With a new fire seemingly popping up in Los Angeles every week, the city has begun to mobilize and help the victims who have been affected. Celebrities have been among those with their boots on the ground, feeding, volunteering, and donating. Becky G spent Martin Luther King Jr. Day giving back to her city.
Becky, born in Inglewood, CA, shared a gallery of images on Wednesday from her day volunteering with local organizations. Amid the terrifying photos and videos of the fire's impact on the community, the way LA has come together has been inspiring. "First thing I wanna say is, I’m not surprised that we are showing up for each other because that’s what I grew up knowing my culture to be. WE ARE RESILIENT," she wrote in the caption.
The 27-year-old worked with This Is About Humanity, which describes itself on Instagram as "a community dedicated to raising awareness about separated and reunified families and vulnerable communities on both sides of the border." Becky thanked those who dedicate their time to "organizing and mobilizing community efforts all year round" and opened up about how people are "so desensitized & don’t know what true devastation from a tragedy feels like until it hits so close to home."
She also encouraged her 37.2M followers to "take a moment to really put yourself in the shoes of those who are in need. I then ask you, to please educate yourself and make sure your intentions are aligned with your actions. It is not just a trend or hashtag to help & be kind, it is human decency."
Celebrities that have given back
To get an idea of the impact people have had in Los Angeles by offering their time or donations, GoFundMe has generated more than $200 million for those impacted by the wildfires.
Thousands of citizens without star power have been helping the city, but, of course, celebrities are going to get the most eyes on them and serve as good examples, motivating their fans to do the same. Jennifer Garner has been doing everything she can to help her Pacific Palisades community.
Foo Fighters lead Dave Grohl spent his 56th birthday, January 14, helping Feed The Streets LA, a nonprofit organization that, in addition to its regular outreach programs, has been cooking and feeding victims of the fire as well as inmate firefighters. Eva Longoria, Halle Berry, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry have also been spotted volunteering. Vanessa Bryant also donated thousands of clothes and sneakers.
Many celebrities have donated monetarily including stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, who pledged $1 million to three foundations to assist in relief efforts. Beyoncé also donated $2.5 million to the newly launched LA Fire Relief Fund through her charitable foundation, BeyGood.