Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Imelda Padilla on Thursday, Jan. 30, gave cash aid to service workers who lost income because of the recent wildfires.
Bass and Padilla, who represents District 6 in San Fernando Valley, distributed $250 or $500 gift cards and food boxes to workers such as housekeepers, gardeners, personal chefs and caregivers affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires. Many of the workers, often self-employed, were ineligible for federal or state emergency aid, officials said.
The relief effort stems from a motion adopted by the Los Angeles City Council on Jan. 21, which established an emergency fund to support informal service workers in Council District 6.
Authored by Padilla, the motion noted that while Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved federal wildfire relief, many workers in this sector may struggle to access it.
“A disaster in one part of the city still affects the most vulnerable in others,” the city council motion read. “For that reason, it is necessary to develop an alternative relief fund to support Council District 6 constituents with micro-enterprises, sole proprietorship, and self employment situations.”
The program allocated $25,000 to Initiating Change in Our Neighborhoods Community Development Corporation (ICON CDC), a nonprofit that operates the City of Los Angeles BusinessSource Centers in the north and south San Fernando Valley. The nonprofit has a history of supporting micro-entrepreneurs and street vendors.
Officials said the gift cards are part of the initial relief package, and more support efforts will be announced soon.