His home spared by the Los Angeles wildfires, one financial services public relations pro is focused on helping those hit by the disaster.
As the fires spread Wednesday, Jason Lahita, founding partner at StreetCred PR, posted on LinkedIn that he lives just outside the Pacific Palisades evacuation zone and had been "distracted and frankly feeling useless throughout this ordeal." His team responded by setting up a donation page that routs all funds to the California Community Foundation Wildfire Recovery Fund.
"The StreetCred PR team has had a front row seat to this tragedy, since the fires broke out yesterday. At least six of my daughter's friends — probably more, this is still ongoing — have lost their homes entirely. Two families we are very close with have seen their homes and priceless possessions go up in flames. The devastation is unfathomable. By now you've all seen the destruction this has wrought across Los Angeles," Lahita wrote.
"No one can replace a family's home they've lived in for decades, or replace everything they've lost, but we can absolutely make a difference by supporting an organization designed to offer vital resources in time of need," he said. "This one is very personal for me. Please do what you can to chip in."
In an email to ThinkAdvisor, Lahita said his wife and children had returned to their home after two nights away; Lahita had stayed.
"We live in Brentwood, next to Pacific Palisades," he said.
"The Palisades is devastated, it is actually impossible to describe the current the state of the town accurately, you need to see the videos and pictures to get a sense of what was lost. This is a generational disaster. Many fires remain active throughout L.A. and thankfully the wind has at least calmed down — that was the catalyst for this," Lahita wrote.
The GoFundMe campaign had raised more than $5,000 toward its $10,000 goal as of Thursday afternoon.
The California Community Foundation provides grants to rebuild homes and restore belongings, provide mental health services, offer financial assistance and case management, strengthen community infrastructure, help organizations upgrade 2-1-1 information systems, enhance first responder safety equipment and expand access to medical care and essential supplies, StreetCred said in another post.
Credit: Michael Nigro/Bloomberg
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