Motivational

What Can We Learn from LA’s Community Efforts to Rebuild after the California Fires?

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posted on 2 months ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Learn how they have come together in an effort to rebuild after the wildfires.

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The wildfires in Los Angeles from Jan. 7–31, 2025, forced approximately 180,000 residents to evacuate and destroyed around 10,000 homes. This devastation marks the most destructive natural disaster in the city’s 243-year history.

But it’s in challenging moments like these that we find the opportunity to unite and genuinely show our shared humanity. These experiences remind us that coming together really can make a huge difference.

Through this tragedy, the Los Angeles community demonstrated unique and heartfelt ways to support one another, which resonated deeply and highlighted the importance of connection in times of crisis. Here are a few of them:

Corie Mattie, the LA Hope Dealer, showed how art can be a catalyst for community support during tough times. Her murals—Together We Rise in West Hollywood and LA Is Family in the Arts District—serve not only as sources of inspiration but also as platforms for action. Each mural features a QR code that links to resources for donations, volunteering and vital information on fires and windstorms.

“I always say, ‘Good art makes you think, but great art makes you do,’” Mattie says. “So in my head, if I can make a mural that gets people to donate even five dollars or something—then I’ve done my job.”

As we look to the future, we can imitate Mattie’s approach by combining art and actionable resources through our own support efforts. By using the power of art to raise awareness and facilitate assistance, we can make a meaningful impact for those who face similar challenges.

After NBC put out a simple call to action in a social media video, a big change started to take shape. This large effort to feed and assist those in need began with two hot dog carts.

When the fires struck, street food vendor Jimmy Medina and his son decided to help support the community by giving out hot dogs. Medina also shared a post online asking for more food and help. “It’s not only us now… a lot of people are helping us out,” he says.

That call brought in donations from all over for anyone in need. As a result, Medina and other vendors took over the Santa Anita racetrack parking lot. Street food chefs from all over Los Angeles came together to serve comfort food to those impacted by the fires.

In the disaster zones, restaurants also joined in to feed and support first responders. Chef José Andrés, who founded World Central Kitchen in 2010 to provide food relief in disaster situations, made sure that the firefighters stayed fed by offering simple dishes with a lot of heart—a true recipe for helping the community heal. “We are obviously in… different fires,” Andres explains, ”trying to provide food to the firefighters [and] making sure we have food almost 24 hours a day.”

This example illustrates how starting with a simple action can inspire something bigger and create a meaningful difference that greatly impacts people’s lives.

Best Friends Animal Society in Los Angeles stayed in communication with local animal shelters and took proactive measures during the fires. They even responded to a request from Pasadena and took in 12 cats and five dogs to alleviate overcrowding in those shelters. And on one notable day, they transported 33 animals to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah to make room for additional pets that needed refuge from the wildfires.

Despite the ongoing crisis, many Los Angeles residents also stepped up to offer assistance. In just the first two days of the wildfire response, the Best Friends team managed to place 62 animals into foster homes and facilitated 12 adoptions.

“It’s so inspiring to see that such challenging times bring out the best in people,” says Elizabeth Oreck, Best Friends senior manager of community engagement in Los Angeles. “Some people calling in are regulars, but many are first-timers calling in to say they’ve never fostered an animal before but would love to help. We’re happy to have them.”

Despite the loss of property and life, people continue to rally together on the animals’ behalf. This shows that while it’s important to prioritize our own well-being in situations like this, once we’ve established our own safety, we shouldn’t forget about more vulnerable individuals, like pets, who are unable to fend for themselves in times of crisis.

During these difficult times, it’s important to look for different ways to help our community, especially those that feel more intimate and have the power to inspire others to join in. This collaborative spirit is at the heart of what it means to be a community.

Photo courtesy of VesnaArt/Shutterstock.com

Cherissa Mae Banag graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas and is an emerging writer from Texas. Her goal is to create stories that not only inform but also inspire and engage audiences.

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