Working Girl's Guide #35: The LA fires and ways you can help

No easy way to get into this one. The fires in LA are absolutely tragic, and I’m thinking of everyone impacted. I’m focusing today on sharing some ways we can help those affected, plus sharing a few notes from our weekend collecting donations in San Francisco. This will be a bit of a somber one. Fair warning.

LA fires: what’s going on?

As of Tuesday, the Palisades fire has burned more than 23,700 acres, and is 17% contained. The Eaton fire is 35% contained, and the Hurst fire is 97% contained. Searches are ongoing for nearly 24 missing people, and 24 people have been reported dead. 100,000 people have been displaced. Some are in temporary shelters, in Airbnbs or other rentals, or making do in their cars.

Price gouging: totally illegal

With such a need for housing in and around LA, some landlords are hiking up rental prices. One Bel Air home is going for $29,500/month — which is 86% higher that the home’s September price. This is completely illegal, and California Attorney General Rob Bonta was quoted saying that “anyone who thinks they’re going to take advantage of the people who have been through this tragedy” should be prosecuted.

The TikTok ban

And on a way less serious/important note, a potential TikTok ban is just a few days away. Elon Musk is rumored to be mayyybe buying the U.S. operation of the app (which would mean the TikTok experience would go relatively unchanged), but that’s still more or less hearsay. If the ban does go through, U.S.-based users will still be able to access the app via VPN.

This weekend, I partnered with another SF-based creator to organize a clothing drive for the LA fire victims. I was speechless when I saw literally hundreds of people show up to donate, including many who got out of their cars to help sort donations all day long. The community SHOWED UP. It's dark times like these that remind us how good people can be. Special thank you to my parents for spending the day helping, too. We sent a moving truck to LA!

Not exactly lazy, but if you’re looking for ways to help LA fire victims, and especially if you’re feeling helpless from afar, here are a couple organizations doing great work:

California Community Foundation's Wildfire Recovery Fund is providing immediate relief, and, in their words, “addressing the long-term recovery needs of neighborhoods long after media attention has shifted away.“

The Los Angeles Fire Department needs donations for hydration backpacks, wildland brush tools, and emergency fire shelters.

If you’d prefer to donate directly, GoFundMe has set up a page here for those affected. There are SO many deserving people here. Norma and Joy are looking to fund a padded rocker and ottoman. This family of 6 needs clothing for their twin infants. Longtime Altadena resident and beloved Grandma needs support after losing everything. The list goes on.

If you’re in LA (or nearby), you can sign up to foster a a displaced pet, or email the humane society at [email protected] to ask who’s in need of a home.

More resources here.

And if you need to turn your brain off for a second and mindlessly scroll, I get it. On a much less serious note, some content from the weak. Watch and laugh, or skip it, or if you need an outlet, feel free to bully me in the comments. I can take it if it helps you! All jokes aside, please do take care of yourself, whether that means laughing with friends, laughing at a screen (in moderation), or turning your phone off and taking some deep breaths.

Last but not least, and on the least serious note of all, our podcast this week is on dream jobs, and how maybe it’s okay to not have one. Join us as Simone Stolzoff, author of ‘The Good Enough Job,’ challenges the conventional wisdom of entangling your career with your personal self-worth. In this episode, Ross, Simone and I delve into the dangers of defining yourself solely by your profession and explore the consequences of neglecting other vital aspects of your life. Simone also talks about navigating layoffs with resilience, overcoming different types of burnout, and cultivating passions outside of work. Listen here

Thanks for reading!