A selection of organizations and creative ways to lend a hand
Words by DAVID NASH
A Fund by Firefighters for Firefighters — and the Communities They Serve
Formed in 1987, the California Fire Foundation provides emotional and financial assistance to families of fallen firefighters, firefighters, and the communities they protect. And the nonprofit’s eponymous CALIFORNIA FIRE FOUNDATION WILDFIRE & DISASTER RELIEF FUND is working with local fire agencies and community-based organizations to provide direct financial support to residents impacted by the recent wildfires throughout Los Angeles County. Kylie Jenner and the Kardashian family as a whole have donated to the fund, and it’s also a recipient of a portion of Leonardo DiCaprio’s overall $1 million commitment to post-fire recovery efforts. cafirefoundation.org.
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The American Red Cross Provides Immediate Assistance
Apart from its blood, platelet, and plasma donation centers across Southern California, the AMERICAN RED CROSS provides shelter and financial assistance to eligible Californians who live within the perimeters of the Eaton, Palisades, Hurst, and Kenneth blazes. Offering assistance 24/7 to individuals and families displaced by the fires, the Red Cross’s disaster relief programs are funded through generous public donations. Michael Douglas personally pledged to match a donation from The Douglas Foundation, Jamie Lee Curtis (who donated $1 million to support the overall relief efforts) is an ambassador and volunteer, and a percentage of donations from 12 Los Angeles sports teams — the Dodgers, Lakers, Rams, and Ducks among them — will benefit the 144-year-old organization. Additionally, YouTube, Google, Amazon, and Disney have all pledged millions in support with a portion of these funds going directly to the Red Cross. Help takes many forms here: Give blood, donate, or volunteer. redcross.org.
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L.A. Artists Unite for a Group Show Benefiting Those Impacted By Wildfire
Art may be subjective, but its power to bring people together — and raise money for a good cause — is undeniable. To aid those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires, the mother-and-daughter team behind the popular arts and furnishings company Merchant have conceived L.A. RISE, a curated group show from which 100 percent of sales will be donated to multiple organizations assisting fire victims. The aesthete duo, Denise Portmans and Sara Marlowe Hall, have assembled an extraordinary roster of more than 50 L.A.-based artists who’ve generously donated works — a mix of paintings, drawings, photography, and sculpture — that will be offered for sale during a week-long exhibition at the Keystone Art Space. Participating artists include Allison Kunath, An De Smedt, Anais Wade, Brandon Michael Young, Dax Henry, Cara Lasell Bonewitz, Eric Wareheim, and ABDA Collective, with notable event sponsorships from Madre Mezcal, Ghia, and Las Jaras Wine to help keep purse strings loose and test credit limits. Opening reception Feb. 15, 6–9 p.m. Exhibition Feb. 15–23. 338 S. Avenue 16, L.A., 310-663-8170; merchantmodern.com.
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José Andrés Mobilizes Chef-Prepared Meals
Founded in 2010 by James Beard Award–winning chef and restaurateur José Andrés, WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN (WCK) is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that provides food relief in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. For the first seven years, WCK focused on programs that sought long-term food solutions in the Caribbean and Central America before becoming a driving force for food relief in crisis zones including Haiti, Puerto Rico, and Ukraine. In January alone, WCK teams provided more than 200,000 meals to communities affected by the Los Angeles wildfires and currently operates around 20 meal distribution sites across Southern California. Jennifer Garner, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Tyler Florence, and Leonardo DiCaprio have provided in-person or financial support for the organization’s ongoing disaster relief efforts. Food for thought: consider donating or getting involved. wck.org.
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Food For Firefighters and Displaced Residents Is Served Here
With the help of hundreds of thousands of volunteers annually — and a network of more than 600 partner agencies — the LOS ANGELES REGIONAL FOOD BANK provides nutritious food and other products to more than 900,000 people every month. Since 1973, the nonprofit has distributed more than 1.9 billion pounds of food in its efforts to alleviate hunger. It’s also one of the 10 organizations to which Taylor Swift donated a generous, albeit undisclosed, sum. And a percentage of the $1 million donated by The Weeknd to support firefighters and residents affected by the fires was also earmarked for the nourishing operation. A donation of $25 can help to provide the equivalent of up to 100 meals — a relatively small price to take a big bite out of hunger for those in need. 1734 East 41st St., L.A.; 2300 Pellissier Pl., City of Industry, 323-234-3030; lafoodbank.org.
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Led by the J. Paul Getty Trust, This Fund Benefits Artists and Arts Professionals
Although flames reportedly came within feet of the Getty Villa and the Getty Center’s Brentwood hilltop campus found itself in an evacuation zone, both emerged from the fires relatively unscathed with collections of pre-20th-century European art — including works by Rembrandt, Rubens, Renoir, and Cézanne, to name a few — and antiquities safely preserved behind its walls. And while Nicolas Poussin’s 1651 painting Landscape in Calm Weather weathered the fire storm and Vincent van Gogh’s 1889 Irises are still in bloom, local artists and arts workers have been significantly impacted by the recent devastation. But thanks to a coalition of major arts organizations and philanthropists led by the J. Paul Getty Trust, the newly formed LA ARTS COMMUNITY FIRE RELIEF FUND has launched with an initial $12 million that will be disbursed as grants to those that have lost homes, studios, archives, artworks, and employment as a result of the fires. The fund will be administered by the Center for Cultural Innovation, and arts-related professionals can apply for the emergency grants. cciarts.org.
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Baby 2 Baby Provides Children’s Essentials
Working with its 470 partner organizations across Los Angeles County, BABY 2 BABY provides basic essentials — including diapers, formula, food, clothing, blankets, and hygiene products — to evacuation centers and fire relief pop-ups throughout the area. Since it was founded in 2011 by Kelly Sawyer Patricof and Norah Weinstein, the national nonprofit has distributed more than 5 million emergency supplies to children and families who have lost everything. It also hosts volunteer sessions at its Los Angeles headquarters to pack supplies for those in need during the recovery and rebuilding process. Jessica Alba, Paris Hilton, and Vanessa Bryant have already volunteered to help fulfill requests for critically essential items. Pitch in by making a donation or lend a hand in assembling kits for distribution. 5830 W. Jefferson Blvd., L.A., 323-933-2229; donate.baby2baby.org.
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The Huntington’s Community Stewardship Extends to Staff
Established by the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, THE HUNTINGTON DISASTER RELIEF FUND benefits staff and collections that have been impacted by the fires. Founded in 1919, the collections-based educational and research institution houses an extensive collection of art spanning the 17th to mid-20th century, as well as a popular 120-acre botanical garden. Although the property sustained only minor damage in the most recent wildfires, staff members have lost homes or been displaced. The institution is no stranger to the devastating effects of unexpected flames: In 1985 a fire erupted in an elevator at the Huntington’s art gallery, destroying a 1777 portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds and requiring a $1 million yearlong refurbishment to the building. Donations can be made directly through the website. huntington.org.
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Displaced Animals Settle at This 122-Year-Old Animal Rescue
While volunteering at PASADENA HUMANE last month, Paris Hilton tapped social media to spotlight the community-supported animal rescue’s efforts to provide shelter and medical services to animals that had been displaced during the Los Angeles fires. She and husband Carter Reum even opened their home to foster a three-year-old chihuahua named Zuzu that had been surrendered by a family who lost their home. A portion of Leonardo DiCaprio’s $1 million donation to Los Angeles fire relief benefitted the nonprofit, as did a small portion of the $4 million donated jointly by Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan. Since its inception in 1903, Pasadena Humane has offered life-saving services and programs for animals — and the people who care for them — across the Greater Los Angeles Area through adoption, wildlife rehabilitation, lost and found, veterinary services, training classes, and surrender prevention assistance. 361 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, 626-792-7151; pasadenahumane.org.
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Direct Relief Supports Local Efforts
Founded in 1948, Santa Barbara–based nonprofit humanitarian organization DIRECT RELIEF has been on the front lines of wildfires in California and across the country for decades, and in response to the most recent fires has made more than $100 million in medicines and medical supplies available to community health centers, free and charitable clinics, and other partners in affected areas. Taylor Swift, Beyoncé (through her BeyGood foundation), and international law firm O’Melveny & Myers made donations to support the local nonprofit’s ongoing efforts. Donations enable emergency response teams to deliver items, including N95 respirators, prescription medications, field medic backpacks, and personal care kits to shelters, distribution hubs, and health centers across Los Angeles. directrelief.org.
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This Fund Leads Grantmaking for Vulnerable Communities
Since the windstorm-fueled wildfires began last month, the CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION WILDFIRE RECOVERY FUND has raised more than $20 million to ensure necessary resources reach the most vulnerable communities, from seniors and children to displaced workers and the underserved. Complementing existing aid activities across Los Angeles, the CCF, founded in 1915, has led fire and disaster relief efforts since 2003 and, for this disaster, it will focus its grantmaking in areas of critical need including community assistance, economic recovery, health and social services through partnerships with trusted organizations like the California Black Freedom Fund and the Pasadena Community Foundation. Recent donors include Eva Longoria (whose $1 million foundation donation will be split with the Latino Community Fund), and Metallica’s Foundation that has donated $500,000 to overall relief efforts (from which CCF will receive funding). Ride the Lightning and make a donation today. calfund.org.
Feature image: PHOTO: Mark Griffin Champion.
February 2025
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