Los Angeles Fire Victims & Volunteers

SCRIPT:

SCRIPT Los Angeles: Fire Victims & Volunteers
footage courtesy World Vision
Supers to be added by Affiliates

INTRO: The ferocity of California’s Santa Ana winds, turned small fires into a holocaust burning down thousands of homes, causing panicked residents to flee with little more than the clothes on their backs. Today, some of the same Los Angeles wildfire victims have become volunteers in a remarkable outpouring of love for their suffering neighbors.
VO: AS VICTIMS OF THE LOS ANGELES WILDFIRES LINE UP FOR HELP IN THIS CHURCH PARKING LOT…
WOMAN (nat sound)
And know that we’ve been praying for you all.
VO: VOLUNTEERS LOAD UP THE CARS WITH ESSENTIALS – EVEN AS THEY COPE WITH THEIR OWN LOSSES.
PASTOR G.L.KENEBREW, Hillside Tabernacle City of Faith
Our whole block had been burned. Our whole neighborhood, when we went back the very next day, had been burned and fires were still blazing.
VO: ONE PASADENA RESIDENT HAD JUST FINISHED PURCHASING HER HOUSE.
TOTRESS BEASLEY, Pasadena resident
5:02 I paid off my house on January the 7th. The last payment hit the system. And my house burned down on January 8th. And financial blessings, people giving, giving, giving is definitely going to help us rebuild. Because I can’t sell my property. It’s the only thing I had.
BARBARA THOMPSON, Calvary Baptist Church of Pacoima
These are people who have lost their homes. There are people who have come from the Eaton Fire who live in the Altadena area whose churches that have burned down to the ground, their pastor has come to be with us, to pray with us and to be here, to be hands and feet and to give to others as well.
VO: AS THE FIRE APPROACHED HER HOME, TONITA FERNANDEZ SAYS HER KIDS WERE PANICKING, SO SHE RUSHED THEM TO SAFETY.
TONITA FERNANDEZ, Altadena, California
And I was going to come back the next morning. But what I got instead was calls from neighbors and friends and family saying, oh, your house burned down.
VO: WITH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE LEFT HOMELESS BY THE RECORD-SETTING WILDFIRES, LOS ANGELES CHURCHES HAVE BECOME DISTRIBUTION CENTERS FOR WATER, CLOTHES, FOOD AND MUCH MORE. SOME OF THE DISPLACED FAMILIES ARE FROM THIS CONGREGATION IN PASADENA.
ANDRA DAY, Victory Bible Church, Pasadena
And so we have over 30 families who’ve lost their homes, who’ve lost everything, and then other people who are indirectly impacted by the fires and their families impacted. So, you know, I just wanted to come out here and serve.
VO: CHRISTIAN HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATION WORLD VISION HAS DELIVERED TRUCKLOADS OF SURVIVAL ITEMS TO AREA CHURCHES, FOR CONGREGATIONS TO DISTRIBUTE TO THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES.
BARBARA THOMPSON
See the truck pulled up, 52 footer with tons of supplies for our community. It was such a blessing.
WAYNE CHANEY, Antioch Church, Long Beach, CA
It’s beautiful to see the church pulling together and offering us expertise, our resource, but helping hands. Early on, in moments like this, you just need practical hands -on support.
VO: AND THE VICTIMS TURNED VOLUNTEERS, ARE SHARING A VALUABLE LESSON.
PASTOR G.L.KENEBREW, Hillside Tabernacle City of Faith
3:55 So even though we’ve lost everything I want them to know that we can rebuild and this is the beginning of rebuilding. when I can give you some help along the way. some trash bags and some Lysol and just the basic necessities We can start the rebuilding process. Let the healing begin.
VO: STAN JETER, GLOBAL NEWS ALLIANCE

Story Provided By:
Stan Jeter & World Vision

Producing Organization
Global News Alliance https://gna.news

Recording Location
Los Angeles, California

Reporter / Producer
Stan Jeter

Organization featured in this Story
World Vision https://www.worldvision.org/news-stories

People Interviewed and their Titles
PASTOR G.L.KENEBREW, Hillside Tabernacle City of Faith
TOTRESS BEASLEY, Pasadena resident
BARBARA THOMPSON, Calvary Baptist Church of Pacoima
TONITA FERNANDEZ, Altadena, California
WAYNE CHANEY, Antioch Church, Long Beach, CA

Restrictions (if any)
none