By Crystal Tilton, President & CEO of the Foster City Chamber of Commerce

On Sunday, August 2, a major fire tore through a residential complex in Foster City. Dozens of households were displaced, including older adults and families with children. Early reports indicated that approximately 51 units were affected, along with an unknown number of vehicles.

If you have been wondering what you can do, this guide provides a roundup of community-organized efforts underway now. Details are changing quickly, so please review dates and instructions carefully before donating or volunteering.

If You Were Displaced - or Know Someone Who Was

Emergency assistance and Red Cross support

The American Red Cross is coordinating emergency assistance and connecting affected households with available resources. Because intake locations and schedules may change and are being shared directly with affected residents, please contact the Red Cross for current information rather than arriving at a location without confirmation.

Red Cross contact: 1-800-RED-CROSS

Needs Request Form

Displaced residents can use the Chamber’s Needs Request Form to list clothing, furniture, household goods, school supplies, and other items they need. Organizers will compare those requests with community offers and coordinate matches when possible.

https://forms.gle/oSifdDhHmU5nQdjE9

Free gift cards from Chez Xue

Chez Xue has announced gift-card support for affected households. Residents should review the restaurant’s instructions and eligibility requirements directly, as deadlines and verification requirements may apply.

chezxue.com/fireresponse

Free clothing and essentials through the Hillsdale Community Closet

The Hillsdale High School Community Closet is offering clothing and essential items to displaced residents of all ages, including adults and families. Availability may change based on donations and demand.

Ways to Help This Week

1. Offer items - but keep them with you for now

Community members have generously offered furniture, clothing, household goods, toys, and other essentials. To keep the effort organized and avoid unnecessary storage or duplicate donations, please follow this process:

• Complete the donation offer form and list only items you can hold until a match is confirmed.
• If you already submitted items through the Foster City Buy Nothing donation form, do not enter the same items again. The lists are being coordinated, and duplicate entries slow the matching process.
• Keep all offered items at home until a volunteer contacts you with pickup, drop-off, or delivery instructions.

https://forms.gle/NqVFbdmupTZCHaCt9

2. Volunteer with matching, collection, and distribution

Volunteers may be needed to compare resident requests with available donations, contact donors, organize items by household, and assist with collection and distribution. Specific times and locations will be shared as plans are confirmed.

To volunteer, contact the Foster City Chamber of Commerce at info@fostercitychamber.com and include your availability and the type of help you can provide. You can also follow the Facebook page for the latest updates.

3. Donate clothing and essentials to the Hillsdale Community Closet

The Hillsdale High School Community Closet is a student-led effort addressing resource insecurity. It is supporting both back-to-school needs and fire-relief needs. Before making a trip, check its current schedule and most-needed-items list, as information may change.

Location: Hillsdale High School, Alameda parking lot entrance off Alameda de las Pulgas, San Mateo

Updates: @hhs_community_closet on Instagram

Commonly requested items: New or gently used clothing in all sizes, toiletries, hygiene products, new socks, new underwear, and school supplies

4. Give financial support

A GoFundMe has been established to support residents displaced by the fire. The Chamber is committed to ensuring that 100% of the funds raised directly benefit affected residents.

The Chamber met with the American Red Cross to discuss distribution options. The Red Cross generously offered to accept the donation, but it could not dedicate 100% of the funds exclusively to residents displaced by this specific incident. Because the Chamber made a direct commitment to donors, it is working with experienced nonprofit partners, including Samaritan House and St. Vincent de Paul, to identify the best organization to verify needs and administer assistance fairly. If necessary, the Foster City Chamber Foundation will oversee distribution directly to verified residents.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-foster-city-families-after-fire

5. Restaurant and business owners: donate gift cards

Businesses interested in donating gift cards can contact the Foster City Chamber of Commerce. Gift cards will be coordinated for distribution to verified affected residents. Chez Xue has also offered meals to local firefighters working the Sea Spray fire response.

Please note: Information is changing rapidly as response and recovery efforts continue. Please confirm current details before traveling to a site, dropping off donations, or sharing location information publicly.

Foster City and San Mateo have shown up with extraordinary generosity. Whether you can give an afternoon, a bag of clothing, a gift card, or a financial contribution, your support can make a meaningful difference for a family rebuilding after this fire.

Have an update or correction? Please contact the Foster City Chamber of Commerce so this guide can be revised as information changes.