When disaster strikes, communities are defined by how they come together to help those in need. In the wake of the devastating Spokane-area wildfires that displaced families, damaged homes, and disrupted lives, local organizations, healthcare providers, volunteers, and neighbors have stepped forward to provide critical support. Community-wide relief efforts have focused on shelter, essential supplies, healthcare needs, and long-term recovery assistance for affected residents. [dva.wa.gov], [kiro7.com]
A Community Effort
BrightStar Care's mission has always been centered on providing high-quality care and support to individuals and families during life's most challenging moments.
Whether through direct caregiving services, community outreach, wellness checks, or helping connect residents with local resources, organizations like BrightStar Care play an important role in helping vulnerable individuals maintain their health and safety during times of crisis. Local agencies, nonprofit organizations, emergency responders, and volunteers have worked together to provide shelter, food, recovery resources, and financial assistance for those impacted by the fires. [dva.wa.gov], [dva.wa.gov], [my.spokanecity.org]
BrightStar Care is proud to be part of a community that believes in helping neighbors through difficult times. Recovery does not end when evacuation orders are lifted. Many families continue to face challenges related to housing, healthcare, emotional wellness, and rebuilding their lives. Ongoing support from local businesses and healthcare providers remains essential to the healing process.
Looking Ahead
As Spokane continues its recovery efforts, BrightStar Care remains dedicated to serving individuals and families with compassion, professionalism, and a commitment to excellence. Every act of kindness, every volunteer hour, and every supportive service contributes to the strength of our community.
The recent wildfires have reminded us of the importance of caring for one another. Together, Spokane is proving that even in the face of adversity, hope, resilience, and community support can help families move forward and rebuild.
At BrightStar Care, we are honored to stand beside our neighbors and support the recovery of the Spokane community, one family at a time.
Laraya Matveyev, business development director at BrightStar Care of Spokane, said the in-home care provider had to relocate its offices to her house in Spokane Valley on Saturday as the fire threatened their offices. The company provides care to many people treated at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Northwest Spokane, which was evacuated at 2 p.m. Saturday as the fire tore through nearby Riverside State Park.
Veterans Affairs said late Sunday that the hospital, outpatient clinics and business operation centers would be closed through at least Tuesday.
“We had multiple clientele with power outages,” Matveyev said, noting many of those people only had landline phones that may have been knocked out when the lights flickered. “We sent staff to homes to ensure they were safe.”
That included a hospice patient who Matveyev said had been waiting hours for an ambulance. The company’s director of nursing went to their home and carried them out, Matveyev said.
Matveyev said because of planning her company had performed, no patients who still wanted a daily visit missed their their appointments Saturday, and they hoped to continue that level of service as evacuations stretched into a second day.
“It’s really important that you have good communication with all your community partners,” she said.
Staff writer for The Spokesman-Review: Julia Pentasuglio contributed to this story.