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I grew up in West Los Angeles, right on the border of Pacific Palisades, and that irreplaceable city was a landscape of my childhood. The devastation there and at Altadena is almost beyond comprehension; but resilience is indeed a default environment in southern California, and in the past week a remarkable number of relief and rebuilding initiatives have been mobilized. Here are some of the best ways to ensure your money reaches the people and organizations that need it most. MS
Support for first responders
The Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and the Santa Monica Firefighters Relief Fund, both 501(c)3 non-profit charities, provide ongoing and long-term support to firefighters, including those injured or killed in the line of duty and their families. (With the former, you can designate a specific station as the recipient of your donation; Pacific Palisade is Station 69.) The LAFD also has an active emergency funding alert that is pouring financial donations directly into the purchase of critical equipment for firefighters in the area. front lines. Equipment budgets across the county are currently only a small portion of the overall budget, so these donations are especially vital right now.
California relies heavily on its inmate firefighters; nearly 1,000 of them have been on the front lines in LA, earning between $5.80 and $10.24 one day to risk their lives saving the lives and livelihoods of others. The Coalition Against Recidivism has established a Firefighters Fund to provide for their immediate needs (food, fire perimeter shower trucks, clothing and equipment) as well as medium and long term: gym and fire training equipment. camps” where they live, plus scholarships and temporary assistance with food and rent expenses for those pursuing professional firefighting careers upon reentry.
Food (and fan cheer) for displaced and evacuees
Schools, cafes, supermarkets and restaurants are among the 12,000 structures that have been destroyed in almost 60 square miles of greater Los Angeles. José Andrés World Central Kitchen was one of the first to establish operations around the Palisades Fire, including partner chefs, food trucks and suppliers to provide hot meals to both first responders (firefighters and EMTs and medical personnel) and evacuees. The WCK crew has been surrounded by some pretty high-profile volunteers, including Jennifer Garner, celebrity chef (and WCK Chef Corps member) Tyler Florence, and Prince Harry.
The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is (happily) inundated with food donations. Another effective way to help them now is cash donations for distribution, which can easily be made on the site. Those in need can check the website’s food and pantry finder page for information.
Safe harbor for animals
Thousands of animals have been left without homes as a result of the fires. The Pasadena Humane Society has taken in more than 700 of them from the Eaton fire alone and has helped carry water to stranded cows and horses, while at the Animal Care Foundation of Los Angeles County, they are being fed, housed and treated for burns or injuries. Meanwhile, shelters and societies across the state are helping to manage the overflow, aided by the non-profit Best Friends Animal Society in partnership with the extraordinary donation-aided charity Wings of Rescue, whose pilots transport abandoned and at-risk pets from areas of disaster to safety. . On January 11, 58 cats and 26 dogs were taken to the Best Friends shelter in Kanab, Utah – the largest no-kill shelter in the US.
Discount beds for heads in need
It’s no surprise that the local hospitality community has stepped up to offer support to evacuees and first responders in the best ways it can: discounted stays, free meals and fundraisers. Avi Brosh named Palisociety, his group of boutique hotels, after the neighborhood he lived in and still loves; he was among the first to offer discounted prices, free coffee and waived pet fees to evacuees at eight Paul properties throughout the Los Angeles area. This week he has made rooms available for three nights’ free stays, including at the brand new Le Petit Pali in Brentwood, which opened just a few months ago. Local evacuees and first responders will be able to check the website for availability and updates on long-term offers. Among others that also offer port: The West Hollywood Edition, which offers discounted rates for extended stays (in an area that has completely avoided the impact of the fire); and The Georgian Hotel, the gem of Santa Monica’s Ocean Avenue, offering long-term preferential rates to evacuees. It’s worth rewarding the good actors online if your 2025 travel plans include LA.
