Los Angeles community steps up to try to give wildfire victims a sense of 'normalcy'
Feeling helpless about the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, everyone, from celebrities and influencers to normal Angelenos, have rushed to help those in need.
LOS ANGELES — Just weeks ago, the 9ThirtyLA venue in downtown's Arts District was known as a trendy spot for events, its wooden beams and concrete floors serving as the perfect backdrop for concerts, corporate parties and more.
But after fires began to devastate the Los Angeles region, community organizers and a wave of volunteers turned an industrial venue into a makeshift refuge, with beds and tables filled with everyday essentials, like hygiene products and clothing. With help from local organizations (LoveChild Hospitality, the ANE Foundation, ImpactLA and the AFTP Foundation), the venue has become one of the countless set up across the region to help wildfire evacuees cope with the devastation.
“What’s been beautiful is that our community has offered so much that we now have this full warehouse of things that could be a great starting point for somebody who just lost everything,” said Waseel Amoura, an organizer at the 9ThirtyLA venue.
Feeling helpless about the devastating natural disaster that has killed at least 24 people and swept through 40,000 acres in the Greater Los Angeles area, many Angelenos like Amoura have rushed to help those in need.
In every pocket of the region, people have been organizing drives for essential and nonessential items, collaborating with nonprofit groups that have served the area for years and turning community spaces (like local YMCAs) and massive venues (like Santa Anita Park) into donation centers lined with seemingly endless piles and boxes of donations to be sorted. Some have organized food drives to deliver fresh meals and snacks to first responders and evacuees. Others have mobilized to make care packages for those in need. Animal shelters and rescue organizations have also been inundated with donations and volunteers to help support the influx of animals taken in during the wildfires. And restaurants have continued to offer free meals to first responders, with some also organizing their own donation drives.
Rating: 5