Beyoncé Pledges $2.5 Million To Eaton Fire Victims As Celebrities Mobilize Donations, Volunteering Efforts Amid L.A. Wildfires
UPDATE, Jan. 12: Beyoncé has pledged $2.5 million through her BeyGOOD nonprofit to support families who have lost their homes in the towns of Altadena and Pasadena, which have both been damaged by the Eaton Fire.
The BeyGOOD LA Fire Relief Fund will also go to churches and community centers to address the immediate needs of displaced residents. As has been noted recently, Altadena is a historically Black neighborhood, with families and generations dating back to the later dates of the Great Migration in the ’70s. According to the press release, the foundation has worked with volunteer service organizations and churches to identify homeowners and area residents most in need since the fire’s inception Jan. 7.
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PREVIOUS, Jan. 10: As the Palisades and Altadena fires continue to ravage Los Angeles communities, celebrities like Jennifer Garner, Paris Hilton and others are mobilizing to donate, jumpstart relief funds and volunteer. Some, like Sharon Stone and Halle Berry, are donating clothing to those who have lost their homes or otherwise been displaced amid the ongoing state emergency.
Per MSNBC reporting, Garner — herself a Palisades resident of 25 years and whose home was spared by the blaze that has ballooned across over 20,000 acres since Jan. 7 — partnered with award-winning chef José Andrés’ food relief nonprofit World Central Kitchen, whose pop-ups around Los Angeles County have been helping fuel Angelenos in need. Having known Andrés through previous philanthropic efforts like Save The Children, Garner said she was eager to help out and be of service.
“I was able to just say, ‘Can I be with you for the day? What can I do to help? Put me to work,'” the actress said. The 13 Going on 30 star helped distribute meals from restaurants and food truck partners as a volunteer.
Elsewhere in the MSNBC interview, Garner praised Andrés for his efforts, saying additionally that she grieves for her community. (The loss is personal for Garner, who was asked about the death of a friend from her Palisades Methodist church: “It’s really tender so I don’t feel like we should talk about it yet. I did lose a friend. She didn’t get out in time,” she told correspondent Katy Tur.)
“My heart bleeds for my friends,” the actress said. “I mean, I can think of 100 families, and there are 5,000 homes lost. I can — without even [thinking] — I could just write out a list of 100 friends who lost their homes.”
Hilton, whose Malibu beach house was among the 5,000 structures leveled by the Palisades Fire, announced earlier today an emergency fund through her 11:11 Media Impact nonprofit for those who have lost “their homes, cherished keepsakes, the communities they loved, and their sense of stability.”
The media personality and entrepreneur said the fund will “support displaced families with young children.” She launched the fund with an initial contribution of $100,000 and will match additional dollars raised up to another $100,000.
“As a mom, I can’t imagine the pain and fear of not having a safe place for your babies,” she wrote on Instagram.
Partnering with nonprofit Baby2Baby for distribution and Sean Penn’s Community Organized Relief Effort, which provides cash assistance to families, the fund is also offering “short-term housing and hotel stays for families with little ones,” delivering essentials to evacuation centers and supporting local animal shelters.
“Let’s come together for LA,” concluded Hilton, who said she will be volunteering this weekend. “Every dollar makes a difference, and we’ll make sure the support reaches those who need it most.”
Meanwhile, Stone put out a call for donations for +COOP, a Beverly Boulevard-located home goods boutique that has transformed into a distribution center. The Basic Instinct star encouraged donations of gently used clothing for women, men and children, as well as gift cards and new hangers. She added that those in need could come for blankets, shoes and clothes.
Following in her footsteps, Berry reposted Stone’s original video and said she is “packing up my entire closet and heading over to the COOP! If you live in the Southern California area, I urge you to do the same. This is something we can do right now today to help all of the displaced families that are in need of the basics today! Thank you @sharonstone for your leadership. Love you Lady ??.”
Since then, Uber has partnered with the boutique to deliver items across Los Angeles. In the comments, Michelle Pfeiffer also inquired about donations, seemingly indicating she would be contributing items to the center.
In a separate sweet moment shared by ABC7 reporter Josh Haskell, actor/writer/comedian Bill Hader offered to help journalists cover the wildfires: “An only in LA moment on Thursday at road block for #PalisadesFire Resident trying to gain access came up to news van as if he was part of our team, wanted to help cover, ride with us. Then, he pulled down his mask, smiled and it was Bill Hader! Couldn’t have been nicer! @ABC7.”
Additionally, Jennifer Lopez, who was scheduled to appear on The View Jan. 17 and a slew of other television programs in the coming days, reportedly canceled her slate to support wildfire relief efforts, per Entertainment Weekly. There were no further details on the matter.
As previously reported, Jamie Lee Curtis announced she and her family would be contributing $1 million to help out amid the crisis.
On the other side of town, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were among those supporting evacuees of the Eaton Fire, which is currently raging in Altadena and Pasadena. On Friday, the Duchess and Duke of Sussex met with Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo and displaced families, distributed food and thanked first responders.
In the latest updates to the wildfires, roughly 180,000 Angelenos remain displaced as the Eaton and Palisades fires have burned over 9,000 structures, claimed the lives of at least 10 people and resulted in preliminary estimates of $52-57 billion in damages; these harrowing statistics — driven by Southern California’s excessively dry weather conditions and the fierce Santa Ana winds propelling embers forward — have catapulted the disaster to among the most destructive wildfires in the state’s history.
As of writing, the two most significant fires have burned a combined acreage of roughly 35,000, with containment for the Palisades blaze at 8% and containment for the Eaton Fire at 3%.
To find out further information on how to help or donate, click here for a list of Hollywood and affiliated organizations gathering funds.
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