FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 11, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT
Gilbert Zavala
Communications Director
Los Angeles County Recognizes 211 LA’s Wildfire Disaster Relief Efforts on 211 Day
211 LA has been at the frontlines of providing essential services to County residents.
LOS ANGELES, CA –Today, February 11, 2025, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors recognizes and celebrates 211 LA for its indispensable role as a lifeline connecting residents to vital resources, including disaster relief, particularly during the recent wildfires. In honor of its service to residents, the Board has officially proclaimed February 11 as 2-1-1 Day. As the county’s trusted resource for health and social services, 211 LA quickly mobilized to provide thousands of residents with emergency assistance, evacuation resources, and long-term recovery support
211 LA has served Los Angeles County since 1981 as a key disaster hotline and provider of critical social services. During the recent wildfires, the organization quickly partnered with Airbnb.org and the American Red Cross, placing over 17,000 households and 150,000 individuals in temporary housing and securing $24 million in direct aid for affected individuals.
“We are incredibly grateful for this recognition from Los Angeles County,” said Maribel Marin, Executive Director at 211 LA. “Our team works tirelessly to support our communities in times of crisis, and this acknowledgment reaffirms our commitment to being there for Angelenos when they need us most. We remain dedicated to this vital work and will continue to connect residents with the resources and assistance they deserve.”
Additionally, in honor of 211 Day, we recognize and celebrate the incredible partners who have stood with us in our wildfire recovery efforts. Although the road to recovery is long, these partners have helped us move forward in providing relief to wildfire survivors. 211 LA extends its deepest gratitude to Airbnb.org, Hilton Hotels & American Express, American Red Cross, Alaska Airlines, GoFundMe, CarePortal, California Community Foundation, Sholl-Freede Foundation, Clements Design, Atllas, NICE, Chobani, IKEA, Expivia, Rally, Lakeshore Management, New Mercy Community Church, and Taylor Swift and Swifties for their support.
Their generosity and commitment have made a lasting impact, and together, we are making a difference.
To reach 211 LA for assistance, residents can visit www.211la.org or dial 2-1-1.
The County’s recognition of 211 LA’s disaster relief efforts reads as follows:
211 LA has served Los Angeles County since 1981 as its primary information line for all types of health and human services, including being the county’s disaster hotline for recovery and response. The knowledge and expertise that led to the praise 211 LA received during the recent Los Angeles fires has been forged over 40 years of dedicated service to its community.
During those 40 years, residents in need of specialized support have been able to dial 2-1-1 and get connected to essential support services. On any given day, 211 LA’s hotline supports unhoused Angelenos with emergency shelter, provides care coordination services to aid victims of hate crimes, connects seniors to in-home supportive services, and employs cutting-edge technology to reduce food insecurity.
That scale of individualized care has woven 211 LA into the fabric of Los Angeles County.
On January 7, 211 LA quickly pivoted focus to disaster relief when it was activated by the LA County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to support residents impacted by two of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history.
211 LA immediately stepped up to provide emergency support to those in need while FEMA and county agencies organized their response.
Within the first 48 hours, 211 LA formalized a partnership with Airbnb.org and immediately began placing households in temporary housing. Twenty days later, over 51,000 households have requested emergency housing and over 17,000 households—totaling nearly 150,000 individuals—have been placed.
211 LA has since collaborated with the American Red Cross, Emergency Network LA (ENLA) and other organizations to provide emergency services to evacuees, data-rich reports to County and City leadership, up-to-date information and resources to residents in need, and more.
Through partnerships with corporate partners and generous donors, 211 LA secured direct support for impacted individuals valued at $15 million to provide emergency housing, cash grants for families, transportation, food, and other essential supplies.
The nonprofit has also opened three Disaster Resource Assistance Centers to provide case management services and provided material support to 491 households affected by power interruptions that includes batteries, generators, temporary housing connections, and food.
All of this, of course, while handling the regular volume of non-wildfire-related service requests.
To celebrate 211 LA for its service to Los Angeles County is to celebrate an entire ecosystem of staff, aid organizations, corporate partners, medical professionals, care coordinators, individual donors, and more. Their individual acts of generosity and love for Los Angeles runs through 211 LA.
For more information, visit www.211la.org or dial 2-1-1 for assistance.
About 211 LA:
211 LA is the hub for community members and community organizations looking for all types of health, human, and social services in Los Angeles County. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, 211 LA has served the people of Los Angeles County since 1981. 211 LA's services are funded through partnerships with the LA County Board of Supervisors, CEO and Departments; with contracts with the State of California, LAHSA, SoCal Gas, Southern California Edison, AARP, and others; and with grants from foundations including the National Institute of Health (NIH).
