LOVE L.A.

Some nonlinear thoughts about Los Angeles and the fires.

Life in Los Angeles lately.

Some people say that it feels like the pandemic all over again. And, when you see the N95 masks back out, a Presidential regime shift, and Squid Game on TV, I guess it does.

But, the big difference is that, this time around, it’s as if COVID-19 has only struck particular people in specific neighborhoods. And the further your distance from these homes and the City of Los Angeles, the less personal stake you have in the devastation. The more tenuous the connection to the horror.

I don’t blame people in Orange County, up North, and out of state, for going about their routines, oblivious to the catastrophe. They haven’t edited their life down to birth certificates and 3 days’ worth of clothes in a bag by the door. As if they’re going on vacation for a long weekend. They can’t smell the plastics in the air, worrying about how those chemicals may change the biology of the cells in their lungs. They’ve never heard of the Watch Duty app. They don’t know how to distinguish the flags from the exclamation marks.

And that’s why I’ve been saying that I’ve never felt closer to my city than I have throughout this ordeal. This past week, it has truly felt like it’s LA VS. THE WORLD. And not in an adversarial way, not even when the social chatter online is filled with derisive remarks about Californians. But in the sense that this is a plight that is uniquely ours that no one else quite understands in the way that we do. This is a history that only we can speak on.

If you live in Los Angeles, even if you didn’t directly suffer loss from the fires, you are affected. As isolated as we may feel sometimes, the truth is that we are a network — interconnected through the economy, the wreathed freeways, the aroma of the trompo tacos... We benefit from the great weather here. We are also collectively at the mercy of LA climate and conditions.

Los Angeles is not the craftsman homes, award-winning restaurants, outdoor malls, and beautiful hikes, however. Many of those are now gone, but Los Angeles is still here. In fact, we are stronger, more resilient. And we are prouder.

I’ve never loved LA more. I say it with my whole chest.

When Angelenos hurt, many of us heal by trying to help. What a breathtaking show of support this past week. Donation centers were overflowing, Michelin Star chefs gave away food to firemen, and strangers opened their homes. I lost track of how many friends lost their houses and businesses in the fires. But, I was even more overwhelmed by how many of them were out volunteering, posting GoFundMes, and disseminating helpful information for other victims. Some of these folks never even publicly shared that they had lost everything themselves. This is Los Angeles.

The biggest impact The Hundreds can have is in giving our community what they want from us: a T-shirt. It is also the fastest and most effective way for us to raise money.

As important as it is to help LA fire victims with immediate needs, the looming concern is long-term welfare -- weeks, months, and even years after the rest of us have moved on. This T-shirt came about after my friend Ann Lee (CEO, CORE) told me that to help families and businesses get back on their feet, they will need cash programs, emergency materials, and comprehensive case management to navigate the aid process. That’s why we are donating 100% of profits of this T-shirt to CORE’s strategy.

Design.

Ben suggested a shirt that boldly proclaimed our love for Los Angeles. Instead of thinking too artistic, trendy, or conceptual, I imagined LA’s response to Milton Glaser’s 1976 “I Love NY” T-shirt. In this case, the heart is too big to contain. It is colored an orange red to represent our sunsets. And by subtracting the “I” (s/o Randy Newman), “Love LA” is from all of us in unison. It’s also a directive and a call to the rest of the world.

The Hundreds X CORE “Love LA” is on sale for a short window of time so that we can accommodate production. Please buy one HERE and SHARE with a friend.

There is so much left to discuss, but even more that renders me speechless. I have a lot of close friends asking if I can publicize their GoFundMes. To be fair, I’m posting some of the ones that have not yet met their goals. If you are within your means, please consider donating to the following people who complete the picture of LA to me.

Briana Gardela (formerly of The Hundreds!)
Yasi Salek (formerly of The Hundreds!)
Megan Murray
Darin Bresnitz
George Jenkins, Sr.
Lauren and Zoey
The Wolins
The Semple-Cho Family