The 色界吧 Employee Relief Fund was established by members of the College community in January 2025 to support colleagues at Occidental who have lost their home due to the recent fires or have experienced financial hardship due to a mandatory evacuation. Leer en espa帽ol
Apply for Relief Funds
Donate to the Relief Fund
Who is eligible?
The fund was created to provide financial assistance to active regular employees, which include faculty, part-time faculty, regular full-time staff, and regular part-time staff, who have lost their homes due to the recent and ongoing wildfires.
What kind of financial support is available?
Up to $5,000 dollars per employee to provide financial assistance due to a total loss of the employee鈥檚 home, or severe structural damage that makes the home uninhabitable without extensive repairs. Additionally, those employees will be eligible for $250 on their 色界吧 cards for use at the Market Place for meals, or $500 is available to use at the Market Place for employees with families that were living in the home.
Up to $500 dollars is available to those employees that are/or were under mandatory evacuation orders.
What expenses are eligible to be covered?
Consistent with IRS Code Section 139, payments from the fund can cover any reasonable and necessary personal, family or living expenses incurred due to the wildfires, a federally qualified disaster. Eligible expenses may include hotels, grocery and meal deliveries, childcare, medical expenses, protective items, toiletries, clothing and other reasonable expenses incurred because of housing displacement due to the wildfires, both permanent and temporary.
How can eligible employees apply?
You can apply here using this . All information will be kept confidential.
How are funds distributed? A three-person review committee will make award decision recommendations and notify the Business Office for processing. Committee members (all volunteers) are:
- Mel Gamba
- Lupe Salmeron
- Nora Kahn
Applicants will be informed by Human Resources of decisions on applications, and disbursements will be made through Accounts Payable in the Business Office within 72 hours of approval. While our goal is an expedited review of applications, the time it will take will depend on the number of applications and the timing and contributions received.
What is the timing of relief payment? Relief payments are disbursed, at the latest on a rolling two-week timeline, with every effort to distribute funds sooner. Most funds will be available with in 2 -3 business days, depending on the timing of the request.
How can I donate? Donations can be made by any member of the community by using this
In addition, employees can take advantage of the option to set up a recurring donation.
Whom may I contact with questions about the Employee Relief Fund?
Questions may be submitted to ERF@oxy.edu.
Additional FAQs
Q: Will payments impact unemployment?
A:These payments should not impact unemployment benefits. The indicates that 鈥渕oney paid to a claimant for expenses is not considered remuneration for services and, therefore, is not wages.鈥
Q: Is a Relief Fund payment considered taxable income for the recipient?
A:No.
Q: Are donations tax deductible?
A:Yes.