A large and growing volunteer-led donation relief effort, operating for days out of parking lots and living rooms and now dubbed “Operation Mountain Strong,” has brought vital food and supplies to people snowed in and stranded in their homes in the San Bernardino Mountains, amid criticism from some that law enforcement and other local government agencies haven’t pulled their weight during the crisis.
Nearly two weeks after a record-breaking storm dumped more than seven feet of snow in some mountain areas, many residents remain trapped in their homes. They write messages in the snow. They beg and plead in local Facebook groups for rescuers to dig them out.
Although there are county-run rescue operations with shiny badges and command centers, it’s the unpaid effort led by locals in grocery store parking lots and Facebook Messenger groups that some residents say is getting the job done.
“None of us are being paid to do this,” said Lisa Griggs, a Lake Arrowhead resident and one of the main local relief organizers. “We’re just a community. We didn’t have any experience in this…this is just community.”
The effort, dubbed “Operation Mountain Strong” by organizers, is a collaboration between local churches, businesses, and dozens of volunteers — who say they are mostly on their own.
“We have had not much cooperation from the sheriff, the county, or the state,” said Crestline resident and Operation Mountain Strong organizer Max Strawn. “If anything, they’ve created obstacles.”
The relief efforts organized by volunteers have been mostly separate from those organized by San Bernardino County. A hotline organized by the county has seen mixed results and many complaints.
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Several organizers have seen a limited presence from the Sheriff’s Department, and a hesitancy to collaborate with the volunteer groups that, they say, seem to…
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