How to Help Victims of Los Angeles Fires

Thousands of  people have lost their homes, businesses and jobs, in the devastation fires which ripped through Los Angeles and Southern California.

Choose one of these local or national charities to support with a donation to help victims with life-saving food, water, clothing and medical services, and start the rebuilding, including roads and power lines.

Local Charities and Services –

This list is from ABC Channel 7 Eyewitness News in Los Angeles

• Note – ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter formerly was a reporter for WABC-TV Channel 7 Eyewitness News in New York City.

If you are a SoCal wildfire victim, click here to see emergency assistance in your area.

American Red Cross-Wildfire Relief

Recovering from a wildfire takes time and a diverse network of organizations and services to make sure people have the help they need.

• Donate here to Disaster Relief

LA Food Bank

Providing food assistance after fires, earthquakes and other disasters

• Donate Here

Direct Relief

Direct Relief responds each year to wildfires throughout the Western U.S., and in its home state of California.

During fire responses, Direct Relief provides N-95 masks, medicine, and other resources to healthcare agencies and first responders in wildfire-affected communities across California.

100% of donations to Direct Relief’s wildfire response fund directly support efforts to assist individuals impacted by fires in Palisades, Altadena, and across California, providing critical aid where it’s needed most.

• For more information, visit Direct Relief

California Fire Foundation

The California Fire Foundation provides critical support to surviving families of fallen firefighters, firefighters, and the communities they serve.

Your tax-deductible donation will help provide aid to victims of wildfires or other natural disaster through our Wildfire & Disaster Relief programs.

Your contribution is tax-deductible through the California Fire Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The Foundation provides support for fallen firefighter families, firefighters and their communities.

• For more information, visit https://cpf.salsalabs.org/disasterrelief/index.html

• Donate Here

More local charities from other sources –

CA Community Foundation: Wildfire Recovery Fund

California Fire Foundation

Pasadena Humane Society / Wildfire Relief

SPCA – LA (DART – Disaster Animal Response Team)

Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles

• providing shelter, mental health support and other services.
• volunteers needed.
• https://www.jewishla.org/wildfire-crisis-relief/

United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ) Disaster Relief Fund and/or Jewish Federation of LA’s Wildfire Crisis Relief provide support directly to those who need it most, including to members and the communities around impacted synagogues.

Companies offering free showers, housing, transportation. From a friend who lives in Southern California – 

Disasters like the Southern California firestorm bring out the best in people – and sadly also the worst.

Beware of scammers trying to take advantage with fraudulent GoFundMe sites and fraudulent charities.

GoFundMe has a vetted page of vetted fundraiser for vetted victims.

Avoid any social media poster requesting direct payments through Paypal, Venmo or Zelle.  They are most likely a scam.

National Charities –

Each one of these charities has a four-star rating for financial performance and effectiveness fromCharity Navigator,my go-to charity rating service, and each one lets you donate online in any amount you choose.

Every organization uses donations differently, so read their mission statement or visit their website to understand how your gifts to them will be used.

World Central Kitchen

• serves as many as 10,000 meals a day in disaster areas around the world, including to victims of the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, and US victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Ian, and currently in Ukraine.
• Celebrity chef Jose Andres founded World Central Kitchen in 2010 the earthquake in Haiti, and has provided assistance around the world in response to emergencies

Feeding America

• is a US-based nonprofit network of more than 200 food banks that feed more than 46 million people through food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other community-based agencies.

Americares 

• Americares is a non-profit disaster relief and global health organization providing immediate response to emergency medical needs and supporting long-term health care initiatives for people in the USA and around the world. Every $1 donated provides $20 in relief.

Save the Children

• Helps vulnerable children stay safe and providing relief to families who need it most.

Direct Relief

• provides life-saving emergency medical assistance.

American Red Cross is accepting donations online and via text while also looking for volunteers. Donations will be used to send supplies, open shelters and recruit volunteers.

Habitat for Humanity Hurricane Recovery Volunteer Registry is rebuilding homes that were destroyed.  Donate, or volunteer.

Project HOPE is accepting money to fund teams on the ground to provide medical assistance.

Clean the World is providing vital personal hygiene kits, including soap and sanitizer products.

Direct Relief currently has a fund to provide Puerto Rico with mobile health facilities, emergency medicine, backup power, and more.

Global Giving is sending food, medicine and water to those affected by the disaster both in the Caribbean and the U.S.

PayPal Giving Fund is a licensed charity and will provide the donation receipt for your gift to one of the charities on its approved list. PayPal covers all transaction costs for donations made on this site, ensuring that 100% of each gift made is available to charity. We verify that charities receiving grants from PayPal Giving Fund have tax-exempt status with the IRS and are not on recognized economic sanctions lists.

• Unfortunately, it takes PayPal up to 45 days to transfer the money, which doesn’t help anybody or group in desparate need today.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Best Friends Animal Society accept donations to care for pets abandoned or injured.

If you want to volunteer to help, these groups are requesting volunteers.

American Red Cross: https://www.redcross.org/volunteer/become-a-volunteer.html

Team Rubicon: https://teamrubiconusa.org/volunteer/

ToolBank USA: https://toolbank.org/get-engaged/#engage

Note – A version of this article has been published for the Maui firestorm, Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Fiona and other hurricanes, the earthquake in Haiti and other national disasters.  It is always updated with current charity information, including locally-based charities.

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is a journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and author of guidebooks and smartphone apps – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter currently serves as President of the International Motor Press Assn. (IMPA), a former Board Member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and a current member of the North American Travel Journalists Assn. (NATJA).

Contact me at evelyn@ecoxplorer.com.

Copyright (C) Evelyn Kanter