Operation Blessing Delivers Aid to Firefighters and Hope for Victims of L.A. Wildfires
The Los Angeles wildfires have wiped out entire neighborhoods, leaving behind nothing but ashes. Pastor David Turner of Fearless L.A. Church says the emotional toll on residents is overwhelming.
"We sent out teams today where the fires passed through. There's not an immediate threat, but now there is the aftermath of no longer having a childhood home — nothing to pass down to their kids; a lot of kind of surrealism where people haven't really wrapped their heads around what's taking place," Turner said.
For the thousands who have lost everything, the road to recovery could take years. Yet, Operation Blessing is on the ground, providing immediate support to help ease their burdens.
Helping Those in Need
"We want to help those with a little less," said Denver Stoner from Operation Blessing. "It doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, but we definitely want to help those with a little less, to just give them that little bit of normalcy. It's going to be a long trip to get back to normal."
To ensure aid reaches those in need quickly, Operation Blessing has partnered with multiple local churches. Together, they are distributing supplies to the hardest-hit areas of the city.
"As a church, we are meeting both the physical need with people coming and going every day," said Turner. "We are sending out supplies all across the city and meeting those spiritual needs through prayer, being present, and being there for people."
California is facing a fire crisis! Homes, childhood memories, and livelihoods have been wiped out. Survivors are in dire need. But friends like are stepping up to shine the light of hope.https://t.co/Xd8MtWb0Jr#OBI #CaliforniaWildfires #DisasterRelief
— Operation Blessing (@operationbless) January 14, 2025
Prioritizing the Needs of First Responders
While many basic necessities are being provided, there is an urgent need for sleeping bags for the firefighters who have traveled from all over the country to battle the blazes.
"When things are flaring up, we're talking thousands and thousands of firefighters on site, often they're not even able to leave or head twenty minutes to a hotel — definitely not to their families," explained Turner. "They may have only an hour or two to sleep on site, so we're just trying to get them the most comfortable stuff possible."
In response, Operation Blessing has been working to provide sleeping bags, cots, and inflatable mattresses to ensure that first responders can rest between shifts.
Stoner added, "We went out and went to a few local stores and bought everything we could so we could supply sleeping bags, cots, and blowup mattresses. This is ready to go back out to the local fire station so the people there could use them."
The Power of Donations
Denver emphasized that these efforts are only possible thanks to the generous donations of Operation Blessing supporters.
"Those donations that come in go right to the heart of where people need help," he said. "Those are the ways we can supply the sleeping bags, the cots, and those blow-up mattresses from those donations that will be used here, immediately in this community."
A Call to Serve
For Pastor Turner, this disaster is an opportunity for the church to show its true purpose.
"This is a perfect and beautiful moment for the church to be the church — to go out to the hurting, the brokenhearted, and give them the physical needs, but the real need is Jesus, and we all know that."
***Click Here to Help Disaster Victims Now
Thanks to your compassionate support, we are partnering with Cathedral Church to provide much needed assistance and hope to families who have lost everything in the #wildfires that have devastated #LosAngeles.https://t.co/TulmOMfpnb#OBI #CaliforniaWildfires #DisasterRelief pic.twitter.com/MCgb3i1ST4
— Operation Blessing (@operationbless) January 13, 2025
