TOVAANGAR (LA) Wildfire Relief
Rising Hearts has strong roots in Tovaangar area and we are feeling the heaviness. Our hearts are with everyone who is affected by the fires. We are here to help in anyway we can. This newsletter is packed with ways you can support and help the local Tribes, our Athlete Advocates located in LA and our greater Los Angeles community. We have an Emergency 5k, GoFundMe for our athletes and community friends / partners in the area, and those in the community that we can support, and resources for those who are in the affected areas and shirts for purchase as a fundraiser.
Funds will go to resources such as N95 masks, air purifiers, expenses for evacuated folks via the 5k and t-shirt campaigns.
Please if you can donate, sign up and support and if you can not financially donate, please share on your social media platforms!
We HIGHLY encourage folks out of California to sign up for the 5k. For those in the California that want to participate, we ask that you wait until it is safe to do so (5k ends 1/31).
PLEASE SEE BELOW AND OUR HEARTS ARE WITH TOVAANGAR<3
-Rising Hearts
NEW RESOURCES TO SHARE:
It’s incredibly important to protect ourselves after a wildfire. For those in the LA community that were directly impacted by the fires and for those that didn’t lose their home or were evacuated, all are at risk due to the toxins and invisible toxins polluting the air. Please mask up. Coalition for Clean Air has some amazing resources to learn from and give you the tools you need, to keep yourself safe, your family, and your community.
From Coalition for Clean Air:
”As the fires in Los Angeles continue to burn, our thoughts are with everyone impacted by this devastating event. During this time, it’s essential to prioritize your safety and well-being, especially when it comes to the dangers posed by ash, smoke, and soot. These substances are not only harmful in the moment but can also pose health risks during the recovery and cleanup process.
As we move forward together—supporting one another and beginning the important work of rebuilding—we want to ensure you have the tools and information you need to stay safe. Below, you’ll find key safety tips and resources to help protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community during this challenging time.”
The Coalition for Clean Air hosted a webinar that provided information and answered questions about air quality, public health, and the response to the fires in and around Los Angeles. This is a 2.5 hour webinar that featured several air quality and public health experts to talk and answer questions about the Los Angeles fires.
Speakers include:
-Dr. John Balmes, Professor of Medicine, University of California at San Francisco, member of the California Air Resources Board, author of more than 200 papers or chapters on occupational and environmental respiratory disease-related topics
-Ed Avol, Professor Emeritus, USC School of Medicine, co-author of the USC Children's Health Study, author or co-author of more than 150 articles on air pollution chemistry and health effects
-Prof. Gina Solomon, Chief, Division of Occupational, Environmental & Climate Medicine, University of California at San Francisco, former Deputy Secretary for Health and Science, California Environmental Protection Agency
-Dr. Rania Sabty, Independent Contractor, Kleinerman and Associates, occupational health and safety expert
-Tim Dye and Story Schwantes, TD Environmental Services, air quality monitoring experts
-Jane Williams, Executive Director, California Communities Against Toxics, award-winning environmental health and justice expert -Dr. Joseph Lyou, President & CEO, Coalition for Clean Air, 12-year member of the South Coast AQMD Governing Board
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Jinghuan and Her Family
FUNDRAISING UPDATE FOR JINGHUAN AND FAMILY: $67,624 currently
Rising Hearts is raising funds for our athlete, advocate and community member Jinghuan who unfortunately has lost their home during the wild fires in Los Angeles. Jinghuan has two kids and her family already has already facing other obstacles. Their home insurance doesn't cover fire, so they do not have any help.
This is common for the state in CA because CA is already a high risk fire zone so insurances don't like to cover them.
A message from Jinghuan:
"Help Us Rebuild from the Eaton Fire
As Altadena residents, we love our wild poppies, trail runs directly from the house and occasional encounters with coyotes. Never in a day did I ever imagine losing our home to the Eaton Canyon fire so quickly. On the evening of Tuesday, January 7th, we started to learn about the Eaton Fire spreading quickly from the app Watch Duty. When we saw our house in the yellow zone (evacuation warning), we decided to pack up, but thought, maybe it would be just one night at a friend's house until the Santa Ana wind dies down.
On Wednesday, January 8th, we woke up seeing our house in the red zone (mandatory evacuation). My 17-year-old and I decided to drive back home to pack more things. We only had one suitcase of clothes packed, along with computers, hard drives, documents, medications and family albums. As we drove close to Altadena, the sky became increasingly dark and smoky. Street lights were out. Many streets were blocked with fire trucks. The smoke was so thick that it felt like I was choking to breathe. 9am felt like 11pm at night with fire alarms going off everywhere and panicked people trying to flee the area.
The fire has obliterated our home. We lost a shelter with most of our belongings: clothes, books, appliances, pots and pans, family photos and artwork we didn't pack, running shoes, spikes, my son's music equipment... Most importantly, we lost a space with precious memories like getting married, welcoming our daughter Colette, and all the holiday parties we hosted there.
Your donation can help us with:
A security deposit and first month rent for an apartment until we process our insurance
Clothes for a 17-year-old, a 9-year-old, and two adults, especially winter coats and jackets, boots, work-appropriate shirts and pants (we only packed enough clothing for a one-night stay)
Furniture: 3 mattresses, 2 couches, lamps, 2 standing desks, 2 external monitors, chairs
Down blankets, duvet covers, pillows, bed sheets
Pots and pans, bowls, plates, glasses, mugs, utensils, etc.
Books... so many books were burned to ashes
Music equipment: PC, studio monitors, keyboards, cables
Running clothes and gear: shorts, tights, shirts, running bras, long-jump spikes, running shoes and spikes, gloves, headbands, beanies
Appliances like washer and dryer, dishwasher, TV, hair dryer
College tuition
A disaster like this can take years for people to recover. We are so grateful for your support - whatever you can contribute."
Natalie Mitchell and Family
Support Rising Hearts friend, Natalie Mitchell and Family:
Help us support Natalie and Jerrod, and their children rebuild. Natalie is the host of the Suite Run Podcast (IG: @suiterun), where Rising Hearts founder was a featured voice! Pictures you see are of them meeting for the first time in 2022 at an Allbirds community co-hosted by Tina Muir of Running For Real. What they do for community and with the community is invaluable. If you can donate, please do, and if you can't, please share! You can also follow Natalie on IG @natrunsfar for updates!
Samantha and Her Family
Samantha was one of our wellness / workshop teachers with our former program, Indigenous Wellness through Movement. Sam is also a rock climber, momma, advocate, musician and so much more. Through movement, she offers so much to community. We hope we can help support her family in any way we can.
Support Richard, Heather and Masha of the Altadena Mountain Rescue Team
Help support 3 members (Richard, Heather and Masha) of the Altadena Mountain Rescue team! They all lost their homes and possessions, a lifetime of memories and keepsakes. Their contribution to this effort was protecting the community and keeping them safe, not knowing if they'd have a home to return to.
All funds raised will be equally distributed to the three team members!
Greg and Michael
Help Greg and Michael recover and heal from fire loss.
The Marmol Family
Help support the Marmol Family rebuild after Eaton Fire
Yesenia + Dog, Nippet
Help support Yesenia rebuild. Every donation and share helps towards healing and stability.
CONOR AND CASANDRA
Support Displaced Black Families - GoFundMe Directory
Latine Families Displaced By The L.A. Fires
LA Artists Displaced by the Fires
LA Fires | IN PERSON Volunteer Opps
TOVAANGAR WILDFIRE RELIEF SHIRTS
Bonfire Tshirt Campaign for additional purchases:
We will donate funds to:
+ Rising Hearts runners and community partners from the area that may need it
+ UAII United American Indian Involvement, Inc
+ Mutual Aid LA
+ Tongva Taraxat Paxaavxa Conservancy (The People's Land)
Wildfires are no longer just naturally occurring or a controlled burn through Indigenous knowledge and practices. Every year, more and more wildfires are impacting not just the state of California but across North America in places that communities have never experienced. With the strong winds reaching record breaking speeds and it being only January, this is unexpected. Instead of rainfall, the lands and people are experiencing ash fall. Many have been evacuated, displaced, lost their homes, their offices, loved ones, and so much more. Climate change is real. It's impacting our communities in many ways. $757 billion invested in fossil fuel subsidies, Mother Earth, is crying for help. Let's rally up together as community and help give back!
TOVAANGAR WILDFIRE RELIEF 5k
Join Rising Hearts and community as we use movement to show our love and support while raising funds to give back to those that lost so much due to the wildfire outbreak on Tovaangar (greater area of the Los Angeles Basin and County) lands. For those outside of the affected areas, join us for a run and for those impacted, please wait to join us until it's safe to do so!" Wildfires are no longer just naturally occurring or a controlled burn through Indigenous knowledge and practices. Every year, more and more wildfires are impacting not just the state of California but across North America in places that communities have never experienced. With the strong winds reaching record breaking speeds and it being only January, this is unexpected. Instead of rainfall, the lands and people are experiencing ash fall. Many have been evacuated, displaced, lost their homes, their offices, loved ones, and so much more. Climate change is real. It's impacting our communities in many ways. $757 billion invested in fossil fuel subsidies, Mother Earth, is crying for help. Let's rally up together as community and help give back!
Funds will be donated to our Rising Hearts Athletes in the area and community partners that may need it, Jinghuan Liu Tervalon and her family who have lost their home, Tongva Taraxat Paxaavxa Conservancy, United American Indian Involvement, and Mutual Aid LA. Funds will go to resources such as N95 masks, air purifiers, expenses for evacuated folks etc.
Tovaangar (Tongva: "the world") refers to the Tongva world or homelands. It includes the greater area of the Los Angeles Basin, including the San Gabriel Valley, San Fernando Valley, northern Orange County, parts of San Bernardino County and Riverside County, and the southern Channel Islands, including San Nicholas, Santa Catalina, Santa Barbara, and San Clemente. Everyone who resides on these lands and visits, are on Indigenous lands and part of the sacred eco systems that still exist today.
About Tongva Taraxat Paxaavxa Conservancy (The People's Land): a Tongva led organization with the purpose of stewarding the lands of Tovaangar - the traditional native lands of the greater Los Angeles basin. The Conservancy's mission includes receiving and managing land back, building community for Native people, practicing traditional ceremonies, creating a native archive, and rematriating the lands by returning our native culture and ecosystems.
IF YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE, THIS IS A FREE EVENT SO YOU CAN DOWNLOAD A BIB DIGITALLY THROUGH THE WEBSITE
We will donate funds to:
+ Rising Hearts runners and community partners from the area that may need it
+ UAII United American Indian Involvement, Inc
+ Mutual Aid LA
+ Tongva Taraxat Paxaavxa Conservancy (The People's Land)
RESOURCES
Resources:
+MASTER DOC LA FIRE RESOURCE GUIDE
+California Preparedness Resources
+City of Los Angeles Emergency Resources
+California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
+Shelter is available for those in need at the following locations:
IATSE Local 80
2520 W Olive Ave Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91505
Volt
3000 N Kenwood St, Burbank, CA
91505Outpost LA
12685 Van Nuys Blvd, Pacoima, CA 91331
+Financial Assistance and Recovery Services:
Financial and recovery services are available to support you:Local 600 Hardship Fund
Administered via the Entertainment Community Fund, which provides funds to members affected by natural disasters.Walsh, DiTolla, Spivak Foundation Catastrophic Relief
Send completed applications to Western Region Director.Los Angeles Region American Red CrossCalifornia Governor's Office of Emergency ServicesMPTF Financial Assistance
+Download Watch Duty app
+ Visit @mutualaidla (IG) and www.mutualaidla.org"