The various fires in Southern California from Ventura, to Santa Clarita, to the San Fernando Valley, and through to Bel-Air have been thoroughly devastating. I’ve been watching and listening as our friends and loved ones have been forced to evacuate with no certainty that that the lives they worked years to build and maintain will be there upon their return.
Too many have not been fortunate enough to retain their homes and livelihoods, not to mention the animals who have lost their homes and are now roaming aimlessly through Southerm California.
With the recent pickup in the Santa Ana winds and the low humidity, all we can do is make sure that we and those around us are prepared for an emergency evacuation.
Our sisters and brothers in labor in the fire department and law enforcement do their jobs to protect us as well as humanly possible, and it goes without saying that we have the utmost faith in them. If anyone can protect us during this state of emergency, it is Southern California’s fire departments and law enforcement.
If you can give, please donate to or volunteer with these wonderful organizations who are working to help protect all of us from the fires, and working to help those affected by it:
Click here to sign up to volunteer for Red Cross Los Angeles
Click here to donate to the Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation
Click here to find a Salvation Army donation center in Los Angeles
Click here to find a Salvation Army donation center in Ventura
Text UWVC to 41444 to make a cash donation to the Thomas Fire Fund
In Unity,
Mark Gonzalez
Chair, Los Angeles County Democratic Party