Rising Together: Supporting Southern California During Devastating LA Fires

From our headquarters overlooking the hills of West Los Angeles, Wonderful employees could see the first flames emerge and quickly spread. As the severity of the fire became alarmingly clear, employees in potentially affected areas were encouraged to return home to their loved ones.

It would be more than three weeks before the fires were fully contained, burning more than 57,000 acres, destroying countless homes and businesses, forcing the evacuation of more than 200,000 people, and taking 30 lives.

The disruption affected many of our colleagues, including six members of our Wonderful family who lost their homes.

Consistent with our commitment to support the communities where we operate and our employees live, Wonderful and the Resnicks took quick steps to provide relief to the city, first responders, and especially our affected employees. Even as the fires were still burning, Wonderful delivered FIJI Water, Wonderful Pistachios, and Wonderful Halos to frontline workers. Wonderful announced a $10 million commitment to the relief and recovery efforts, including $1 million to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and $500,000 to the Los Angeles Police Foundation. As the focus has shifted to recovery, support has expanded to include World Central Kitchen, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Project HOPE, Farmlink, and other relief organizations active in Los Angeles.

Wonderful employees are playing a big role, too. Our Wonderful Giving program has doubled the amount employees can direct to charities involved in fire relief efforts. The Resnicks also committed to matching employees’ personal giving to fire relief efforts. Combined, this employee-directed Wonderful Giving and Matching has added another $519,153 (and counting) to Wonderful efforts to fuel Los Angeles’ recovery.

Our Brands and Employees Stepped Up When It Mattered Most

Wonderful employees were quick to volunteer and deliver more than 1,200 cases of FIJI Water, 191 cases of pistachios, and 92 cartons of Halos to 29 police and fire stations. Additional supplies were distributed to police precincts, first responder staging areas, and air operations centers, providing crucial and portable protein and hydration to those working tirelessly under extreme conditions.

Employees at Wonderful offices around the world also found ways to support those affected. At the Wonderful Citrus plant in Delano, California – just two hours northwest of Los Angeles – Jade Alvarez and her colleagues quickly organized a “Walk for Los Angeles.”

Jade recalled the emotions she and her coworkers felt, knowing their friends and colleagues in LA were experiencing such a sudden and devastating emergency.

Drawing inspiration from a recent Wonderful Neighbor Veterans Day Walk, they created a mile-long wellness path. With each sign-up, $100 was donated to one of four organizations directly supporting wildfire relief efforts. In just one day, participants raised more than $20,000 for organizations like the Pasadena Humane Society, Baby2Baby, Direct Relief Foundation, and the Los Angeles Fire Department.

“It felt good to be able to do something,” Jade said. “It shows that we’ve created more than just a clock-in, clock-out job. This is a community of people who care.”

Molly Baz, a chef in Los Angeles, reached out to our Halos team and shared her plan to create a pop-up grocery store at an East LA community center – a place where those affected by the fires could come and get free, shelf-stable food. Molly lost her own home in the fires and wanted to help others experiencing the same uncertainty that came with losing everything.

Wonderful quickly jumped on board, donating FIJI Water, Wonderful Pistachios, and Wonderful Halos. People from all over dropped off canned beans, pasta, rice, and other staples, in addition to other companies’ donations. The event, initially slated to serve 150 people, served more than 600 families.

As emergency response efforts shift toward rebuilding, Wonderful remains steadfast in our commitment to helping wherever we can.

“In the face of tragedies and natural disasters, communities always re-emerge, often stronger than ever. We are confident that will be the case for Los Angeles,” Lynda and Stewart Resnick wrote in a company-wide communication on Jan. 13.

In times of crisis, the strength of our team and the generosity of our Wonderful family truly shine.

Together, we are proud to support Los Angeles as its communities navigate these challenging times and work toward recovery.