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Conditions in California have been devastating lately due to the wildfires that have ravaged the Los Angeles area. However, our faith in humanity has been restored thanks to the countless acts of kindness from across the United States and even beyond. In a video recently shared by Khalsa Aid, we’re given yet another opportunity to witness selfless acts of compassion and warm-hearted hospitality. Members of Southern California’s Sikh community have been preparing hot meals for those affected by the firestorms. People are seen vigorously chopping vegetables while others stir massive pots filled with sauces, soups, and curries. The finished meals are then meticulously hand-packed and stored into cardboard boxes, which volunteers wheel away on a cart.
Since last week, Khalsa Aid, a global humanitarian organization built upon Sikh principles, has prepared hundreds of vegetarian meals for those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires. Volunteers have also distributed essential non-perishable goods to thousands of families, all while partnering with local groups like Korea Town’s YMCA and Pasadena Job Center.
In Bakersville, a city just north of Los Angeles, Sikh residents are similarly mobilizing, collecting items such as new socks, blankets, and underwear, as well as food, water, and Gatorade to redistribute to community members impacted by the fires.
“In the Sikh community I have received a lot of requests of folks wanting to help, they really felt a call to do something and help our neighbors in the Los Angeles area,” Manpreet Kaur, vice mayor of Bakersfield, told local broadcasting network KERO-TV.
In 2022, Kuar became the first Sikh Punjabi woman elected to the Bakersfield City Council. Given her cultural background, Kuar immediately understood the importance of Sikh involvement in wildfire relief efforts.
“We’ve taken all of our Gudwara’s, which are Sikh places of worship, and we have made them collection sites so that we can collect the supplies that are most needed,” Kuar continued. “One of our Sikh principles is generosity and being of service to others.”
In addition to the Sikh community, several others have rallied behind Los Angeles through mutual aid and grassroots initiatives. Based in Inglewood, It’s Bigger Than Us is a Black-led non-profit that has been delivering water and resources to first responders while simultaneously running a distribution hub. The National Day Laborer Organizing Network is similarly raising money for immigrant workers, and Lagartijas Climbing Crú, a collective of BIPOC rock climbers, has organized a crowdsourced spreadsheet for mutual aid requests.
For many Angelenos, grassroots organizing has proven more effective and reliable than that of state and federal agencies. Many organizers have expressed frustration with how, just months before the fires erupted, the city of Los Angeles cut their fire department’s budget by $17.5 million while raising that of LAPD by $126 million.
“The city started off this chain of events,” Howie Galper, a lead organizer of the political group the People’s Struggle San Fernando Valley, told The Guardian. “The politics of LA is to ignore the people, and this is the end result.”
Even so, these local efforts offer an extraordinary glimpse into the strength of community solidarity and mobilization in the face of climate disaster. As of this writing, the Los Angeles firestorms have destroyed an estimated 12,000 homes, and have forced over 100,000 residents to evacuate. In the Pacific Palisades alone, wildfires have ravaged nearly 24,000 acres of land.
If you want to help those who have been affected by the fires in the LA area, check out our list of wildfire relief initiatives. For those affected by the fires, please refer to this updated list of resources for shelter, food, clothing, pet care, and more.
Sikh communities across Southern California are organizing relief efforts for those impacted by the Los Angeles firestorms.
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Khalsa Aid is one such organization, having prepared hundreds of hot meals for redistribution.
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Other marginalized communities have initiated grassroots efforts as well, such as It’s Bigger Than Us and Lagartijas Climbing Crú.
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The Los Angeles firestorms are the most destructive in California’s history, having destroyed nearly 24,000 acres of land in the Pacific Palisades alone.
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