Update on 516 Canal Street: How Community Comes Together in a Crisis

Over the last two weeks, over a thousand community members have come together to support 55 individuals who lost their homes and all of their belongings in the devastating fire at 516 Canal Street. To date, more than $200,000 has been contributed to the Canal Alliance Emergency Client Support Fund, and another $195,000 has been provided by Marin Community Foundation’s community of donors, the County of Marin, and the City of San Rafael. This is truly how community comes together to care for neighbors during a crisis. 

If you are among those who made a gift to support the families of 516 Canal Street, thank you for your generosity. If you’d like to make a gift, but haven’t yet done so, you can do so via the button below. 

Thanks to your support, Canal Alliance has been able to respond swiftly, providing case management support to all affected families and coordinating with other partners. All of the displaced families have been temporarily housed in local hotels. They are all also receiving meal donations from ExtraFood, along with cash assistance to buy groceries and replace cell phones, cars, clothing, IDs and immigration documents, and other essentials.  

This support has been vital for offering immediate relief—but the hardest part still lies ahead. With your support, we will continue to assist these families with securing long-term housing and financial assistance as they work to rebuild their lives. Of the utmost importance to us is that this tragedy not push these families into homelessness. 

On behalf of all of us—the families of 516 Canal Street and our team at Canal Alliance—thank you for standing with us when it matters most.