If you're like us, you've been following the news of the out-of-control wildfires around the Los Angeles area.
The videos and photos published by news outlets and shared on social media are both unbelievable and heartbreaking, just as they are every time another wildfire breaks out and destroys peoples' homes and puts lives at risk. The New York Times reports, citing AccuWeather, that the economic cost of the wildfires could reach $57 billion.
It's only the first week of 2025, so it's a bit disheartening to watch an ongoing disaster that is only going to get worse before it gets better. It's enough to make you want to give up.
But saying you can give up implies there's alternatively something you can do about it — and there is. I'm not suggesting anyone put themselves in danger here, but there are ways to help the people in these communities.
Charity Navigator is an organization that evaluates charitable groups to help people learn more about them and whether they can trust their donations will be used for their intended purpose. It has compiled a list of charities in and around the Los Angeles area that can in some way help the people — and animals — affected by the fires.
There are the traditional big relief organizations in this list, namely the American Red Cross and United Way of Ventura County. There are also more local organizations, such as Pasadena Humane, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation. There's a decent variety of charities to choose from, so if one isn't to your liking, there's bound to be another one.
Check out the list of organizations in the link above and see if there's one you would like to support. If there's another you know of that's not on the list but you trust anyway, go for it.
It's easy to feel helpless in times like this, so it's important to remember that no matter how far removed you may feel or how impossible something may seem, there's likely something, even if it's small, that you can do.
You can reach me at bwroten@hotelnewsnow.com as well as on LinkedIn.
The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hotel News Now or CoStar Group and its affiliated companies. Bloggers published on this site are given the freedom to express views that may be controversial, but our goal is to provoke thought and constructive discussion within our reader community. Please feel free to contact an editor with any questions or concern.