Where is the money for the Los Angeles fires going? – CBS Los Angeles
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By
Amanda Starrantino
Updated on: February 5, 2025 / 6:11 PM PST
/ KCAL News
Suzanne and her family are living in a Topanga rental after losing their home during the Palisades Fire. While she’s seen massive fundraisers get millions for wildfire survivors, she’s struggled to access any of it as she tries to recover from the disaster. “I was curious, where is all the money going,” Suzanne said. “I was transferred through links of places to go but it’s kind of like it goes in a circle and you don’t really get anywhere. I wouldn’t know where to start.”While the American Red Cross and disaster centers have helped families like Suzanne navigate the different resources, many still need help making ends meet and moving forward in the recovery process. “The city is trying to help,” Suzanne said. “We got a 1300 voucher for Airbnb but this place has added up. We haven’t even been here for a month, like 2.5 weeks, and it’s already at 8000 dollars. So, 1300 dollars doesn’t get you very far.”The LA Strong Foundation is one organization that has helped Suzanne’s family find clothes, food, and basic necessities. The disaster relief agency has received thousands of inquiries, most of which have been for financial assistance. However, co-founder Drew Koven said he’s faced some barriers trying to track down the money for survivors. “We are getting a lot of inquiries. We are getting phone calls,” Koven said. “We need to be communicating with The Annenberg Foundations of the world, with the folks that have hosted these concerts, all these different groups that are taking the opportunity to help those in need, but we all need to come together.”The Annenberg Foundation, a philanthropy well-known for helping nonprofits, participated in the wildfire benefit concert FireAid, which raised $100 million for LA County survivors. Organizers said they are working with the Annenberg Foundation to determine where and how the money should be distributed. The Los Angeles Clippers said the committee is mulling over options. Some of the FireAid performances happened at the Intuit Dome, the home of the NBA team. “The committee has been listening daily to affected communities, assessing local resource gaps to ensure aid reaches those most in need, and researching the handling of other fire disasters, such as those in Maui and Northern California,” the team’s Chief Communications Officer said.The first round of grants from FireAid should go out in mid-February. Another major source of support has been GoFundMe. Its Wildfire Relief Fund has raised more than $6.5 million through roughly 41,000 donations specifically aimed at relief and recovery efforts. The fund is enabling grants to help personal fundraisers and nonprofits. “Over 5,000 grants have already been issued directly to those impacted who are seeking help through GoFundMe fundraisers, and to nonprofit organizations on the ground providing relief,” the company said in a statement. The Grammy Awards show, which honored LA County Firefighters with a standing ovation during this weekend’s ceremony, also raised $24 million in partnership with the Recording Academy and MusiCares. According to its website, the money will go to Direct Relief, California Community Foundation, Pasadena Community Foundation, and MusiCares Fire Relief. All of the money was promised to impacted residents. “It needs to happen faster because people need to act now,” Koven said. “We need to get collectively organized with all these groups doing it and have a list that we can share amongst us because that’s the need we are trying to fill, to help people. And the only way we are going to get there is working together, quickly, we have to get there fast.”Amanda Starrantino joined KPIX 5 in October 2021. She is the co-anchor of CBS Bay Area’s morning and noon newscasts.
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©2025 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/where-is-the-money-for-the-los-angeles-fires-going/
