Grappling with the fires - join us TONIGHT @ 7pm

I hoped to be writing our first email of the year under better circumstances. It's heartbreaking to see and experience the devastation caused by the fires across LA County. Like you, I have loved ones and LA Forward community members who have been deeply impacted by this disaster, including hundreds of families who have lost their homes and more. On Friday, our staff team met to figure out where we fit into relief, recovery, and rebuilding efforts and what we can uniquely offer our community. 

We invite you to join us TONIGHT, Tuesday, January 14th from 7 to 8pm, for a virtual gathering where we'll have a space to process and talk through some of what we've been feeling, hear from local elected officials about their perspectives (inluding Pasadena City Councilmember Rick Cole), learn from our partners ar Inclusive Action about ways you can support outdoor workers who've lost their incomes due to the fires, and share our plan for moving forward as a community of Angelenos committed to building a fair, flourishing region for everyone.

We hope you can join us. Register for the Zoom here. 

This will be the first of a series of spaces we’ll host to process and address the broader implications of the fires – including their political and climate implications. Stay tuned for details on upcoming gatherings.

In addition to joining us on Tuesday, we want to highlight an opportunity to support communities who are badly affected by the fires but haven't gotten as much media attention or financial support -- workers who have lost their livelihoods.

And if you're interested in giving directly to people who've lost their homes in the Eaton fire who've raised very little in recovery funds so far, check out this comprehensive spreadsheet of GoFundMes.

The Mutual Aid Los Angeles Network has created a searchable spreadsheet of organizations and locations offering shelter, food, supplies, and more. You can find that here.

We hope to see you TONIGHT and in the months ahead as we work toward healing, recovery, and reconstruction.

In solidarity, 

David Levitus, Ph.D.
Founder & Executive Director
LA Forward Institute

A majority of our budget comes from our members’ monthly donations. In 2025, our goal is to raise 80% of our budget from dues-paying members. That will enable us to be 100% accountable to people like you. Your gift allows us to respond rapidly to emerging issues, to take on powerful interests, and spend as little time possible on fundraising so we can focus on the crucial work that needs to get done every day.