John Jefferson
The wildfires raging in Los Angeles have forced residents to flee for their lives. While some will be able to return home, others have lost everything, from their property to their loved ones. Spring Health, a company that aims to “to eliminate every barrier to mental health,” launched an initiative to provide free support to wildfire victims and has committed $500,000 to the program.
“We believe that supporting the people in LA is very aligned with our mission as a company,” April Koh, co-founder and CEO of Spring Health, told Fox News.
As part of its Wildfire Mental Health Support Program, Spring Health is looking to help wildfire victims, in particular “displaced families, first responders and other vulnerable populations” as they face “immense loss and trauma.” The program includes free therapy sessions and resources for participants.
“This program underscores our commitment to making high-quality mental health care accessible to those who need it most, when they need it most,” Koh said in a statement.
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“We’re seeing really deeply personal stories of real loss.”
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Spring Health has applications “rolling in” as the wildfires continue to terrorize Los Angeles-area residents. The company believes “recovery is going to take a long time” for those impacted by the devastating disasters, which is why they are offering their services now to help victims deal with the “emotional toll.”
“We’re seeing really deeply personal stories of real loss, and, again, feel very privileged to be in a position where we can help,” Koh added.
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The company is stepping up now, even as the fires rage, because they’re looking to “empower” victims “with the tools they might need to rebuild and heal from a mental health perspective.” Koh says that the company sees the “broader community” is still in “fight and flight mode” amid the disaster.
The CEO is also calling on others in the “mental health community” to “join hands” with Spring Health, and “really come together to make an impact here.”
“We can’t even begin to imagine what people might be experiencing through this time,” Koh added.
As of early Thursday morning, at least 25 people were confirmed to have died in the disaster, while dozens remain missing. AccuWeather estimates the total damage and economic loss from the fires to be between $250 billion and $275 billion, which surpasses the numbers for the entire 2020 wildfire season.
At the time of this writing, Cal Fire estimated that more than 12,000 structures were destroyed in the blaze. Additionally, more than 40,600 acres had been burned.
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