Fuel Relief Fund Delivers Fuels and Restores Hope: A Season of Emergency Relief
March 7, 2025
By Kelly Francis, Executive Director, Fuel Relief Fund
Source: FRF Volunteer
On January 19, 2025, Fuel Relief Fund (FRF) began an unconventional deployment. Residents of Altadena and Pasadena, two communities ravaged by the Eaton Fire, were in need of food, water, shelter — and fuel. Thanks to partnerships with CFCA - California Fuels & Convenience Alliance and Care Closet LBC, FRF volunteer team members, Joe Lee and Justin Castellanos, delivered over 660 prepaid $50 fuel cards for fire victims through churches in the most severely impacted areas.
“Our Church had 42 families who lost everything in the Eaton Fire,” said Alicia Hazelton, Director of Outreach for Victory Bible Church. “Thank you to the Fuel Relief Fund from our hearts to yours for making a difference!”
In addition to the churches, team members distributed fuel cards at shelter hotels and walked through the fire zone giving free fuel support to victims inspecting their lost property.
As the world’s only charitable organization focused exclusively on emergency fuel assistance in natural disasters and complex situations, FRF’s all-volunteer force is ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. Leveraging its fuel industry and humanitarian sector expertise, FRF manages emergency fuel supply chains in the direst of circumstances.
“By operating with local churches and within the restricted area, we can guarantee that our services are going directly to those who need it most.”
– Joe Lee, FRF Volunteer
“Our goal is to help those in need, whether it be from earthquakes, hurricanes, or wildfires,” says Karly Cady, Co-chair of the Fuel Relief Fund Board of Directors. "Although it was not a typical deployment for us, we wanted to help by providing free fuel to those whose lives were upended during the Southern California wildfires. We knew we could help make a difference.”
Since its 2005 founding in California, FRF has aided disaster victims around the world. Natural disasters, including hurricanes, earthquakes, typhoons, and tsunamis have taken FRF to places such as Turkey, Morocco, Mozambique, and Japan or closer, in the US, Caribbean and South America.
Critical infrastructure, water treatment plants, medical facilities and search and rescue operations can’t function without fuel. Those affected by disaster can’t feed their families, power their homes and medical equipment or drive for medical care.
That’s where Fuel Relief Fund comes in.
“The mission of Fuel Relief Fund is simple but critical: to provide fuel and energy resources during natural disasters and crisis situations," explains Charlie Cady, Co-chair of the Fuel Relief Fund Board of Directors. "Whether it's fueling first responders, powering generators or medical equipment to help affected communities get back on their feet, we deliver energy and hope when needed most.”
October 2024 required more conventional deployments with back-to-back hurricanes in the Southern US. FRF delivered approximately 56,000 gallons of gasoline for Georgia and North Carolina first responders, communities, generators, and transportation devastated by Hurricane Helene. Volunteers worked to reach victims in some of the hardest hit, most remote areas, assisting the North Carolina National Guard and Samaritan’s Purse delivering fuel via trucks, ATVs, and helicopters.
Although the fuel infrastructure had a faster turnaround for Hurricane Milton in Florida, FRF filled the need of approximately 30,000 gallons of fuel to hospital, fire, and police first responders.
A registered 501(c)3 organization, Fuel Relief Fund operates both as a first responder in the immediate aftermath of a disaster and as an expert advisor to humanitarian aid agencies.
For more information and/or to donate to Fuel Relief Fund, visit our website: https://fuelrelieffund.org/.
