As the West Coast faces an unprecedented fire season, thousands of families have been evacuated, and many will not have a home to return to. During this crisis, we want to help in any way we possibly can, so we’ve opened our platform to allow fire evacuees to find safe, overnight parking.
September 10th, 2020
The very same community where our company was founded is experiencing one of its worst disasters. This year, Santa Cruz County is experiencing its worst fire season in recorded history, with the CZU Lightening Complex Fire burning over 85,000 acres - and it is still threatening more homes and structures. Many of us know people who have had to evacuate, and some of us know people who have unfortunately lost their homes. The devastating reality is that most California residents know someone who has evacuated their home at some point in the last decade. Our small team at Vanly know multiple families who have lost their homes due to fires within the last few years.
What’s worse is that the size of the CZU Complex Fire pales in comparison to the size of other fires burning across the state, including the LNU and SCU Complex fires, the Elkhorn fire, the Creek fire and many others. Nearly 3 million acres have already burned, and none of the fires have yet been contained. Thousands of people are without a place to stay while they nervously anticipate the news of their house possibly being destroyed by fires that are completely out of control. Hopefully, we can all empathize with the harsh reality that thousands of families are currently enduring. So what can we do to help?
With Vanly, we’ve built a platform that allows vanlifers and RV travelers to find safe, overnight parking in private driveways or properties in exchange for a payment to the host. We give hosts the freedom to charge whatever they deem fair, and overnight parking guests are required to adhere to the rules listed by the host. Our initial goal has been to enable safer, easier travel for those in the #vanlife and RV communities, while providing the opportunity for hosts to make passive income - and develop meaningful connections along the way.
However, amidst this unprecedented crisis, we have decided to open our platform to hosts that want to provide their driveway or property space to fire victims and evacuees, with the ability to list their property for free or for a discounted rate for those affected by the fires. Whether they need a place for their car, RV or trailer, evacuees can use Vanly to find nearby driveways or properties where they can safely park. If you would like to help out, simply list your property. When selecting the price for your listing, you will be asked whether you'd like to make accomodations for evacuees. The process is free, and Vanly will not be charging any fees. Our hope is to provide a resource to connect those in need to people willing to help.
Please feel free to reach out to me directly at lane@vanly.app or our team with any questions, feedback, or concerns.
Stay strong, stay safe and take care of each other.
