January 16, 2025

Venable Foundation Contributes $50K to Support California Wildfire Relief Efforts

3 min

Washington, DC (January 16, 2025) – The Venable Foundation announced today its contribution of $50,000 to support the California wildfire relief efforts. Two grants of $25,000 each will assist:

  • World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit founded by award-winning chef José Andrés that is providing fresh meals to first responders, service workers, individuals, and families
  • California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund, a nonprofit with a history of making a direct impact on individuals and families in need, ensuring that support reaches those most affected as the area recovers

“With more than 140 Venable attorneys and business professionals living and working in the Los Angeles area, our hearts go out to our colleagues, their neighbors, and all those impacted by the devastating wildfires,” said Robert Waldman, president of the Venable Foundation. “Today’s grants will provide immediate support to those nonprofits providing assistance on the front line in our communities. The Foundation will continue to work with our nonprofit partners and colleagues in LA to assess and support the community’s evolving needs in the year ahead.”

The Venable Foundation, which recently celebrated four decades of impact, is one of the largest law firm foundations in the United States, and the firm is regularly recognized and ranked as one of the most charitable law firms. The Foundation is proudly funded by the partners of Venable. For more information, visit the Venable Foundation.

About World Central Kitchen

When disaster strikes, WCK’s Relief Team mobilizes with the urgency of now to start cooking and serving meals to people in need. By partnering with organizations on the ground and activating a network of local restaurants, food trucks, and emergency kitchens, WCK serves comforting meals to survivors of disasters quickly and effectively. To support regional economies, WCK prioritizes purchasing local ingredients to cook with or distribute directly to families in need. Learn more at wck.org.

About the California Community Foundation Wildfire Recovery Fund

Since 2003, the California Community Foundation Wildfire Recovery Fund has provided over $30 million to communities affected by disasters. CCF ensures that resources reach those most in need, leveraging partnerships with community-based organizations and government agencies while using data from CalFire and the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index to prioritize underserved communities.

For the LA County wildfires, CCF activated its fund to complement immediate relief, addressing the long-term recovery needs of neighborhoods long after media attention has shifted away. CCF’s disaster and recovery efforts support an array of critical recovery services, including housing, case management, mental health, and medical care for displaced residents. It also aids in rebuilding essential infrastructure like emergency communication systems and offers financial disaster assistance, labor law education, and immigration services to low-wage workers and immigrant families.

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