This post was updated Jan. 15 at 12:23 a.m.

Small tears formed in Michelle Leon’s eyes as she talked about the many lost homes Monday after fires burned for nearly a week across Los Angeles County. However, when she discussed her and other Angelenos’ work volunteering, she finally cracked a smile.

Leon said she moved to LA three years ago from Pasadena with her children, who still attend school in Pasadena. Many of her children’s friends were directly impacted by a fire that started in Pasadena and Altadena, which by Tuesday afternoon had spread to over 14,000 acres, according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. 

“A lot of our friends, their best friends, have lost their homes, and it’s been so devastating,” Leon said. “They have to rebuild from the ground up.”

[Related: LIVE: JANUARY 2025 FIRES]

Leon and hundreds of other volunteers have been organizing and distributing donations to people impacted by the fires in a large lot outside the Los Angeles Dream Center  – a nonprofit focused on supporting people who are experiencing homelessness, food insecurity or lack of access to education. The Dream Center is just one of the many community organizations that have created fire relief programs, which have gained visibility primarily through social media. 

[Related: Westwood Recreation Center provides shelter, essential resources amid LA fires] 

Leon said that while the center usually aims its programs toward people experiencing homelessness, it has retooled its many resources – such as its mobile food bank and emergency shelter – toward fire relief. The center has received an influx of volunteers, thousands of pounds of clothing and support from LA-based companies, Leon said. 

While the efforts are focused on community members affected by the fires, Leon said the center intends to supply resources to anyone in need.

“In the end, we have the supplies, we have the water, the food that we can give,” Leon said. “If someone’s in need, we’re going to help.”

Over 1,200 individuals showed up at the Dream Center to volunteer and donate Sunday afternoon, Leon said. The center had received between 10 to 15 thousand pounds of clothing from donors so far, she added.

Westwood businesses have also donated meals, charging points and Wi-Fi connections to first responders as part of volunteering efforts.

[Related: Westwood businesses unite to bring resources, comfort to people affected by fires]

UCLA has also involved itself in relief efforts amid the ongoing fires. 

The university has offered community resources for individuals who have been affected by the fire, said UCLA spokesperson Ricardo Vazquez in an emailed statement. 

In addition to established programs such as emergency financial assistance for students and staff, UCLA donated space at the UCLA Research Park – formerly the Westside Pavilion – to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to establish a Disaster Recovery Center, Vazquez said in the statement. The center will provide vital record recovery services, mental health counseling referrals and financial assistance, according to a press release from Unified LA – the city’s incident command center. 

Vacant units in hotels and faculty housing owned by the university have also been converted into emergency shelters and housing, while rates for the UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Center, UCLA Lake Arrowhead Lodge and the Inn at UCLA have been reduced for affected individuals, Vazquez said.

The UCLA Volunteer Center is also recruiting for nine wildfire-related projects, including delivering food and services to people experiencing homelessness, according to the UCLA Volunteer Center website. The center is also delivering care packages to people impacted by wildfires. 

As of 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, the UCLA campus is not under any evacuation warnings or orders.

[Related: Federal government races to provide aid in the face of Los Angeles fires]

Other mutual aid programs have also expanded their work to better assist relief efforts. 

The Hollywood Food Coalition is a nonprofit organization that provides meals to food insecure and homeless LA residents, said Julio Lane, one of the organization’s kitchen support supervisors. Lane said the organization uses excess food from restaurants, supermarkets and farms to serve the LA community with resources that would otherwise be unavailable.

On a normal day, the organization distributes meals from its Hollywood location, Lane said. However, during the fires, the organization has used employee, volunteer and organization vehicles to transport food to people who have been affected by the fires, he added. 

While the organization’s operations have remained virtually unchanged, it has increased its number of deliveries to accommodate affected communities, Lane said.

Seeing a strong community response to the fires, especially on social media, has been invigorating for volunteers, Leon said. She added that she believes the LA community as a whole has shown a strong commitment to assisting those affected, including by volunteering at the Dream Center. 

“Seeing the rest of the city really come in and then be a part of us more fully, that’s been amazing,” Leon said. “I’m seeing cleanup crews go to Pasadena to sweep up the streets and help get the rubble and garbage off the ground to try and clean up for the people that live there, and that’s been incredible.”