You remember when wildfires were raging around northern California and scorching right into towns? A couple of weekends ago, one of my clients, Daranee Petsod at Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees, asked me if I could create a super-quick logo for a fund they were establishing to support a particularly vulnerable community: undocumented immigrants in Sonoma County, the area hardest hit by the fires. They were putting together a website over just a couple of days, to take contributions that people were already sending in. Here’s a note from their FAQ page about why:
“Why do you need a fund specifically for undocumented immigrants?
Unlike other fire victims, undocumented immigrants do not qualify for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Even when they or their children are eligible for disaster relief services, their lack of immigration status, limited English proficiency, and fear of immigration enforcement prevent them from seeking assistance. Their discomfort or lack of familiarity with law enforcement, county government, and mainstream aid organizations present additional barriers.”
So I quickly came up with this logo using the idea of new growth emerging from the fire. I liked that the two ideas merge to look like a sort of flower, because I wanted it to look hopeful, not too much about fire. Another person commented that the center image that I saw as a leaf shape was clearly a water droplet putting out the fires! Anyway, they’ve raised over a million dollars already. I’m glad I could help a little bit. Of course that story is not national news anymore, but we know the people affected are still struggling. www.undocufund.org