08/24/2026
The Hawk Fire has affected thousands of our neighbors, and we know the immediate emergency is only the beginning.
Food Bank of Northern Nevada is part of Washoe County’s coordinated emergency response effort, working closely with the Red Cross, local emergency response agencies, community partners, and other hunger-relief organizations to understand where food assistance is needed most and how we can safely provide it.
Here’s what we’re doing right now:
🤝 Supporting the immediate response. We’re working with community partners to identify food needs, and volunteers are packing Snack Packs that will be distributed throughout the community to people affected by the fire. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who responded so quickly to our urgent call for volunteer support.
🍽️ Connecting people with available resources. Meals are currently available through the Red Cross at the evacuation shelter at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. You do not need to be staying at the shelter to access meals. If you’ve been affected by the fire but are staying elsewhere, we encourage you to register with the Red Cross. You can call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) for assistance and additional services.
🚧 Looking for ways to reach people who can’t leave home. We know some neighborhoods remain without power or have limited access to grocery stores because of road closures, outages, or emergency restrictions. We’re working with emergency management partners to understand whether there are safe ways we can provide food assistance while keeping residents, volunteers, emergency personnel, and evacuation routes safe.
🏠 Preparing for recovery. For many families, food needs will continue after evacuation orders are lifted. Food in refrigerators and freezers may be lost because of prolonged power outages, and some households are already recovering from food loss caused by the Bug and Stallion fires. We’re working with our partner food pantries and exploring additional options for special distributions and other food assistance as communities begin to recover.
📦 Preparing now. We’re purchasing significant quantities of food so we can respond quickly as needs become clearer.
Want to help? If you’re deciding how to make a difference right now, a financial contribution will have the greatest immediate impact. It allows us to purchase the food that’s needed, in the quantities needed, when it’s needed, and adapt as community needs change.
Donate Now:
https://bit.ly/FBNN_HawkFireDonate
Food donations are also welcome. Beginning Tuesday, August 25, AHA Connects Reno will be collecting non-perishable, unopened food donations on our behalf at 199 E Moana Ln, Reno, NV 89502, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Please check expiration dates before donating. No refrigerated or frozen items, please.
We know this response won’t be measured in days. Recovery will take time, and Food Bank of Northern Nevada is preparing to be here for our community for as long as we’re needed.
We’re here. We’re ready. And we’ll be here for the recovery ahead.
More information and ongoing updates: https://bit.ly/FBNN_HawkFire
