In L.A., Red Cross donations and other aid
As the devastation of greater Los Angeles continues to sink in to citizens, leaders and officials in California and across the country, efforts to ease the suffering are beginning to take shape.
The hardware and home improvement industry has made several gestures backed by hard dollars to relief organizations.
On Wednesday, the Do it Best Foundation announced a $100,000 donation to the American Red Cross. Additionally, the True Value Foundation will provide a $10,000 grant to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, assisting more than 81,000 club members and their families in the affected region.
“Supporting our communities is a cornerstone of our mission,” said Do it Best and True Value CEO Dan Starr. “Through these contributions, we’re proud to deliver meaningful aid while standing with those working tirelessly to recover and rebuild.”
Similar contributions and efforts to help are widespread across the hardware and building supply industry — from 84 Lumber’s gift of $25,000 to a large family in the ruined Altadena neighborhood, to donations of multiple millions of dollars to various groups offered by the Home Depot and Lowe’s foundations.
One local business of note attempting to rebuild in the Altadena neighborhood is Altadena Hardware, a True Value store that stood in ruins in a location that remains restricted. Still, the owners of the store, the Orlandini family, have plans to get back in business and play a role in the rebuilding process.
The family, in concert with True Value, is exploring options for a temporary store and coordinating shipments of key materials. A point-of-sale system from Epicor was provided to handle transactions for mobile operations.
“Our focus is on delivering the resources and supporting the Orlandini family and their community, which needs to rebuild quickly and effectively,” said Chris Okapal, vice president of sales and business development for True Value. “We are committed to helping them reopen their doors, whether in a temporary or permanent capacity, as soon as possible.”
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to support store employees during the store’s closure, ensuring they have financial stability as the rebuilding process begins. As of Wednesday, the page has generated more than $70,500 in donations, against a goal of $100,000.
In addition to home improvement businesses, the wildfires have also impacted staff and patients of City of Hope, a Duarte, Calif.-based disease treatment and research center, which has a long relationship with the home improvement and home building industry.
“Hundreds of our team members have been displaced, and dozens have lost their homes entirely,” wrote the COH VP of corporate philanthropy in an appeal for aid.
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HBSDealer encourages your comments. Have you seen examples of philanthropy or rebuilding in Los Angeles? Share with us at news@hbsdealer.com.
