Christian organizations and churches in Los Angeles are rushing to help as the city still burns.
At least 27 people have died in the Greater Los Angeles fires, while 31 are still missing, USA Today reported Friday.
More than 12,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed as close to 100,000 people fled their homes and another 90,000 were under evacuation warnings.
Los Angeles has been ravaged—not just by fire, but by terrible policies and even worse governance. This didn’t need to happen. Gavin Newsom must resign. pic.twitter.com/DZLgOggL1T
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) January 12, 2025
But amid a seemingly hopeless situation, some are answering the call to help.
Leveraging its vast network of churches, CityServe Bakersfield is rushing to help those hit the hardest by the fires, according to KERO-TV in Bakersfield, California.
The Christian nonprofit has sent truckloads of supplies — including water, food, clothing, and other essentials — to those most in need of it.
“We’re thinking about everything,” said Crissy Cochran, CityServe’s Director of Communication. “It’s not just food, clothing, hygiene, it’s everything. Anything you can think of, we’re gonna take down there.
“This is not just happening today,” Cochran continued. “Yesterday we sent a truck; today we have this truck. Next week we’ll have more truckloads going. So really, this is just the beginning.”
She said many other churches and Christian organizations are pitching in to provide aid.
Karl Hargestam, executive director of CityServe Network, said the organization will go beyond just immediate relief, and that it will also help with rebuilding and recovering efforts, according to The Christian Post.
“We are fully committed to providing not just resources, but also the compassion and hope needed to help them heal in this critical moment,” Hargestam said.
Another Christian organization rushing in to assist is World Help, based in Forest, Virginia.
It also has dispatched emergency supplies to those affected by the fires.
“So many people have lost everything to these fires, and it’s still far from over,” said World Help President Noel Brewer Yeatts.
“Even once the fires have been contained, the work is only going to be just beginning,” she said.
“People have lost their homes, their livelihoods, and World Help wants to do our part so that families and communities can begin the process toward not only surviving today, but then healing and rebuilding too.”
