The holidays are a time for community. As we come together with loved ones over the next few weeks, it’s important for us to remember the ways that we can be a beacon of hope for those who need our support and care.
I think of the families whose lives have been turned upside down by emergencies, especially by the growing frequency and intensity of disasters. In fact, 2023 is a record year of extreme climate and weather events with each causing losses exceeding $1 billion — including the devastating floods that impacted the Central Coast.
Plus, over the past decade, the number of billion-dollar disasters has increased by 80 percent in the U.S. — all on top of smaller, everyday crises like home fires, which are no less devastating to the families coping with them.