I woke up this Monday morning like it was any typical day. I fed the dogs, woke up my son, made a cup of coffee, and ate a pretend ice cream cone (my sons request). But...for someone in LA, they may have barely slept while tossing and turning on a bed that's not their own. For someone in LA, they put the clothes on from yesterday-all they have- back on. For someone in LA, they explained to their toddler that they can't go home to play with their toys. For someone in LA....
Working at GoFundMe, we often see people needing help. During a crisis, that need skyrockets and our friends in #losangeles need help. It's easier to scroll by or focus on an upcoming meeting when you're not directly impacted or seeing a wildfire burn in your city. Even in San Diego, a mere 2 or so hours from LA, life feels relatively normal. I can only imagine the difficulty to comprehend how large of a crisis this is for anyone who's not living it or working on it but it is massive and it's far from over.
I've had countless conversations over the last few days on how to help so here are some ways to do so:
1️⃣ Donate- It's simple. People need money. Time and time again we see and hear this. We see it from people impacted directly and we hear it from various support organizations. Monetary donations are what helps people the most and gives them the autonomy to replace, purchase, or secure what THEY need the most.
GoFundMe has a hub for verified fundraisers (https://lnkd.in/gB33BqwY) so you can trust that your donation is going to someone in need. GoFundMe.org has a general Wildfire Fund (https://gofund.me/b6569675) that has already distributed over 375 grants directly to people. That is money going directly to someone in LA who has been impacted. There are also countless trusted organizations listed on the hub including World Central Kitchen, Pasadena Humane, Baby2Baby and several others.
2️⃣ Share- Tell your network about various ways to help. Whether you have 5 followers or 5 Million, share so more people have the facts and know who and how to give. Have you shared once? Great, share again. You do not have to donate in order to help get the word out and make an impact on someone's life.
Looking for an easy way to share your friends/family/3rd degree connections funds? GoFundMe Profiles allow you to do that. You can add multiple fundraisers and charities to one place. Simply sign-in to GoFundMe (or sign-up!), go to the top right corner under your name, and click profiles to get started and add funds to your list. It's that easy. Add your profile to your instagram bio, in a LinkedIn post, or even email it to your company's corporate/social responsibility team.
3️⃣ Start- Whether for someone you know or a charity you care about, you can of course always start your own. Head to the Hub to get started with one-click.
I've hit my character limit so TLDR help where you can, however you can. It makes a difference.
It’s powerful to see how the restaurant industry comes together to make a real difference when it’s needed most. ❤️