Americans began evacuating their homes and businesses this week as wildfires in California raged and destroyed entire communities in five counties.
Firefighters, law enforcement and civilians are working together to control the fires, while local shelters and organizations are distributing food and supplies and providing a roof to those seeking shelter as thousands of people lose their homes.
“It’s like a ghost town in a lot of these communities,” Matthew Barnett, founder of the LA Dream Center, told Fox News Digital in an on-camera interview. (See the video at the top of this article.)
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“We’re just trying to provide any kind of solution. Funding is definitely important because of housing,” he said.
The LA Dream Center is a resource center for California residents seeking shelter and those in need of recovery assistance and food. The organization is a cornerstone of free programs for communities around the world.
Cars are burned inside a dealership in the aftermath of the Eaton’s fire Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Altadena, California. (Jae C. Hong/AP)
“You get 20% more growth on your campus overnight. That’s a lot in a city like Los Angeles,” he said. “It’s so expensive to turn on the utilities and everything.”
Thirty years ago, Barnett planned to serve as a pastor for a few months before quickly falling in love with Los Angeles and deciding to stay indefinitely to open the Dream Center.
“We thought in a city like Los Angeles that’s known as a 24/7 city, why not have a place that would be in the heart of Los Angeles that would really take the broken pieces of dreams and the ones that are hurting and are struggling,” Barnett said.
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Located on US Route 101, the Dream Center opened in 1996 after the building was purchased by the Catholic Church for $3.9 million.
“They could have sold it for $16 million to Paramount Studios,” Barnett said.
Flames from the Palisades Fire burn a building on Sunset Boulevard amid a powerful windstorm on January 8, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. Fueled by intense Santa Ana winds, the Palisades Fire has grown to over 15,000 acres and 30,000 people have been ordered to evacuate as a second large fire burns near Eaton Canyon in Altadena. (Apu Gomes/Getty Images)
The 15-story building was a filming location for eight years. It now houses 700 residents, including homeless veterans, emancipated minors and families, among others, on a daily basis.
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“It’s open 24 hours a day to anyone in need,” Barnett said.
Today, the Dream Center is serving private rooms, meals, necessities and other supplies to local Californians who need help as firefighters battle to contain the flames.
This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows the Eaton Fire on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in Altadena, California. (Maxar Technologies via AP)
Australian chef Wolfgang Puck left 2,000 meals on Friday afternoon.
“He says, ‘When are you going to serve them?’ and I said, ‘What about now?'” Barnett said.
“This is COVID times 10,” Barnett said of the relief effort.
“And so, we just threw them into the front line.” (See the video just below.)
Barnett added that the generous food donation would only last two hours before it ran out.
“Then, someone else will step up, and we’ll put them on the front line, and a new restaurant will emerge,” Barnett said.
“It’s just miracle after miracle. It’s a miracle when you need it, it always seems to show up. When you care about hurting people, God has a way of making sure all these incredible ways out happen. It just happens.”
A view of smoke billowing from the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Los Angeles County, California, on January 9, 2025. A fast-moving fire has forced 30,000 people to evacuate, with officials warning that worsening winds could escalate further beyond the fire. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Amid the dangerous fire situation, the Dream Center and its 250 daily volunteers are loading trucks with supplies to take to affected areas and serving food lines for 10 hours a day.
“This is COVID times 10,” Barnett said of the relief effort.
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“I’m not in my house,” Barnett said. “I’m away from my home right now and I’m staying in my office. So I’m really displaced — helping other displaced people.”
“We’re like out here not knowing the future of our house, which is only a few blocks away from the fire and yet we’re served by our pain,” Barnett said of his family, including the dogs.
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“Serving from our war.”
Celebrities including Snoop Dogg, Florence Pugh, Billie Eilish, Jojo Siwa and King Bach are among others who have thrown their support behind the Dream Center; they have shared posts on social networks, attracting even more attention and volunteering.
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“These are people we’ve never met, but they’re people looking for ways to do good,” Barnett said.
The Dream Center is collecting food and non-perishable food donations, baby supplies, clothing, water and financial donations online and in person.
