Helping and Processing in the Wake of the LA Wildfires
It’s common enough to feel odd when entering a new year. There’s a lot of pressure to bundle our disappointments from the past twelve months, and cast them into the sea of yesteryear — all while cultivating an unsustainable level of optimism for the year ahead. Though 2025 has shut that down in record time for Los Angeles. The fires we’ve seen have been beyond terrifying.
There’s a far-off state of normalcy we hope to eventually reach. In the interim, we’ve been in a state of limbo and transition this month. The month of January was named for the Roman god of transitions – the god, Janus. He straddles the line between the past and future, and for this reason, is often depicted as having two faces. One looks behind and one looks ahead.
Janus is a god of opposing forces, and so became the namesake for a linguistic phenomenon known as “Janus words.” These are words which are their own opposites. For, example the Hawaiian word, “aloha,” means both hello and goodbye. (If you’ve ever tried leaving a party in Hawaii, then you know it’s just about impossible.)
Another Janus word is “weather,” which can mean both to endure circumstances, and to be eroded by them. Your home can weather a storm and endure it. And at the same time, a storm can weather your home and destroy it. Los Angeles is the only home I’ve ever known — and the weather our city has had to endure this month has been horrific.
The emotions we’re experiencing can feel like a bundle of opposing forces in themselves. There can be gratitude for being spared from the fires, alongside survivor’s guilt as we think of our friends and neighbors who have lost everything. Those who return to the charred remnants of their homes aren’t at home at all. Instead, they find themselves on a toxic plot of carcinogens, in place of what had once been a sanctuary.
For many, there is a feeling of wanting to help, but not knowing where to start. There are many impactful organizations – below are just a few to consider. These are organizations that Above the Bar supports. They are helping Los Angeles in the wake of the fires. If you’re not sure where to start, please consider starting here. They are providing emergency relief for those affected by the wildfires and are vetted by 1% for the Planet
