Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Resource Rally to Provide Relief for 800 Families Hit by Los Angeles Wildfires

[photo credit: YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles]

Community organizations team up to distribute food, water and essential supplies to residents still recovering from January’s Eaton Fire

Three major organizations will join forces Thursday, July 17, to distribute emergency supplies to hundreds of families still recovering from the devastating Eaton Fire.

Niagara Cares, the charitable division of Niagara Bottling, is partnering with Feed the Children and YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles to host a Resource Rally at the Pasadena-Sierra Madre YMCA on July 17, providing critical support to families who continue to face hardship months after the wildfire.

The drive-through distribution event will serve 800 families, with each receiving a comprehensive care package that includes a 25-pound box of food, a 15-pound box of hygiene essentials, cases of water, and additional daily necessities designed to support four people per family.

The Resource Rally comes in response to the significant impact of the Eaton Fire, which prompted nearly 116,000 people to request assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency during their recovery efforts following the January disaster.

Community need extends beyond wildfire recovery, as more than 13 percent of Los Angeles County residents live below the poverty line, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau cited by the organizing groups.

Volunteers will begin distributing supplies at 10 a.m. and continue until 1 p.m., with an opening ceremony scheduled for 9:30 a.m. at the YMCA facility located at 611 E. Sierra Madre Blvd.

The event will feature remarks from key leaders including Rali Sanderson, President of Niagara Bottling; Ann Canela, head of Niagara Cares; Kurt Knop, Executive Director of Pasadena-Sierra Madre YMCA; and Coco Black, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Cause Marketing for Feed the Children.

In addition to immediate relief supplies, volunteers will distribute disaster preparedness information provided by SBP, which serves as Niagara Cares’ disaster relief partner organization.

The Resource Rally represents a large-scale collaborative effort to deliver immediate support to families who continue to face challenges in rebuilding their lives following the destructive wildfire that impacted the region.

Volunteers participating in the event will serve in various capacities including welcoming families, processing vouchers, assembling care packages, managing volunteer check-in procedures, directing traffic flow, handling cleanup duties, and preparing refreshments for volunteer workers.

To sign up as a volunteer, visit https://ymcala.volunteermatters.org/volunteer/sign-up/36671.