020: Day 2: TALK STORY: Caring for Kids: Effective Strategies for Supporting Children After Megafires

How to Disaster

2024 WILDFIRE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

Episode Description:

“The biggest component of it is making sure that everyone's talking as much as possible, that there is collaboration and you're working together in order to make sure that kids have the support that they need.” —Henry Meier

“If I don't feel emotionally safe, physical safety means nothing.—Kasey Earnest

“When we imagine trying to help kids in our community, become that age again.” —Alfy Basurto

Children are often the forgotten victims in the aftermath of disasters, their needs and trauma overshadowed by the overwhelming task of rebuilding physical infrastructure. Yet, supporting the mental health and resilience of young people is crucial to the long-term recovery of any community.

Rebuild Paradise Executive Director, Jen Goodlin, leads a powerful discussion with Kasey Earnest of the Malibu Boys & Girls Club, Henry Meier of Project:CAMP, and Alfy Basurto of Rebuild Maui.

Discover how communities can empower the next generation to heal, grow, and lead in the wake of unimaginable disaster as these inspiring leaders share creative youth-centered approaches to disaster response, the importance of collaboration, adapting engagement strategies for kids, and guiding youth through trauma rather than shielding them.

Connect with After The Fire USA:

• Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheFireUSA
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

• 01:03 Paradise: 5 Years Post-Fire
• 06:09 The Problem with Lack of Dedicated Child Care Assistance
• 10:58 From Disaster to Future
• 19:05 Providing a Safe and Fun Environment
• 29:17 How to Help the Children
• 33:17 How the Community Can Help

Meet the Moderator:

👩🏻‍💼Jen Goodlin, Executive Director, Rebuild Paradise Foundation

Jen Goodlin is the Executive Director of Rebuild Paradise Foundation. She and two other mothers founded Rebuild Paradise after the devastating Camp Fire in 2018 that destroyed the town of Paradise. Under Goodlin's leadership, Rebuild Paradise has focused on supporting the community's recovery, with a particular emphasis on involving children and youth. Jen spearheaded an innovative project to capture the handprints of over 2,500 local students, which were used to create a large-scale mural representing the growth and resilience of the Paradise community. Her commitment to engaging young people in the recovery process has made Rebuild Paradise a model for other disaster-affected communities.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-goodlin-9b993426b/

Connect with Rebuild Paradise:

• Website: https://www.rebuildparadise.org/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paradiserebuilds
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebuildparadiseca/

Meet the Panel:

👩🏻‍💼Kasey Earnest, CEO, Boys & Girls Club of Malibu

Kasey Ernest is the CEO of the Boys and Girls Club in Malibu, California. Through her leadership vision, she has led the Boys and Girls Club in Malibu from a modest beginning of a staff of three and membership of 30 young people in a single trailer to an expansive community for youth, with four locations, 30 staff, 300 volunteers, and has grown the membership from 800 to 1600 young people. The Malibu Boys and Girls Club Wellness Center provides licensed mental health and counseling services to all Malibu public school children and their families.

Kasey came to the aid of the community during and after the 2018 Woolsey fire, she created and set up the Malibu Emergency Relief Fund in less than a week to provide disaster relief and emergency aid, and then raised $2 million that went directly to fire survivors. Kasey and our team host the annual Malibu Chili Cook, where for four days the club welcomes 25,000 guests to Malibu for a carnival, chili competition, food, and artesian festival. One hundred percent of the proceeds raised from the cook-off support the programs and services provided by the club.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kasey-earnest-b454b412/

Connect with Malibu Boys and Girls Club

• Website: https://bgcmalibu.org/

👨🏻‍💼Henry Meier, Director of External Affairs, Project:Camp

Henry Meier is the Director of Xternal Affairs for Project:Camp. He was the Editor-In-Chief of the Los Angeles Business Journal and a journalist from the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Daily Journal. AtProject:Camp, Henry helps champion the stories of children and families to ensure that their needs are met during disasters. He focuses both on preparedness and response fronts, where he works with emergency managers and children impacted by disasters.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henry-meier-64759437/

Connect with Project:Camp

• Website: https://projectcamp.co/

👨🏻‍💼Alfy Basurto, Executive Director and Founder, Rebuild Maui

Alfy Basurto is the executive director of Rebuild Maui, a Lahaina-based nonprofit dedicated to creating community resilience programs, adolescent mental health initiatives, and midterm emergency housing solutions. Alfie his wife and their five children, are survivors of the recent Maui fires, having lost their home in three businesses, He previously served as Secretary on the executive board of the Maui long-term recovery group. Currently, Alfie and his team are constructing two emergency houses in Lahaina for Maui fire survivors. His extensive work on trauma in childhood traumas drives his commitment to teen events and community programs.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfy-basurto-32874091/

Connect with Rebuild Maui:

• Website: https://www.rebuildmaui.org/