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Black History Month 2025

Bruins volunteer, support Los Angeles community amid wildfires

Volunteers pack donation boxes for people in need during the Los Angeles County wildfires. (Anthony Folsom/Daily Bruin)

By Reese Dahlgren and Vivian Stein

Jan. 21, 2025 9:55 p.m.

As wildfires swept across Los Angeles County, UCLA students volunteered to support recovery efforts.

The fires – which have burned over 40,000 acres and displaced residents across the region – prompted urban and regional planning graduate student Alex Sun to step up as both a volunteer for distribution centers and a student of disaster management.

[Related: LIVE: January 2025 Fires]

Sun said in the week following the start of the first fire, he delivered supplies to distribution centers in Pasadena, such as the Pasadena Community Job Center, starting with essential items such as food and water. He later transitioned his efforts to deliver more specialized goods, such as hygiene products, he said.

Sun also joined daily brush and debris cleanup efforts in Pasadena neighborhoods under evacuation orders, they said. They added that their tasks included sweeping and raking leaves to clear driveways and using chainsaws to clear fallen trees.

The shifts were collaborative community efforts, often involving hundreds of volunteers working together, Sun said.

“It’s been really incredible to see the community turn out like this,” he added.

Sun also said his academic focus on sustainability planning and disaster management inspired him to get involved in recent recovery efforts. Beyond policy changes, Sun said they knew the most important difference they could make was to directly help the areas impacted by volunteering their time.

“I can’t just be making policy decisions behind a closed door because that’s what got us here in the first place,” they said.

Isabelle Chuduong, a fourth-year psychology student, said she volunteered her time at the YMCA in Sawtelle – folding clothing and sorting donated items into piles so fire victims could access them easily.

“It’s just so sad that both sides of LA, like the Palisades, the West side and Altadena and Pasadena were just getting devastated by these fires,” Chuduong said. “UCLA was lucky enough to not really sustain damage from the fire directly, so it felt like if I was going to stick around, I should be useful and help out when I can.”

Chuduong added that she found it heartwarming to see most volunteer and donation sites around West LA and Pasadena overwhelmed with contributions as volunteers across the county offered their help.

“Everything was super organized,” Chuduong said. “They have three-hour shifts throughout the day, and everyone there was just so dedicated to helping each other out.”

Meanwhile, some students concentrated on smaller-scale efforts to support overlooked groups. Abdhi Jadeja, a third-year physiological science student, evacuated to northern California on Jan. 9 but continued her support from afar by assisting local organizations.

She said she donated to the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, which provides additional food, clothing and resources to incarcerated firefighters.

Jadeja, a contributor for FEM Newsmagazine – which has the same publisher as the Daily Bruin, also said she connected people with local businesses supporting fire victims, such as pizza shops offering free meals. She added that she assessed how she could be most useful before deciding where to volunteer.

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

In a rapidly evolving environment during wildfires, she said it was essential to verify needs through social media and other online resources to avoid overwhelming donation sites.

Similarly, Lily Cam, a fourth-year political science student, said she used social media to coordinate support for those impacted by the fires. While the Sunset Fire was spreading in Hollywood Hills, Cam said she posted in GroupMe chats and on Instagram to offer rides to students who needed help.

Lily Cam stands next to her car packed with donated goods for people in need during the Los Angeles County wildfires. (Courtesy of Lily Cam)
Lily Cam stands next to her car packed with donated goods for people in need during the Los Angeles County wildfires. (Courtesy of Lily Cam)

On Jan. 8, Cam drove one student home to Whittier, California, and she also transported two students to South Gate on Jan. 10. Cam added that her early actions were motivated by a desire to be a resource for people facing uncertainty.

She said she noticed her efforts inspired others to do the same, creating a larger network of student volunteers providing transportation.

“I just wanted to make myself be a resource for people,” Cam said.

Students leave campus dorms on the Hill during the Los Angeles County wildfires. (Selin Filiz/Daily Bruin)
Students leave campus dorms on the Hill during the Los Angeles County wildfires. (Selin Filiz/Daily Bruin)

Although Cam said she was not able to help as many students as she hoped, she was thankful that the three people she did help evacuate felt safe and were away from the smoke and ash.

Cam also said she collaborated with her sister to organize a donation drive, raising about $410 to purchase essential supplies for distribution centers, including socks, towels, diapers, toothbrushes, canned goods, dried fruit and jerky.

The items were delivered to Neighbors and Friends, a cafe in downtown Pasadena that has been converted into a community distribution center, she said.

“Any contribution really helps,” Cam said. “Even if it’s resharing resources on your Instagram, I feel like one reshare goes a long way because you’re still reaching a lot of people with each contribution that you do.”

[Related: Angelenos step up to serve community as city continues fighting wildfires]

Chuduong added that live updates on social media often provide the most current information on where help is needed.

“I think the recovery efforts – especially how the community has been responding – really shows and proves to a lot of us that the community is, at the end of the day, what matters most,” Sun said.

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Reese Dahlgren
Stein is a News staff writer and an Arts and Copy contributor. She is a second-year anthropology student from Thousand Oaks, California.
Stein is a News staff writer and an Arts and Copy contributor. She is a second-year anthropology student from Thousand Oaks, California.
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