions to, wildfire in the region. The group hosted a series of community meetings on the history of the local forest and ways to mitigate wildfire danger, and researched ecological forest thinning. In 2017, the Idyllwild Forest Health Project (IFHP) secured nonprofit status.
In 2020, in response to the escalating challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, IFHP launched Mountain Communities Mutual Aid (MCMA). MCMA started simply as a platform where people could request what they needed and offer what they could. Within a couple of weeks, the pressing need for food emerged as many residents had lost income, but had not yet received any COVID relief funding.
Currently, about 200 households In Pine Cove, Idyllwild, Mountain Center and Anza receive food and goods twice a month. 50 volunteers and a steering committee of ten people run the distributions. In order to optimize health, MCMA sources olive oil, fresh produce, additional proteins (sustainably caught canned fish, grass fed organic ground beef, rice and beans and organic peanut butter), household cleaning products and personal hygiene goods.
In addition to food, the MCMA FoodShare program includes food box distributions, home deliveries and service requests (snow shoveling, handyman work, etc.). Between March 2020 and Dec 2024, MCMA Food Box Distribution distributed over 15,000 food boxes, impacting various demographics: seniors, disabled and homebound individuals, veterans, homeless people and families with children.
At the end of 2022, MCMA collaborated with local therapists to offer on a six-week series of “Mental Hygiene” workshops with licensed therapists.
IFHP continues to work with local businesses and nonprofits to improve the quality of life for the forest ecosystem and the rural residents of the San Jacinto Mountains. We aim to set an example, and provide a template for community flourishing in the American West and beyond.
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