As an artist born and raised in Los Angeles, I have never experienced a tragedy like this in my city. To witness neighborhoods burn to the ground, be consumed by panic whenever I hear of a friend or family member who needed to evacuate, pack a go-bag and live off of our suitcase while anxiously wondering if we were next; it has been a terrifying start of 2025.
I'm writing this post almost a week later since the fires consumed the city, and now I am experiencing a mix of emotions. I am so grateful to still have a home, to still have a space to draw and create, but my heart breaks for everyone who lost everything. While there has been an overwhelming amount of support for the victims, I truly hope it continues to build from here.
In an effort to support my city, I am going to focus on donating to different charities or foundations every month. If I don't find a charity or foundation that needs funding, I know that there are many GoFundMe and donation lists I can offer to donate.
I will be sharing donation receipts on Instagram and will continue to update this blog post throughout the year once I make the donation. Here is a list of who I will be donating to:
January 2025
ARC (The Anti-Recidivism Coalition) are a foundation currently offering support to the incarcerated firefighters protecting us from the LA fires.
You can donate directly to them here: https://antirecidivism.org/donate/