Wildfire Response
Like so many others in Los Angeles, our Bresee community was directly impacted by the wildfires with multiple family members and donors who lost their homes, board members and staff who were evacuated, clients with incomes now gone, and students whose schools were evacuated and closed. We thank you for the outpouring of in-kind donations to uplift our community directly after the fires.
Currently, Bresee’s most critical focus is meeting the emergency needs (food, rental assistance, etc.) of the low-income, and often undocumented, service workers in our Central Los Angeles community who have lost their source of income due to working for clients who lived in the Pacific Palisades, and Altadena areas that were burned down and gravely impacted. Since the wildfires began, we’ve had 25 separate Bresee families, including nannies, housekeepers, handymen, gardeners, some with familial members that have multiple health issues, come through our doors seeking help. This includes fathers, like Manuel, who worked as a gardener in the Palisades for the last 34 years, maintaining domestic landscapes that no longer exist. With his earnings now extinguished, he was unable to pay his February rent, and was also in need of air purifiers for two of his three children who suffer from asthma. Bresee was able to provide him with vital and immediate aid.
On February 18th, Mayor Karen Bass launched the Impacted Worker and Family Recovery Centers (IW-FRC) to provide resources for the low-income workers and families affected by the wildfires. Bresee was selected as one of four of the City of LA’s Family Source Centers (FSC’s) to work hand in hand with the County of LA’s WorkSource Centers to provide key emergency aid. As such, Bresee’s Family Source Case Managers are co-locating in the County’s West LA WorkSource Center in Culver City, operated by JVS, to provide this essential service. If you are a homeowner or Community Based Organization that has worked with low-income workers affected by the fires, please share the attached flier (Spanish/English) with the phone number and address of the IW-FRC.
With the Mayor’s announcement, we anticipate that our list of 25 families seeking emergency assistance will grow significantly, and many more will be in urgent need of additional financial funds. To help with our continued efforts please consider making a gift towards Bresee’s Wildfire Relief or contact Bresee’s Development Director, Roxxi Bartlett, at rbartlett@bresee.org. Thank you for uniting with us in solidarity!
Wildfire Press Conference Gallery
Additional Resources:
LA County Worker Relief Fund
$2,000 in Cash Grant Assistance
Applications Open February 6 - Feb 24
https://opportunity.lacounty.gov/small-business-worker-relief-funds/
LA Disaster Relief Navigator
Quickly create a personalized action plan
https://wildfires.betterangels.la/
