Community Resources for Families Impacted by Wildfires

The wildfires are impacting many families across Los Angeles County and beyond. Below we are compiling a list of resources for families with little ones or for people looking for ways to help.

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• Remain informed with the latest updates on evacuation orders, school closures, utilities outages, and essential services with 211 LA’s Wildfire page.
• Mutual Aid LA Network (MALAN) is maintaining a comprehensive list of resources available to those affected by the fires that includes prepared meals, shelter, animal boarding, workspaces, and everything in between. MALAN, a connector and information hub for mutual aid efforts, people and resources across Los Angeles, is updating the list with new resources or calls for volunteers and donations regularly. Volunteer calls right now include delivery services, meal preparation and emergency kit assembly.
• This Eaton Fire page offers a downloadable recovery resource guide and much more information relevant to residents in this area.

How to Talk to Kids About Wildfires

Food and Essentials

• The Childcare Resource Center (CCRC) families and providers in need of critical supplies like food, personal hygiene products, baby items, and kitchen supplies can call donation line at 805-399-9521 to arrange a pick-up time.
• Baby2Baby is offering diapers, formula, hygiene products, and more, and accepting donations on its website.
• South LA Cafe is collecting, distributing and organizing volunteers to provide food, water, baby formula, clothes, masks and so much more in South L.A. for families impacted by the fires.
• Many restaurants throughout the region are opening their doors to families and first responders with free food and free goods. Roy Choi is mobilizing his Kogi BBQ food trucks and collaborating with World Central Kitchen to feed evacuees and first responders at various meal distribution sites; Love Hour in Koreatown is taking donation drop-offs and distributing throughout the weekend; Timeout is updating its ongoing list of restaurants offering free meals.
• Karing Advocates United for Social Equality (KAUSE) is offering essentials like diapers and hygiene products to families with babies and toddlers at their Ladera Heights location. They are accepting drop-off essentials or monetary donations.
  

  Homelessness

• The California Endowment is offering a reminder that everyone is welcome at emergency shelters and your immigration status does not matter.
• Airbnb.org is offering free temporary housing for residents who have lost their homes or are under evacuation orders. Find eligibility and important details here.
• The California Department of Insurance has compiled 10 tips for people who are filing wildfire claims. This is also a great checklist to help residents prepare the correct documentation in their emergency kits.

Resources to Help You Navigate the L.A. Wildfires

Financial Assistance

• Check the state’s Employment Development Department (EDD) for unemployment assistance eligibility if work hours or self-employment was reduced because of a disaster.

Pets

• Best Friends Animal Society is assisting in the evacuation of pets and coordinating fostering. They are asking for support in purchasing supplies from their wish list and via temporary foster families for pets.
• Compton Cowboys is rescuing horses in evacuation zones. They are available at (310) 763-4120 or contact@comptoncowboys.com. For emergency evacuation and assistance message @randysavvy on Instagram.
• The Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank is offering emergency shelter and has more than 300 horses under its care and is looking for donations toward these efforts. Contact them at (818) 840-9063.
• Pierce College Equestrian Center in Woodland Hills is offering emergency shelter for horses. Contact them at (818) 710-3308.

Educators and Care Providers

• The California Department of Education (CDE)’s wildfires page includes the American Red Cross and Ready.org to help understand how to respond to a wildfire and what to do after.
• Maya Lê of MaiStoryBook wants to help classroom teachers affected by the wildfires to rebuild their classroom and home libraries. Email her at maistorybook@gmail.com with the subject line: LA Teacher Library or LA Family Library.
• The California Department of Education's Management Bulletin 18-04 provides guidance on the enrollment of families who are experiencing homelessness.

If you have any additional resources that need to be amplified, please email cpineda@pbssocal.org.