FireAid, the profit live performance that raised an estimated $100 million for these impacted by the Los Angeles fires final month, introduced $50 million in grants on Tuesday to dozens of community-based organizations aiding in catastrophe restoration.
The preliminary spherical of grantmaking will assist fast wants like non permanent housing, rental help, meals entry, and catastrophe case administration, in keeping with a FireAid assertion. Every group will obtain not less than $100,000.
Thirty of the world’s hottest bands and musicians, together with Billie Eilish, Woman Gaga, Dr. Dre, No Doubt, the Purple Scorching Chili Peppers, Stevie Marvel, Sting, and Earth, Wind & Hearth, carried out on Jan. 30 to boost cash for folks impacted by the L.A. fires. Live performance organizers expanded the present to 2 L.A. venues to accommodate all of the artists, and greater than 50 million viewers throughout 28 broadcast channels and streaming platforms watched the six-hour reside present.
The profit live performance raised thousands and thousands by means of text-to-donate, ticket gross sales and company sponsorships. Los Angeles Clippers proprietor Steve Ballmer and his spouse Connie matched each donation collected in the course of the reside broadcast, together with a $1 million present from the band U2.
FireAid organizers, together with producers Irving and Shelli Azoff, convened an advisory committee and consulted with representatives from previous catastrophes just like the 2023 Maui fires earlier than deciding the right way to distribute the cash. A primary spherical of funding to assist fast wants shall be adopted by future funding for longterm restoration like rebuilding. Functions are additionally open for smaller grants to neighborhood organizations of $10,000-$50,000.
The $50 million introduced Tuesday will assist community-based teams “on the entrance traces of wildfire aid,” in keeping with the group. It supplies help for kids and households, displaced staff and small companies, and college students and colleges amongst different classes.
“Our intention is to strike a steadiness, geographically and organizationally, aiding each massive funds and organizations with longstanding expertise navigating moments of disaster, and neighborhood teams with deep information of impacted neighborhoods,” a spokesperson for FireAid stated in an e mail.
The listing consists of Mission:Camp, an L.A.-based nonprofit that hosts trauma-informed popup camps for kids impacted by disasters.
“On account of everybody who donated to this fund, Mission:Camp was in a position to assist present greater than 10,000 hours of free, trauma-informed care to just about 1,000 kids who had been affected by the wildfires,” stated Henry Meier, Mission:Camp director of exterior affairs.
A FireAid spokesperson stated organizations had been notified of the grant by e mail Tuesday morning. Nevertheless, a number of teams stated they didn’t know of the award till notified by The Related Press.
The Eaton and Palisades Fires, which ignited on Jan. 7, killed not less than 29 folks and destroyed nearly 17,000 constructions, together with properties, colleges, locations of worship and companies. Rebuilding is estimated to take years. Greater than 135,000 folks have registered for FEMA help, in keeping with Los Angeles County.
The FireAid live performance can nonetheless be considered on streaming companies like Prime Video, Apple TV+ and Hulu and the group remains to be accepting donations.
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