Salem Relief Fund

Donate to the Salem Relief Fund

Donations to the fund are tax-deductible and may be made by clicking here or in person at any Salem Five bank branch, payable to the Salem Relief Fund.

About the Salem Relief Fund

In 1914, an enormous fire devastated the City of Salem, destroying nearly 1,400 buildings over 253 acres and leaving around 18,000 Salem residents homeless. The losses, in today’s dollars, totaled about $367 million.

Almost immediately after the fire the community moved quickly to begin a massive relief effort for the displaced. The Salem Fire Relief Fund was set up with a committee of 100 volunteers, based out of the old armory on Essex Street, and coordinated fundraising, clothing, food, and shelter efforts, as well as support for the temporary refugee camps set up on Salem Common and at Forest River Park. By just two days after the fire nearly $3.8 million in today’s dollars had been pledged or donated to the effort. One month after the fire, with state and federal relief included, that total rose to nearly $23.2 million, again in today’s dollars.

Salem Fire Relief Committee at work, 1914

In the spirit of the Salem Fire Relief Fund of 1914, the City of Salem established the Salem Relief Fund in 2018, to provide a permanent fund to support Salem residents displaced or impacted by disaster in the community. When Salem residents are in duress following a disaster, the City utilizes the Relief Fund, along with other support systems and community partnerships, to help that resident get back on their feet.

Relief volunteers in Salem sort clothing donated to victims displaced following a major building fire in 2014.