I know that Antiochians across the country are watching the devastating news from Los Angeles and are concerned about all those living in the impacted areas and the city at large. We have a good number of faculty and staff who have been evacuated, and of course, the numbers of our students and alumni in those areas could be significant. We know already of Antioch community members who have lost their homes.
Those who are living in the Los Angeles area have been describing these past days as “apocalyptic” and videos and photographs are revealing unimaginable devastation.
I wanted to share that my office will be checking in with all employees to be sure they are safe and to understand the impact this tremendous natural disaster has had on each of them. In addition, our Office of Human Resources will be reaching out to see how we can assist by ensuring that they have time to address critical personal needs.
We are recommending to all students in the area who feel their studies may be impacted to contact their faculty and/or the chair of their department to explore ways to support their individual needs to the fullest degree possible.
The Los Angeles campus will be closed again today (January 10). All classes will continue via remote instruction and employees will work remotely. The LA building itself is not in an evacuated area but much of the surrounding city and community is impacted. The winds have calmed down but are expected to return in the coming days. Air quality is extremely unhealthy across the city and the danger of new fires erupting continues.
There are so many Los Angeles-based efforts underway. As examples, all YMCAs have opened their doors for evacuees to have showers, Spectrum has set up hot spots across the city, ride shares are free for evacuees, AirBnBs are offering temporary free housing, and so forth. The list goes on and on. Attached to this message is a list of LA-based resources our Los Angeles campus has provided for those living in the area who need assistance.
In addition, for those of us living outside Southern California who would like to help, here are a few of the many organizations that are seeking donations:
For those living in the Southern California area who want to help, there are many ways to volunteer time, some of which can be found here.
We are looking for other ways to help and get involved. If you have ideas, please let us know at [email protected].
We know all of our thoughts are with our Los Angeles community.
Be safe,
Bill