As community members begin to clean up and repair from recent wildfires in St. Louis County, UWNEMN is offering financial assistance to those whose primary residences were affected.
Eligible property owners can request up to $5,000 for recovery expenses including (but not limited to): insurance deductibles, cleanup, building materials, temporary shelter, and replacing damaged items.
“Losing everything means you need everything so it was important to us to make this funding flexible to unique needs,” said UWNEMN Community Impact Director Crystal Royer.
To qualify for funding, property owners must have suffered damage to their primary residence from the May-June 2025 wildfires in St. Louis County. Property owners already working with American Red Cross can be referred directly to the fund by that agency.
UWNEMN set a goal to raise $75,000 to help those impacted by regional wildfires. To-date, nearly $50,000 has been raised – almost entirely by individual donations.
“The response to this fund has been a testament to what it means to be united for our neighbors,” said UWNEMN Executive Director Erin Shay. “We know this is an incredibly difficult time, and while we cannot replace what's been lost, we hope this support brings even a small sense of relief and reminds people that they're not alone as they begin their recovery journey.”
Donations to UWNEMN’s Wildfire Recovery Fund are still being accepted.
“We did not want to wait to reach our full goal before releasing assistance because we know people need help now,” Royer said.
Funding will be released on a first come first served basis with priority given to those whose property damage is a total loss. Click here to apply for funding. To request a paper application, call 218-215-2420 or email crystal@unitedwaynemn.org.
As recovery efforts continue, UWNEMN is working closely with county, non-profit, and volunteer organizations to develop a plan to assist with property cleanup as well.