Latest news with #BStrong
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hearts Ablaze: The L.A. Women Who Turned Wildfire Tragedy into Triumph
When residents forced to flee their homes in the wildfires needed clothing, toiletries, food, and cash assistance, these munificent women made sure their community members' needs were met … and then some. They stockpiled warehouses with essential items, created donation centers filled with designer duds and beauty products, hit the kitchen (or pizza oven) to prepare sustenance and founded movements — even in the face of their own losses. ALTADENA » As the Eaton Fire raged, Avery Colvert's middle school, Eliot Arts Magnet Academy, was burned to the ground and her hometown of Altadena was decimated. But that didn't stop the 14-year-old, who studies dance and theater, from leaping into action, helping friends and fellow community members who lost everything. Founded by Colvert, Altadena Girls began as an Instagram post and an open call for donations. It has since ballooned into a viral movement, with celebrities ranging from Paris Hilton to Charli XCX and high-end brands and retailers donating enough clothing and beauty products to fill a Macy's. All free for teenage girls faced with the daunting task of starting over in the wake of tragedy. 'This is a long-term project,' says the eighth grader, whose organization has a new flagship space in Pasadena on Colorado Blvd. 'This is just the beginning.' — MALINA SAVAL » Bethenny Frankel's philosophy when it comes to helping others is simple. 'I can, so I must,' she says about what drives her humanitarian efforts — the centerpiece of which is her nonprofit BStrong. Best known as an original Bravolebrity from 2008's The Real Housewives of New York City and for her Skinnygirl cocktail brand, Frankel also has a podcast (Just B) and a buzzy presence on social media. But her other calling is making a difference during disasters. During the L.A. wildfires, she secured a warehouse to stock over $20 million worth of aid — including 20,000 crisis kits her team assembled and distributed to individuals and families who lost everything. BStrong has also raised $4 million in cash cards for those impacted by the Eaton and Palisades Fires. 'I had friends directly affected, I lived in the Palisades as did my father, so I knew something bad was happening very early and got my team activated very quickly,' she says. 'We have year-round aid available for any global disaster and trusted aid partners who spring into action when we say 'go.'' — LINA LECARO FIORELLI » As Liz Gutierrez watched the fires rage all over the city of Los Angeles, the lifelong Angeleno had only one thought: 'We have to feed people.' Even when The Cook's Garden Venice on Abbot Kinney Boulevard — which houses Fiorelli Pizza, the wildly popular clay oven pizzeria she runs with her partner Michael Fiorelli — was showered in flakes of ash and darkened by inky black smoke from the nearby Palisades Fire, the duo didn't stop cooking. As the fires raged, Gutierrez and Fiorelli kneaded dough and plucked herbs to make more than 1,800 pizzas that were then delivered by volunteers to LAFD fire stations, the L.A. Sheriff's Department in Altadena and even to temporary homes occupied by the displaced. The first responders' favorite, she says, was the fennel sausage white pizza. (Ours too!) Gutierrez says she keeps in touch with some of those customers who were grateful for the meals — including one family that is now moving to Venice — adding, 'I hope that people live in this moment of continuing to be kind to each other.' — MICHELE MCPHEE DIGITAL CREATOR@ » L.A. lifestyle influencer Loreen Hwang is known for promoting beauty, food, fashion and sustainability, but during the wildfires, she also used her digital influence to make a difference in people's lives. It started with a social media post on behalf of an old neighbor who lost everything in the Palisades Fire. 'The next day, I had hundreds of people asking to donate items,' she says, which led her to set up an impromptu donation center at a friend's nail salon. Driving around the city and assisting with pick-up and deliveries, she increased her efforts with additional donation pop-ups as more people reached out after the Eaton Fire, too. 'I knew I wanted to help however I could,' she says, and thanks to brands like Calpak and Oribe, she provided more than 1,000 bags of beauty products, clothes and essentials in just two weeks. — ROO JOSHI CHIC » Red-carpet stylists are no strangers to working under pressure. So, when entire neighborhoods in Malibu and the Pacific Palisades and Altadena were wiped out, and many residents fled the flames with nothing more than the clothes on their back, stylists to the stars Elizabeth Stewart, Jordan Grossman and Chloe Brown — along with many of their fashion compatriots — leapt into action to replenish wardrobes lost in the 18,000 homes burned across Los Angeles. The stylists, who founded the nonprofit Chic Relief during the pandemic — organized a pop-up with designer brands. They packed suitcases with curated items: clothes, sneakers, purses and jewelry, for entire families. And with that, they gave people who lost everything a tiny sense of normalcy. 'Our power is getting clothing from brands and that's what we have been doing,' Grossman said after she and Stewart transformed a Santa Monica parking lot and office space into a boutique-like wildfire donation center. 'We're all bossy people and just demanded to know what people really needed, what they wanted to wear, and we packed things that were personalized. It was truly beautiful to see so many stylists get involved, and so many designers who donated.' — MM
Associated Press
17-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Global Empowerment Mission and BStrong Continue To Mobilize Rapid Response to Support Los Angeles Fire Victims
Global Empowerment Mission and Bethenny Frankel's BStrong Continue To Mobilize Rapid Response to Support Los Angeles Fire Victims From Eaton to Palisades 'We encourage everyone to join us in supporting the people of Los Angeles during this critical time. Every contribution, big or small, helps us make a difference.' — Michael Capponi, Founder and CEO of Global Empowerment Mission. LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, February 17, 2025 / / -- Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), a leading nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded by Michael Capponi dedicated to disaster response and humanitarian relief, launched an immediate and comprehensive relief effort to support communities devastated by the Los Angeles wildfires in partnership with Bethenny Frankel's BStrong on January 9, 2025, and remains a leading ground organization mobilized with support daily throughout the devastated communities. As damage and fallout from the fire devastation continues to ravage the region, with thousands of displaced residents, GEM BStrong is committed to providing urgent aid to those most affected, continued support through essential crisis kits, meals to those on the front lines and displaced, cash cards, and housing assistance services. Since the fires began, GEM BStrong was on the ground within 48 hours distributing cash cards, and had their warehouse lease signed within 72 hours, with trucks sent en route from their Chico and Miami warehouses with already pre-packaged essential boxes. They have secured over $20 million in commitment through goods and essentials for Los Angeles communities that they have already been actively distributing to Los Angeles County since January 9, 2025 and over $4 million has been raised for cash cards and housing relocation. GEM BStrong to date, for all missions globally, has provided over $400 million in crisis relief worldwide for disaster relief since 2017. As a global organization they have been supporting disaster relief with quick, swift on the ground support, from California to Hawaii, Ukraine, Haiti to Puerto Rico, North Carolina to Texas, within 24-48 hours. The main focus of relief in Los Angeles has primarily been on the Eaton Fire devastated areas, residents of Altadena and Pasadena, but support has also been sent to Palisades affected communities as well. This past weekend, January 8-10, 2025, efforts focused on a distribution at the Knox Presbyterian Church in Pasadena and God's Waiting Room Church in Altadena, supporting GEM BStrong, as over 800 individuals affected by the Los Angeles wildfires showed up to receive essential kits, hot meals, cash cards and housing service consultation services. Simultaneously, GEM BStrong also set up a distribution at Topanga Reach, among other vital locations, where another several hundred displaced residents received relief from GEM BStrong. During the third week of the fire devastation, while areas were still not contained, GEM BStrong donated $30,000.00 in state-of-the-art firefighting gear plus $39,000.00 in cash cards gifted to brave volunteer firefighters at Fillmore's Station 91 in California. This grant, made possible through Global Empowerment Mission and BStrong partners Royal Caribbean Group, and Stable Road Foundation, is a testament to GEM BStrong's ongoing commitment to supporting first responders who risk their lives to protect our communities. 'Our hearts go out to all the families impacted by these fires. At GEM, we understand the urgency of the situation and are dedicated to delivering aid quickly and effectively to those in need,' said Michael Capponi, Founder and CEO of Global Empowerment Mission. 'This area really hits home for me, as I lived in Palisades with my father, and have so many friends directly affected that lost homes. Our model has allowed us to act quickly and swiftly, to get relief in the hands of those that need it immediately. Since we have been instrumental in aid for Paradise Fire Victims, we had an infrastructure and model that could be quickly and seamlessly implemented. We have year-round aid available for any global disaster and trusted aid partners who spring into action when we say go. In this case, we secured a warehouse for a year minimum, which we will fill and keep replenishing it. In addition, we assembled 20,000 crisis kits to be distributed to individuals and families who have lost everything. The key to our model is dignity, and clarity in all of our charitable actions. Events and fundraisers are great, but that is not our model. We believe in money and aid directly to the people with no red tape, no deviation in the purpose at hand. WIth disaster relief, acting fast and smart, smart being key, is essential to the organization of the efforts and yields the greatest impact, immediately.' - Bethenny Frankel, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, and Founder of BStrong Relief Efforts in Action GEM, in partnership with Bethenny Frankel's BStrong initiative, have been deploying critical resources to the hardest-hit areas, utilizing their new 11,000 sq foot warehouse on the east side of Los Angeles, where palettes are delivered on the daily with essential supplies, hygiene kits, non perishable food, beverages, baby and household essentials, and much more. The organization is working closely with local authorities, community leaders, and partner organizations to ensure aid reaches those in need. Talent such as Zoe Saldana, Cisely Saldana, Eva Longoria, Gina Torres, Becky G, Cat Cora, Georgie Flores, Maria Bello, Kayla Ewell and more have also joined the GEM BStrong efforts to volunteer at headquarters and distribution points, both packing boxes, organizing incoming deliveries and product sorting, and directly distributing to community residents at the give back locations. The headquarters In Los Angeles receive daily volunteer support in order to meet the demand of locals in need and continue the organized flow of distribution kits. GEM Bstrong has secured to date over $20 million in committed aid to the region through essential goods and products, delivered via over 75 trucks of goods, filled with essential supplies that continue to bring products to the warehouse. Additionally, the organization has already distributed over $540,000.00 in funds and raised over $4 million total to date in Los Angeles for use on cash cards, relief and logistics, so far having allocated $435,000.00 of the bStrong cash cards to provide direct financial assistance to impacted families and first responders. This includes so far approximately 12,000+ families and 35,000+ individuals. Distributions of emergency supplies will be happening this week at key locations across Los Angeles to ensure timely support for those affected. Relief initiatives of GEM BStrong include: - Emergency Supplies Distribution: Providing essential items such as food, water, hygiene kits, and medical supplies to displaced families. Family Necessity Kits, Water, Solar panels, Diapers, Star Links for internet access, Pet Kits, Air Purifiers, Blankets, Hygiene Kits, and much more. - Temporary Housing Solutions: Collaborating with local shelters and organizations to secure safe accommodations for those who have lost their homes. Recovery Assistance: Offering long-term recovery support, including debris removal and rebuilding assistance, to help families and communities recover and rebuild. - Cash Card Distribution: Cash cards to residents vetted as needing access to money to purchase their own personal necessities, pay rent, transportation, groceries, whatever truly they see fit. - Tool Program: Tools for tradesmen to empowerment get people back to work and or even be part of the rebuild in their communities. - Small Business Program: Helping small businesses get back on their feet with a incentive to restart their business Distributions of emergency supplies will continue weekly at key locations across Los Angeles to ensure timely support for those affected. You can track updates via GEM's website and social media channels. Community Collaboration GEM's efforts are made possible through partnerships with corporate sponsors, local businesses, and individual donors. The organization has established distribution centers in key locations to streamline the delivery of aid and maximize impact. 'This is a time for unity and action,' adds Capponi. 'We encourage everyone to join us in supporting the people of Los Angeles during this critical time. Every contribution, big or small, helps us make a difference.' How to Help Global Empowerment Mission invites individuals, organizations, and businesses to support its relief efforts. Donations can be made directly through GEM's website, where 100% of contributions will go toward supporting fire victims. Volunteer opportunities are also available for those looking to make a hands-on impact. About Global Empowerment Mission: Global Empowerment Mission is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing disaster relief and supporting long-term recovery efforts worldwide. Since its inception, GEM has responded to over 500 disasters globally, delivering aid to millions of people in need. They have provided over $400 million in vital crisis relief around the world, offering a lifeline in the darkest moments. As a global organization, GEM in partnership with Bethenny Frankel's BStrong Initiative, rushes to the scene typically within 24 to 48 hours, mobilizing ground teams to implement immediate relief efforts. Photos by Bobby Rachpoot, Charles McBryde and Getty Images X LinkedIn Instagram YouTube TikTok Other Legal Disclaimer:
