When wildfires swept Los Angeles, people and businesses around the world responded by opening their wallets in records-breaking ways for generosity.
Money has thousands of people, from venerable nonprofits such as United Way and Habitat for Humanity to individual families via gofundme, to professional groups working to replace burning instruments and stuffed animals. It was poured into different recipients.
The series of organizations challenge the exact tally of charity dollars, but amounts raised and pledged over the past month, according to a fundraiser that announced interviews with nonprofit executives and published fundraisers. is well above $650 million.
It appears to have set a fundraising record for wildfires, exceeding recent contributions to natural disasters. According to a database compiled by Honolulu Civil Beat, charitable contributions to Maui’s deadly 2023 fire were approximately $450 million. Fundraisers from Hurricane Milton and Helen, which devastated the southeastern United States last year, exceeded $278 million, according to a partial tally from the position of the charity’s charity site.
Some of the ruins of Tiffany Hockenhal’s home will be screened in Altadena on January 23rd.
(For Nick Aggro/Times)
The January fire charity pour reflects the scale of the destruction of the Palisade and the Altadena region, the people far from California feel in LA and Hollywood, and the famous people feel as both survivors and fundraisers. It’s there.
The musician on the February 2nd Grammy Awards broadcast appealed for a donation. Billy Eilish, Stevie Wonder, Red Hot Chili Pepper and others performed at last week’s Fireaid Benefit Concert. Organizers estimate that they claim to bring in more than $125 million.
How will all this money be spent?
It already has hundreds of millions of dollars. According to company data, the online fund has invested more than $200 million in the hands of more than $200 million in families, households, livelihoods and individuals who have lost their associated causes through GoFundMe.
Many nonprofits also quickly converted their donations into cash for evacuees and others affected by the fire.
“I was literally driving LA on a stack of checks,” said Wade Trimmer, president of Sherman Oaks-based The Change Reaction, distributed about $5 million in direct assistance. Trimmer said faith-based groups and community groups have identified more than 2,300 people to receive grants ranging from $1,500 to $2,500.
Evelyn Cathirell will be caught up in a service ceremony at the first AME church in Pasadena on Thursday. Her daughter, Evelyn McClendon, died of Eton Fire, Altadena.
(Brian van der Bragg/Los Angeles Times)
About 80% of recipients in the Pasadena area were elderly, he said, “We’re going to use this gift card soon because we need food tonight for our event.'”
LA Regional Food Bank, which collected $5 million, set up distribution sites in East LA, Irwindale and other areas, expanding its operations 6-7 days a week.
“We’re looking forward to seeing you in the food industry,” said Michael Flood, Food Bank CEO. Sometimes he said, “I saw my first shift the next day’s second half.”
Just two days after the fire, a group of nonprofits established DENA rescue drive to distribute emergency supplies: shoes, clothing and computers burn fire and gift cards for a total of $80,000, food, accommodation, The costs facing people who lost their laptop homes for students for unexpected accommodation payments.
“We had several families with children with eczema. They needed some kind of lotion, so we were able to hand out gift cards,” organizer Brandon Lamar said. I did.
The California Community Foundation helped to take on this effort. The charity giant will raise $60 million the month after the fire, and will distribute half by next week, the organization said.
The Foundation has given 11 places of worship from 11 places of worship destroyed by the fire, including the Anglican Church of St. Mark in Altadena. Eaton Fire tore the school and church campuses, burning nine buildings, and at least 40 members lost their homes.
“It was breathtaking,” said Pastor Carri Patterson Glyndon, who received the grant. The church allocated money for members who suffered from daily expenses to begin the rebuilding. “It’s our intention to rebuild. We just don’t know what it looks like yet.”
Even if the funds are spent on immediate relief, there is still a huge amount of charity money left. Nonprofit executives have met to discuss when and how to move to medium-term and long-term recovery efforts.
A month after the fire, about 300 people were still at the Red Cross shelter in Pasadena. Some charity communities see it as indicators, said Lily Bui, who tracks funding on 20 established foundations of nonprofit SOCAL grants. .
“When that number reaches zero, we can talk meaningfully about recovery,” Buy said.
In the meantime, charities have heard from people who have experienced reconstruction after a natural disaster. One is Jennifer Grey Thompson. The nonprofit after his fire advises Maui, Paradise and other communities covered by wildfires in navigating the reconstruction process.
“We want them to plan for seven years of funding,” Thompson said. “We can’t actually launch a program for an unprecedented disaster, and we can’t expect to meet that outcome in a year.”
After being destroyed at Eton Fire on Wapelo Street, Altadena on February 4th, a crew in dangerous goods costumes cleaned up toxic debris at home.
(Allen J. Scheven/Los Angeles Times)
Charitable spending unfolds with the influx of other money for reconstruction.
Even within the charitable community, the landscape can be complicated. Long-standing local foundations and new initiatives, such as those launched by local billionaires Rick Caruso and Evan Spiegel, are thinking of ways to deploy their resources.
In Maui, major foundations have set up a collaborative one to pay, but there are no current plans for charity czar or committees in LA.
“We’re looking forward to seeing you in the past,” said Jennifer Devol, president of the Pasadena Community Foundation.
Early discussions on how to spend money include mental health services for first responders and survivors, training workers who have been evacuated for construction work, and trusting land with uninsured people. It involves dissuading speculators to train.
Several nonprofit executives said that in a disaster that affected people at all socioeconomic levels, the charity funds were most commonly used by the poor and marginalized.
“The recovery system is designed for people who can navigate extremely complex systems. Miguel Santana, CEO of the California Community Foundation, which is also part of the Spiegel’s Venture, Angels Department, said: He says so.
The disaster litigation management system, which gathers extensive information on the specific circumstances of thousands of families and individuals, is expected to be strengthened in the coming months and provide further insight into charity institutions.
“We are pleased to announce that Jenni Campbell, executive director of the LA Region Community Recovery Organization,” said: “What are the unmet needs?”
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