California wildfires: How to help Los Angeles fire victims now and in the long term

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Wildfires in Los Angeles have killed at least 25 people, burned more than 30,000 acres and forced thousands of people and wildlife from their homes in a week. It's a difficult time for Los Angeles residents, but despite the crisis, we are stepping up to help those in need, especially in areas bearing the brunt of the destruction, such as the Pacific Palisades, Pasadena, and Altadena. people are coming together.

Across social media platforms, many people are sharing lists of organizations to which they donate, links to GoFundMe campaigns, and places to volunteer. But the very human, well-intentioned intention to immediately help others comes with a very real set of problems. As Vox's Jess Craig reported last year in Asheville, North Carolina, natural disasters have stretched resources and made safety a major concern, and the situation is evolving and changing daily. .

Due to the nature of the crisis, it is also a time ripe for the spread of misinformation. Photos of the Hollywood sign on fire (it wasn't) and rumors that the state had driven fire trucks out of Oregon (proven untrue) were widely circulated. The chaos inherent in disasters also makes it easy for well-intentioned people to share and unintentionally spread out-of-date information (such as posts about donation drives that are no longer occurring). Now is the time to access information online critically before sharing it with others.

But don't be discouraged if you find it overwhelming to sift through dozens of campaigns. If you want to help those affected by the bushfires in a meaningful way, take a moment to evaluate what aligns with your values. It will help you figure out how you want to give. For example, cash donations can be very effective in the short term, especially in low-income areas that could benefit from further support.

Here's how to decide whether to donate money, goods, or time, and to which organizations you can donate your resources.

decide where and how to give

When a crisis occurs and there are many calls to action, it is easy to feel helpless. To think about how you can help personally, consider whether you are looking to help immediately, over the long term, or (ideally) both. .

If you need immediate relief, consider making a cash gift, especially if you don't live in Los Angeles. Cash transfers are simple but highly effective. This allows survivors to respond in real time to the exact needs they know best.

Unconditional monetary donations can help reduce poverty, but most research on the effectiveness of cash transfers has been conducted in low-income countries. However, a 2017 study of post-hurricane cash gifts in Texas and Puerto Rico found that cash transfers had a significant impact on recipients' stress relief and debt avoidance, with nearly 90% of recipients transferring money within a year. It has been shown that they expect to benefit from this.

A little bit goes a long way.

“If you have any extra money, don't underestimate the good things they can do,” writes Vox's Sigal Samuel, a reader in How to Think About Charitable Giving When You're Feeling In response to a question, Vox's Sigal Samuel wrote in an advice column: It's like they don't have much money to begin with. “For example, Miriam's Kitchen, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit whose mission is to end chronic homelessness, can provide a full meal to someone experiencing homelessness for as little as $1.25.”

Cash is great, but it's not the only way to donate, especially if you're thinking about how to support people in the long term. If you live locally in Los Angeles, you can join a group that supports wildfire survivors by volunteering. Building strong relationships with your fellow community members reduces confusion and helplessness, and allows you and your neighbors to mobilize your collective resources into action.

If you are volunteering in a disaster-hit area, please be patient even if you are not immediately available to help. Many of these groups have processes in place to get people involved and are currently flooded with volunteers. It may take some time for your volunteer application to arrive, but there's no need to be discouraged. Volunteers will continue to be needed even after the wildfires are contained and the initial surge in donations dwindles.

One way to narrow down your donations is to look for established groups with clear ties to the community. Most of us are not experts on what to do during a crisis, but organizations as large as national nonprofits and as local as community groups are willing to give money to people in need. , goods and other resources. . When deciding where to donate, look to organizations with evidence of effective relief delivery, strong community ties, and long-term commitment.

Here are four organizations working on wildfire relief efforts with this approach in mind.

National nonprofits like GiveDirectly, which focuses on sending cash directly to the world's poorest people, also have the technological tools and connections to help. They are raising money for low-income survivors of the Los Angeles wildfires, and have raised more than $478,000 of their $1 million goal. GiveDirectly has partnered with food stamp management app Propel to target people in need and groups on the ground, starting at about $3,000 per family, said Tyler Hall, GiveDirectly's senior director of communications. He said he plans to donate $4,000.

With GiveDirectly, recipients don't have to create an empathetic story to receive money or have an existing network of people to receive donations, which is essentially required by fundraising platforms. “This is a way to provide cash assistance to people who may not have packaged their stories on crowdsourcing websites,” Hall told Vox.

That's where GoFundMe comes in. Crowdsourcing platforms play a major role in raising funds for immediate needs in the United States, especially when it comes to disaster relief. GoFundMe has a page dedicated to campaigns run by the Wildfire Survivors Campaign and its nonprofit chapter, which has raised more than $3.6 million.

However, crowdsourcing for individuals also has some problems. One study found that wealthier disaster survivors were more likely to receive help on GoFundMe than lower-income survivors. I also have personal concerns that fundraising efforts may not directly help victims, or may end up making them unhappy (although GoFundMe offers full refunds in the case of fraudulent campaigns). , which the company says is rare).

And it's entirely possible that GoFundMes could disqualify survivors from receiving assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Legally, FEMA cannot duplicate benefits an individual receives from another source. FEMA's website states, “If you receive money from a GoFundMe page for certain disaster-related expenses, such as home repairs, funeral expenses, or other emergency needs, you may not receive FEMA assistance for the same expenses. Yes,” it says.

These rules can leave wildfire survivors in a tough situation between waiting for federal aid and receiving local funds right away. According to FEMA, applicants must receive notification within 10 days of qualifying for assistance (which does not necessarily mean receiving money within 10 days, as FEMA relief recipients posted on Reddit). (may not be). If you have lost your home or belongings, 10 days is too long without immediate financial relief.

You can also look for organizations that align with your values. For example, if you care about animals, check out Pasadena Humane, an animal resource nonprofit. The organization adopted more than 650 animals in one week, said Kevin McManus, public relations and communications manager for the organization. This number is said to be the number normally collected in two months.

However, McManus added that thanks to community support and deep connections with organizations such as San Diego Humane, Best Friends LA, the ASPCA and the Red Cross, they were able to provide the animals with the care they needed. McManus said monetary donations and foster parent registration are the best ways people can help right now.

Another local organization that quickly mobilized the community was the Pasadena Community Job Center. Run by the National Day Labor Organization Network (NDLON), the center's normal job is to connect day laborers with prospective employers. NDLON communications director Palmira Figueroa said the organization was leading the debris removal and distributing essential supplies to displaced people, many of whom have lost not only their homes but also their jobs. After this severe loss, the migrant worker community sprang into action to help their neighbors.

“They talked about what can be done during this emergency,” Figueroa told Vox. This led to the creation of a volunteer fire brigade to clear debris and donate money. Figueroa said thousands of volunteers have helped so far, but much work remains. They are still seeking volunteers, monetary donations and in-kind donations.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to assisting wildfire victims, and disaster relief efforts will evolve and change in the coming weeks. As my colleague Kelsey Piper has reported, disaster relief comes with logistical challenges. Certain roads and areas can be difficult to access, and charities and community groups are overwhelmed with donations, making it easy for organizations to become disorganized in the chaos.

Wildfires in particular are long-lasting and constantly changing. Fires can take days or weeks to be extinguished, and they spread easily. Therefore, when the situation changes, such as during a disaster, your needs will also change. One day, a group may need cash instead of physical donations. A call for supplies such as toiletries and powdered milk may be made the next day.

The Los Angeles wildfires will have long-term effects on affected populations for months and years to come, long after the immediate need has passed. And even as the news moves on to the next disaster, they will need assistance. With that in mind, a good way to help in the long run is to follow trusted organizations on social media platforms and stay updated on their needs. You can also make monthly donations to help organizations continue their recovery efforts even after the fires are extinguished.

Local mutual aid groups also have connections with their communities and know exactly what they need most, especially during times of crisis. These spaces are also for people looking for long-term ways to sustain their communities and help rebuild after the wildfires, whether by volunteering directly or making a monthly donation. Suitable. The Mutual Aid LA Network provides a list of mutual aid projects throughout Los Angeles. And its Instagram is an easy place to receive updates on volunteer and donation needs, especially as the situation continues to evolve.

“We were thinking about it every day, every hour of the day, and now it's changed from day to day,” McManus said. “Now we're starting to think, 'Okay, what's going to happen next week?' What's going to happen a week after that?”