As fires once again ravage the Los Angeles area, I’m grateful to recognize the important role that nonprofit organizations are playing in helping with the immediate disaster, as well as their commitment to rebuilding afterwards.
Nonprofits are playing a critical role in providing aid and support to those affected. They offer essential services such as food, water, shelter, and medical care to those displaced by the fires. They have also helped to evacuate residents, provide temporary housing, and distribute essential supplies.
One of the most important roles that nonprofits are playing is to provide emotional support to those who have been traumatized by the fires. Many people have lost everything they own, and they are struggling to cope with the aftermath. Nonprofits are providing counseling and other services to help people heal from the trauma of the fires.
I’m proud that our new education partner, DisasterReady, has played a part here. DisasterReady.org is an online learning platform built to better prepare humanitarian and development professionals for the critical work they do by providing high-quality, relevant online learning resources at no cost.
I asked Tina Bolding, the director of DisasterReady, about its role is the current crisis. She tells me that “many nonprofits providing aid to those impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires have utilized DisasterReady to build skills to respond to crises in a safe and effective way. For example, IsraAid, Israel’s leading humanitarian NGO, announced that they will support recovery from the Los Angeles wildfires. IsraAid leverages courses in DisasterReady to train their staff. The American Red Cross is another organization responding to the crisis that calls upon training from DisasterReady.”
CharityWatch offers a list of “legitimate, efficient, and accountable charities” involved in efforts to aid and assist victims of the Greater Los Angeles wildfires. More information here.