While California is famous for its sunshine, rain is something Girls Inc. Executive Director Jaimie Collins thinks about regularly.

The Carpinteria native has watched her cozy coastal town deal with disaster after disaster, receiving little help.

Collins has two biological daughters but mothers hundreds of young women through the organization’s after-school programs. It’s those girls she worries about each time it rains.

“When the 101 Freeway shuts down like last year with the January flooding, we’re very geographically isolated,” Collins said. “We really started to notice we were on an island and could be cut off from our local hospital and major food supplies.”

The nearest emergency room and major hospital sit 20 minutes outside the city, making it impossible to reach without the freeway.

Girls Inc. is primarily an out of school program that inspires young girls to be strong, smart and bold, by offering different STEM-related courses. After experiencing an increase in climate-related disasters, the group is now expanding its community outreach to emergency services.

The organization identified a need for an emergency hub and committed to opening its doors to the public during a crisis, acting as a community evacuation center.

“Edison International has been proud to partner with Girls Inc. for nearly 12 years, funding its Eureka! initiative, which is a five-year college-bound STEM engagement program,” said Alex Esparza, principal manager of Corporate Philanthropy and Community Engagement. “We’re excited to be able to expand our support of the organization with a new disaster preparedness grant, helping the city of Carpinteria become more prepared and resilient in the face of climate disasters.”

The grant money will go toward cots for displaced residents to sleep on during an emergency and CERT training for Girls Inc. staff. If activated during a natural disaster, the organization’s headquarters will transform from a STEM-focused, girls-only center to a city-wide safe haven.

With grants from Edison International and the city of Carpinteria, the facility will operate as a shelter, headquarters for food distribution and a staging area for local law enforcement and first responders.

Their goal is to ensure that everyone, regardless of age or background, can access the essential support they need.

“We have to do this because what affects our community ultimately affects our families and trickles down to our girls. So, if we're going to truly support our girls, we must have this holistic approach in doing that,” Collins said.

To learn more about Edison International’s giving efforts, visit Edison.com/community.