An army of community volunteers springs into action as LA fires rage

Elise Hu | January 11, 2025

As swiftly as fire evacuation orders went into effect across Los Angeles County, so did the community disaster recovery effort. At the Anderson Munger Family YMCA in LA’s Koreatown, a central hub for donation drop off and distribution, a steady stream of supplies and volunteers offering helping hands spilled out onto the sidewalk.

“It’s wild. There’s people out here that have just created a chain. And we’ve just been handing off and loading cars,” said Sabrina Parnia, one of the volunteers who sprang into action this week after devastating wildfires broke out.

Volunteers from across Los Angeles are helping manage donations at the Anderson Munger Family YMCA, a central location for collecting and distributing donations to evacuees and first-responders. (Elise Hu | NPR)

Once she learned about this effort by the community group Ktown for All, Parnia took the week off from work, helping direct the other volunteers who showed up ready to help. The central location is a crucial node in a volunteer-powered supply chain — tied together with people from across the state. This location has collected food, clothing, assorted snacks for first-responders, and whatever local businesses have been willing to give.

“There was someone that was dropping off protein shakes,” Parnia said. “He runs a protein company and was just dropping off a van full of protein shakes. It’s phenomenal. And baby protein shakes!”

These centers aren’t just responsible for collection. YMCA is also leveraging its network to distribute supplies across partner community organizations, shelters and evacuees in need of supplies.

“All the hands and bodies that are coming here with U-Haul trucks [or] their vans, because we don’t have vehicles to transport these items, they are like, ‘What do you need?’ ” said Rae Jin, executive director of the Anderson Munger Family YMCA.

The Anderson Munger Family YMCA is so overflowing with donations of clothing that staff say they're at capacity with adult clothing, and are instead asking for baby clothing and supplies, as well as bedding, linens and personal care items. — The Anderson Munger Family YMCA is so overflowing with donations of clothing that staff say they’re at capacity with adult clothing, and are instead asking for baby clothing and supplies, as well as bedding, linens and personal care items. (Elise Hu | NPR)

Nearby, in downtown Los Angeles, Covenant House California provides shelter year-round for displaced people ages 18-24.

“This is the age group that we can still support and prevent homelessness,” says Anthony Conley, director of support services at the nonprofit.

He said young people who have streamed in after the fires broke out are taking up all 104 available beds.

“With the air quality, it becomes a little bit harder on folks. So definitely a lot of the shelters within the area are really looking out for young people and adults that are having respiratory issues,” Conley said.

Covenant House put out a call for sandwiches and bagged lunches. Peanut butter and jelly is the MVP.

“What people don’t realize is a lot of vegans are out on the street, as well. So peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a good substitute for that. It’s easier on the stomach. It lasts a little bit longer,” Conley said.

A child's drawing on brown paper lunch sacks prepared for Covenant House, after the nonprofit requested sandwiches from the LA community to feed the displaced young people it shelters. — A child’s drawing on brown paper lunch sacks prepared for Covenant House, after the nonprofit requested sandwiches from the LA community to feed the displaced young people it shelters. (Elise Hu | NPR)

Covenant House and the YMCA are but two of the many community organizations with efforts under way to support the area after Los Angeles’ worst — and likely costliest — natural disaster in history.

“I’m grateful because we just said we’ve got to do this, and the next day we put something out there and magic happened,” Jin said.

So many donations have poured into evacuation centers that one location, at Pan Pacific Park Recreation Center, had to turn away supplies. But people willing to lend a hand are still needed. With fires continuing to burn, volunteers like Sabrina Parnia say they won’t stop showing up. It’s an unimaginable crisis for the area. But also a time of boundless generosity.

“I’m from L.A., born and raised,” Parnia said. “So to see L.A. come together like this is really special.”