MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – In coordination with Lake County and the American Red Cross, a food truck strike team, sponsored by Stanford Federal Credit Union, will be at the Lake County Local Assistance Center on Monday, Sept. 28, at noon.

The Local Assistance Center is at the Middletown Senior Center, 21256 Washington St., and will be providing a variety of delicious free lunch offerings for up to 1,000 residents.

The food trucks that will be participating include:

• Red Rooster, offering Mexican foods such as tacos, burritos, tortas and quesadillas to spice up your day;
• Adam’s Grub Truck, offering blended traditional Asian flavors with a contemporary twist of good ol' American comfort food;
• Sam's Chowder, offering Lobster Rolls, Sam's famous New England clam chowder, fried calamari, fish and chips, and more;
• Curry Up Now, offering blend of traditional Indian flavors and street foods presented in a friendly, recognizable way;
• 3 Brothers Kitchen, offering the flavors of the Filipino, Hawaiian, Thai, Vietnamese, and other cultures to take Asian Fusion to a new level.

The idea of a food truck strike team originated with Simon Williams, who works for the Office of Emergency Service in Palo Alto.

Within a couple of days of the Valley fire, he was able to secure funding, the trucks and connect with Lake County and the Red Cross to coordinate a central location to the relief effort.

“By combining forces we can make a stronger impact and help more people at one time,” said Williams. “Individually these food trucks felt they could do little to help, as the travel time and gas costs alone are extremely costly. However with the support of the Credit Union and the Strike Team plan, we are able to pull together to help the community at large.”

“When we heard of the devastation and destruction caused by the Valley Fire we wanted to be a part of the relief efforts for all those affected. The unique idea of a dedicated team of food trucks providing some respite follows our philosophy and that of all credit unions, ‘people helping people.’ All of us at the Stanford Federal Credit Union are here for our community at large during the good and bad times," said Joan Opp, president and chief executive officer of Stanford Federal Credit Union, Palo Alto.

The Valley fire is currently the third most damaging fire in California state history, covering more than 76,000 acres and destroying nearly 2,000 structures, including more than 1,200 homes.

Firefighters have made significant progress and many evacuations have been lifted. On Saturday night, more than 300 people found a safe place to sleep and break from the heat and smoke in American Red Cross and community shelters in California.

The difficult recovery from these fires makes this a frustrating and emotionally draining time for everyone involved. Red Cross mental health volunteers are available to help. Red Cross caseworkers are meeting one-on-one with people to create recovery plans, navigate paperwork and locate help from other agencies.

In some situations, the Red Cross is providing direct financial support to people who need extra help. And in areas where evacuation orders have been lifted, the Red Cross is distributing food and relief supplies to support people as they return home.

Red Cross response by the numbers:

• Served more than 81,000 meals and snacks;
• Supported more than 10,700 overnight shelter stays;
• Handed out nearly 38,000 relief items;
• Provided more than 5,500 health and mental health contacts;
• Opened more than 730 cases to provide individualized recovery support.

People affected by the Valley fire can call 855-224-2490 to learn about Red Cross services available.

The Red Cross currently has the following shelters open in Lake County:

• Grace Church, 6716 Live Oak Dr., Kelseyville;
• Highlands Senior Center, 3245 Bowers Ave., Clearlake;
• Twin Pine Casino, 22223 CA-29, Middletown.

The Red Cross and many community partners are operating the following assistance centers to ensure that the right resources and support are provided to those who have been affected by this disaster:

• Lake County Local Assistance Center: Middletown Senior Center, 21256 Washington St., Middletown, daily, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Red Cross Client Assistance Center: Middletown Community Methodist Church, 15833 Armstrong St., Middletown, daily, 7 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.