Wildfires are affecting children and families in Tennessee. In response, Save the Children stands ready to help children and families with emergency assistance during this difficult time. Your generous gift supports our efforts to protect vulnerable children and provide needed relief to families.
A massive wildfire spread rapidly through the eastern Tennessee towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge on Monday and Tuesday, leaving at least three people dead, displacing more than 14,000 and causing extensive damage to at least 150 homes and other buildings.
Save the Children has been working in Tennessee for 83 years, supporting schools in eight counties including Cocke County, which is near the fires, and is responding to the emergency. The organization's staff is assessing the fire impact on the schools it supports near the affected area. They are reaching out to the superintendents and principals to determine who has been affected and what the needs are.
Staff is also in touch with state and national partners to determine unmet needs for children and how Save the Children could help. They are also contacting child care programs in the affected counties to determine if early education programs have been affected by the fires. Save the Children is the national leader in helping child care and early education programs affected by emergencies.
