the california wildfires: two weeks that have changed our lives

The California wildfires have been devastating, their damage unprecedented. They amount to one of the most destructive fires in our recent history, and they’ve hit our communities hard.

The Palisades and Eaton Fires — fanned by the Santa Ana winds — have destroyed homes & schools, burning thousands of acres and displacing families. Tens of thousands are still under evacuation efforts in Los Angeles County.

Pastor Matthew Barnett experienced the trauma of displacement, too. From the neighboring city of Altadena–where he could see smoke rising near his own home–his family packed up what they needed and headed straight to the Dream Center. From there, the Dream Center mobilized quickly to provide disaster relief, making the facility available for whatever the city needed.

Within hours, a full food distribution operation was in place–which the team called the “carousel of compassion”. 19,000 cars brought 80,000 people who would be fed, supported by over 8,000 volunteers from all over the city. We’ve been able to engage in one of the most powerful disaster responses Los Angeles has ever seen.

That’s due to your support, and to those individuals who commit to showing up daily to serve whomever is most in need. We welcome anyone to volunteer with us from 9AM to 7PM daily.

Our team is gearing up for the next phase of our relief efforts, with plans beyond anything we could have envisioned. And it’s all possible because of you.

If you wish to support the wildfire relief efforts directly, a donation of any size moves mountains.