Ranch status during Sonoma County fires.

The Bishop’s Ranch, October 11, 2017

Dear Ranch Friends,

Many of you have asked how the Ranch is doing while the wildfires are burning in Sonoma and neighboring counties. We are grateful for your thoughts and prayers.

So far, the Ranch has been safe and out of the way of the fires. However, many of the Ranch staff, family and neighbors have been evacuated and in some cases have lost homes. Our hearts and prayers are with everyone who is impacted by this series of tragedies. Some staff families and neighbors are temporarily sheltering at the Ranch.

Many of you have also asked us how you can help the Ranch during this time. For the sake of everyone’s safety, we have asked scheduled groups not to come to the Ranch this week and weekend. This will have a financial impact on the Ranch staff, at a time when money is really needed. It of course will have a financial impact on the Ranch as well. One way you could help locally would be to make a donation to the Ranch Annual Fund. This money would be used to address immediate financial impacts that add so much to the stress of uncertainty and displacement.

Other ways that you could help more generally are via Bishop Beisner of the Diocese of Northern CA by donating to his Discretionary Fund, or directly to the Church of the Incarnation, Santa Rosa, which is currently receiving evacuees. “Please, no clothing, etc. until needs are more carefully assessed.  Episcopal Relief and Development is in close touch with the Diocese of Northern California and will be updating its plans shortly.
We intend to accept scheduled groups again as soon as more of the uncertainty of the fires has been reduced, hopefully this next week. Thank you for your concern about The Bishop’s Ranch and our mutual community,

Sean Swift
Executive Director