‘Everybody can do something’: Angelenos come together to help after fires

Los Angeles area residents, from all walks of life, have come together to help the thousands who lost their homes in the fires or were forced to evacuate, leaving everything behind.

For over a week, firefighters have been battling the blazes, with their efforts complicated by strong winds that have caused the fires to spread rapidly.

Tragically, the fires have claimed at least 27 lives, scorched nearly 38,000 acres, and damaged over 10,000 structures. As of Friday, more than 170,000 people remain under evacuation notices.

To help, Angelenos, including Hollywood stars, have sprung into action by collecting and delivering meals and goods and using social media to share GoFundMe links for those impacted, many of whom are starting over from scratch.

Volunteers sort through donations for evacuees at Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California, on January 14, 2025. - Daniel Cole/Reuters
Volunteers sort through donations for evacuees at Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California, on January 14, 2025. - Daniel Cole/Reuters

More than $100 million have been raised through GoFundMe to directly support families, communities and businesses impacted by the fires, a GoFundMe spokesperson told CNN on Wednesday. That amount includes donations for the nonprofits providing on-the-ground help, such as World Central Kitchen and Baby2Baby.

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However, Federal Emergency Management Agency officials have cautioned the agency will not provide funds for lost possessions covered by GoFundMe donations.

Relief workers say financial donations are the biggest need. “It takes time and money to store, sort, clean and distribute donated items,” American Red Cross spokesperson Stephanie Fox told CNN. “Financial donations can be accessed quickly and allow more flexibility to give people what they need most. Some of those displaced may also have limited space in their temporary housing solutions, limiting what and how much they can accept in the immediate aftermath of this disaster.”

An Instagram reel highlighted the issue, showing massive piles of clothing, blankets, and shoes in disarray at the Santa Anita Park racetrack donation site, with the caption: “Survivors need cash. We are overloaded with clothing and shoes.”

L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman warned the public earlier this week to beware of scammers posing as charities and insurance providers.

“Over and over, we are seeing scams involving charities, where people who want to donate either money or services to the recovery effort are being targeted by these scammers,” Hochman said. “Do not donate cash. Do not even donate Bitcoin, because it’s very hard to track.”

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In a show of community support, some volunteers have created spreadsheets with GoFundMe links and fundraising totals for families from specific communities and minority groups.

Jasmine Graves and Cierra Black told CNN they gathered a list of roughly 640 Black families who lost their homes in the hard-hit Los Angeles suburb of Altadena. The spreadsheet includes fundraising goals, donation totals and a link to each family’s GoFundMe page. It also includes links to resources such as pro bono therapy and available housing and hotels. About $12 million has been collectively raised for the listed families, Black said.

Graves, who grew up in neighboring Pasadena with many of the families impacted by the fire, said she wanted to find a way to help.

“We imagine this certainly has facilitated some encouragement that like, ‘Hey, my community is coming together and rallying around me,’” Graves said.

Supporting specific needs

When actress Tika Sumpter heard about how much destruction the wildfires were causing, she immediately started thinking about the needs of families with small children, she told CNN.

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Sumpter, who has an 8-year-old daughter, went up to her attic and gathered her gently used car seats, high-chairs, strollers, pack & plays, onesies and bottle warmers among other goods. Sumpter said she used social media to reach families who were impacted by the fires.

Sumpter said she has been able to help more than 20 families by donating boxes of items tailored to their children’s needs.

“I wanted to make sure that they felt that somebody cared and was looking at them in their eyes and saying this was specifically set for you,” Sumpter said. “Everybody can do something and nothing is too small, and that’s how I felt.”

Actress Tika Sumpter gathered items for small children from her family's attic and donated them to parents impacted by the Los Angeles fires. - Courtesy Tika Sumpter
Actress Tika Sumpter gathered items for small children from her family's attic and donated them to parents impacted by the Los Angeles fires. - Courtesy Tika Sumpter

Avery Colvert, 14, set up a donation site to collect beauty and hygiene products for teenage girls impacted by the Altadena Fire.

On the “Altadena Girls” Instagram page, Colvert lists a need for items such as bras, underwear, makeup, fragrances, nail polish and hair straightening tools.

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“When disaster strikes, people only focus on survival needs,” a post read. “But for teenage girls who have lost everything, feeling like ourselves again is also really important for our mental health.”

Colvert told CNN affiliate KABC she has received support and donations from celebrities, including Ariane Grande and Charli XCX.

“It’s amazing to see the heart of the people of Los Angeles,” Colvert told KABC. “People dropped everything and they immediately came to our donation centers, and we have volunteers who have been here since day one. It really shows the true heart of these people and how much they really want to help.”

Feeding evacuees and first responders

Gaby Dalkin, an L.A.-based chef and author, said she wanted to help impacted families and first responders who have been working long hours to put out the wildfires.

So, she put a call out to her 1 million Instagram followers and “What’s Gaby Cookin” subscribers to help fulfill Amazon and Target wish lists for displaced families and raise money for a local caterer to make breakfast burritos for firefighters.

Dalkin said she raised a total of about $13,500 and the caterer made a batch of 1,350 burritos that were delivered this week.

“It’s devastating to see what happened to Los Angeles and it’s the least I can do to help the firefighters who are fighting these fires and putting them out and these people who have lost everything and their homes,” Dalkin said. “Everyone is just trying to figure out the best way to help.”

Tents for first responders are pitched at the Rose Bowl Stadium on January 16, 2025, in Pasadena, California. - Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Tents for first responders are pitched at the Rose Bowl Stadium on January 16, 2025, in Pasadena, California. - Brandon Bell/Getty Images

World Central Kitchen volunteers have also distributed hot meals at shelters and public sites.

Wendy Escobedo, emergency operations manager for World Central Kitchen, told CNN the organization is currently operating about 30-40 meal sites across the Los Angeles area.

They have joined forces with local restaurants to package meals with comfort foods such as burrito bowls, hibachi, burgers, and fried chicken with collard greens.

World Central Kitchen has given roughly 79,000 meals so far, Escobedo said Tuesday.

Many people showing up at the meal sites either have lost their homes and are staying with friends or in hotels, don’t have power at their homes, or aren’t being allowed back into their homes because it’s not safe, Escobedo said.

“A meal is much more than just sustenance,” Escobedo said. “It’s a reminder that we are there for them, that we are thinking of them that we want to support them. And also, if it’s one thing we can take off someone’s plate with everything they are going through, it makes the world of a difference.”

How you can help

Those who want to donate money to the Red Cross can visit redcross.org. The organization, Fox said, needs support to continue helping impacted families.

For those who want to donate clothing or household items, Fox recommends visiting 211la.org/LA-Wildfires to find out which organizations are accepting those items and what the needs are.

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