Responding to the Fires in January 2025
On Jan 7, 2025, fires started in the Palisades and Pasadena area that displaced thousands of people, destroyed homes and businesses, and disrupted everyday life for all Angelenos.
At SELAH, we didn’t cancel a single program. In addition to maintaining our standard programs and providing places for all Angelenos to get supplies and information, we launched an emergency laundry program, and stood up a distribution center with our dear friends at Silverlake Community Church, which allowed us to pass community donations on to organizations in urgent need.
The fires may have ended in January, but we expect to see a long-term impact in northeast LA from these fires for years to come.
Our weekly, volunteer-powered programs serve neighbors who are already unhoused or housing insecure. Many of these vulnerable neighbors were displaced during the fires -- moving towards our service area from both the east and the west. We are already seeing displaced individuals at our programs, many of whom are facing homelessness for the very first time, having previously been housing insecure and not having the resources to relocate. As shelters shelters close, this number will increase.
To support the immediate needs of these neighbors, SELAH is replacing birth certificates and IDs, helping to navigate an already over-stressed housing voucher system, and providing meals, clothing, laundry services, bike repair, medical services, and a welcoming community.
Long term, we will leverage the generous in-kind donations from our community to serve these neighbors and extending our existing resources to fill any service gaps.
Special thanks to the California Community Foundation for a one-time crisis grant of $25,000 during the fires. And thank you to every individual donor and volunteer who supported their community through this crisis.