Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Latino Community Foundation’s Wildfire Relief Fund Focuses on Tenants Rights and Multi-Racial Coalition Building During Recovery

Relief efforts target vulnerable communities, organization says

The Latino Community Foundation has intensified its support for Pasadena’s January wildfire recovery, directing substantial portions of its second-round $1 million grant allocation to community-based partners, including the Boys + Girls Club Pasadena and Pasadena Tenants Union.

The foundation announcement said it aims to establish a sustained long-term recovery process focusing on tenant rights advocacy and multi-racial coalition building in the community.

The grants, part of a larger $2.1 million relief package for Los Angeles County, aim to provide rental assistance, culturally rooted mental health services, and direct cash assistance to communities affected by January’s devastating wildfires, according to foundation officials.

“Philanthropy must continue to lead as Los Angeles rebuilds and recovers. We must act swiftly to prevent a compounding economic and housing crisis,” said Julián Castro, CEO of the Latino Community Foundation. “By investing in organizations that are prioritizing tenant rights and immediate financial relief for immigrant, Latino, Black, and AAPI communities, we are helping to ensure that no vulnerable families are left behind in this recovery.”

The foundation’s strategy emphasizes direct cash assistance, with more than $700,000 allocated for immediate financial relief targeting day laborers, domestic workers, street vendors, and small business owners throughout the affected regions.

The initiative has garnered widespread support, with the California Wildfire and Disaster Relief Fund raising over $5 million from foundation partners and more than 2,000 individual donors contributing an average of $88.32.