LA fire victims are entering a new stage of recovery. Here’s how to help

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The needs of victims of the Eaton and Palisades fires are evolving as they start to look for temporary housing, say people working on the recovery process. Some donation hubs have stopped accepting certain items, especially clothes.

“Many of the donation centers I've been visiting, and I think we've visited almost all of them now in the San Gabriel Valley, have shared with us that they've actually reached their capacity when it comes to clothing,” said state Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, who represents the area decimated by the Eaton Fire.

For one thing, aid groups have to find a way to store all that bulky clothing. And someone has to sort through it, make sure items are in good shape, and classify them by size.

The task can quickly become overwhelming, as evidenced by a recent drive along Sierra Madre Boulevard. One local business, a funeral parlor, had set up folding tables on the sidewalk out front with a cardboard sign reading “Free Supplies, Clothes.”

Used clothes were piled high on the tables and spilled out of cardboard boxes. Some of it — including a poofy, white wedding dress — was strewn across the sidewalk.

A wedding dress was among the items donated for fire victims.

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Jill Replogle

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LAist

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Christina Bragg, a spokesperson for the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, said the organization is working on finding storage for many of the donations that are coming in at a faster pace than they’re being picked up by fire victims.

“Right now, people are staying at shelters, they're staying at friends’ houses. They can't take that much,” she said. “In a few weeks, when people are starting to settle, I think that's when we're going to see larger collections of goods because people actually have somewhere to put them.”

What people need right now

On a recent morning at the Pasadena-Sierra Madre YMCA, hundreds of volunteers unloaded and organized goods, and staffed stations to keep donations organized and help people find what they needed.

Several women weaved through the crowd offering homemade champurrado, the hot chocolate and cornmeal-based drink, to volunteers and fire victims. One volunteer, Winnie Newburg, 11, helped a couple pick out a bag of dog food and treats for their pet.

“We didn't lose our home, but a lot of our friends did so we wanted to give something back,” said Newburg, who was on her second day volunteering at the donation site.

The back patio of the YMCA was dotted by islands of canned food, kids’ toys and bedding.  AJ Placencia wandered around with several bags, looking to replace things that he, his wife and 2-year old son lost in the fire, including toy cars and dinosaurs.

Many fire victims lost everything. Pop-up donation centers like the one at the YMCA in Sierra Madre are providing simple basics, like baby wipes, toothpaste and other toiletries.

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Jill Replogle

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LAist

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Placencia was also looking for essentials his family would need when they could finally leave the emergency shelter set up at the Pasadena Convention Center, where he and his family had been staying.

“I'm trying to find a mattress, but I can't seem to find one here,” Placencia said, looking around. Soon after, he excused himself to go stand in a line forming outside the patio, where Amazon and the YMCA were handing out $1,000 gift cards to fire victims.

“The biggest need that I'm hearing from my constituents is direct cash aid,” said Pérez, the state senator, who was at the YMCA. “Cash assistance really gives my constituents the flexibility to address whatever pressing needs that they may have at that moment.”

That said, Placencia and the other fire victims LAist spoke with said they’re grateful for all the help — including for little things like snacks and toothbrushes and eye cream. Many of them lost everything.

So what’s the best way to help? Pérez and others involved with the disaster relief suggested contacting donation centers or checking their social media to find out exactly what’s needed. Or, give money to a trusted relief organization that knows how to put it to good use.

A new phase of disaster aid begins

Octavia's Bookshelf in Pasadena is normally a bookstore. Its shelves have been transformed into a pop-up donation spot for fire victims.

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Jill Replogle

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As soon as Nikki High realized that her business, Octavia’s Bookshelf in Pasadena, would be spared by the Eaton Fire, she transformed the small space into a mutual aid hub.

She and volunteers removed all the books from the shelves and stocked them with food, baby formula, hygiene products and more.

High has since stopped accepting donations, though the shop is still open for fire victims to pick up supplies.

“What I'm noticing over the last day or so,” she said, “people coming in, like, now they have toothpaste and soap and lotion, and now they're asking for things like cooking utensils and mugs and basic household items because they're finding some short term stays.”

Octavia's Bookshelf has stopped taking donations but is still open for fire victims.

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Jill Replogle

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LAist

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High decided gift cards would be more helpful to them, so she’s still collecting those, along with water and air purifiers.

This week, the shop is closed while High works on shifting to a new stage of disaster recovery, focused on fire victims’ mental health.

“We'll have group therapy sessions here, healing sessions. ... So we're really starting to pivot just a little bit and start to do the emotional care work,” she said.

Plus, Octavia’s Bookshelf will soon have books again.