LAWTF SUPPORTS THOSE IMPACTED BY THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FIRES
We, at the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival mourn irreparable destruction in our community caused by the Los Angeles wildfires that included the Pacific Palisades and the Eaton fire in the Altadena area as well as smaller fires in the area in early January 2025.
These fires have resulted in irreversible damage to the natural landscapes of Los Angeles, displacement of hundreds of people and pets, injury, loss of life, and the loss of homes and irreplaceable property for many.
The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival has been a staple in Los Angeles Theater for over three decades, and over this time has established a strong relationship with our local community. Thus, it is all the more devastating to witness the physical, social, and emotional losses incurred by our residents and the vibrant and beautiful theatre community of Los Angeles.
The theme of LAWTF’s 2025 Festival is “STRONGER TOGETHER.” We believe that right now, more than ever, it is important to reflect what it really means to find strength within our communities.
Whether you are a patron of the arts or simply a concerned citizen, there are plenty of ways to support your local community during this time. The most direct way is through donations, both monetary and in-kind. Monetary donations can be made to organizations such as the American Red Cross, The Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, and the California Fire Foundation, amongst others.
Additionally, you can support displaced members of the historically black and brown community of Altadena by contributing to their GoFundMes, an ongoing directory of which can be found here. Moreover, items like clothes, toiletries, canned and non-perishable food items, blankets, bottled water, and N95 masks can also be dropped off at various donation drops throughout the city.
If monetary donations are not feasible at the moment, you can always donate your time. Many organizations are overwhelmed by the number of donations received and require volunteers to help sort through donated materials, as well as drivers to transport material back and forth.
Organizations such as the World Central Kitchen Relief Team need volunteers to help prep, serve, and deliver fresh meals to people in need. Or, if you are looking for a way to support furry friends in need of a temporary home, many animal shelters are looking for volunteers to foster animals displaced by the fires. A list of organizations seeking volunteers can be found here.
However you choose to help, it is important to remember that there are real human beings who have suffered devastating losses. Hence it is integral to uplift our community with the dignity and respect they deserve, whether it be through making sure items donated are hygienic, usable, and in decent condition, taking the necessary precautions when dealing with pets, or doing the necessary research and due diligence before volunteering.
In the spirit of community, it is also important to acknowledge the relationship between the fires and the ongoing climate crisis. Experts have predicted that the fires were caused by a combination of unusually strong Santa Ana winds and climate extremities in California. All of us bear the brunt of keeping our planet safe from such disasters, whether it be through personal action like recycling, responsible consumption, and limiting our usage of extreme energy-consuming tools like ChatGPT, or through public action, like holding our local and national government leaders responsible for enacting laws that protect our planet.
Despite the circumstances we find ourselves in, we at LAWTF would still like to begin this year with a message of hope. It is at times like these that it becomes important to create art that brings the community together, and it is firmly rooted in our mission to “engage with and inspire communities” through theatre.
In the words of Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” It is through our art that we will imagine and create a better tomorrow for ourselves and the communities around us.
We invite you to join the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival, March 27-30, 2025. For more information, visit lawtf.org