Two Valley Village law partners are providing free hotel rooms to those who were compelled to leave their homes due to the several destructive wildfires that are presently raging in the area, and people from all over Los Angeles County have come together to support the victims.
Following Tuesday’s eruption of the Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, and Hurst Fire, which destroyed countless acres and left tens of thousands of people without a place to stay, Gina Zapanta and Mike Alder of Alder Law took to social media to share their message.
Zapanta replies, “Friends, we hope everyone is okay,” in the now-viral video. “Here in Sherman Oaks, we have a block of rooms reserved. Please get in touch with us.
“Forget anything else, other than asking for help,” Alder says.
See also: How to assist LA County wildfire victims | KCAL Cares
After they each posted the video to their respective Instagram sites, it gained a lot of popularity and dozens of help requests followed.
“One thing led to another … we thought a few people would ask for some help,” Zapanta explained. “It became widely popular. After realizing that, we immediately began contacting nearby hotels in the Burbank, North Hollywood, and Sherman Oaks areas.
Ariana Perez, who had to evacuate with her son from the Eaton Fire evacuation zone, is one of the numerous people they have been able to assist thus far. Despite claiming that her Altadena home was destroyed, she finds solace in the kindness of total strangers and in having a secure place to stay for the time being.
“I was lucky enough to get picked by them so they could help me and my son out,” Perez stated. “He has no knowledge. He doesn’t know what’s happening, but he’s simply so thrilled.”
In addition to starting to put together care packages for evacuees, Zapanta and Alder are currently collecting money in an effort to pay for additional hotel rooms. They estimate that they have aided 160 parents, kids, and their dogs thus far.
Anyone interested in lending a hand can contact them on Instagram at @ginazapanta or @mike_alder.
Related: Companies in Southern California assisting fire victims