It’s so easy to feel helpless in the wake of a natural disaster when you’re not at the heart of it. This week’s horrendous Southern California wildfires have been an unbelievable sight - it’s been tough to keep CNN on, not only because the devastation is so terrible to see, but because my girls keep asking me about the fires. Today, the group Save the Children, “a humanitarian agency that responds to disasters and works to improve the lives of children around the world,” announced they are sending a group of crises experts to San Diego to help families in need of support. Basically, Save the Children members will set up their signature “Safe Spaces” in evacuation centers around the area, to make sure children stay with their families in a calm and supportive environment. The children will also have Save the Children’s “safe play kits” (see semi-blurry photo above) - a large, preassembled container with arts and crafts supplies, toys, snacks, name tags, blankets, things to keep them busy and feel protected. Toys ‘R’ Us is also donating $250,000 towards Save the Children’s relief efforts.

Save the Children also has a tip sheet for helping children cope with questions and emotions regarding natural disasters. While it’s easy for me to turn the TV off and distract my little ones, others with older kids may be asking a lot of questions and have a tough time understanding the severity of the situation. Take a moment to check out Save the Children - they are a well-established, global organization - and if you make your way to their donation page, they thank you as much as I do.