Following the LA wildfires, thousands of t-shirts, shoes, water bottles and other donated goods filled Hamilton Gym. Families opened their homes to people in need, and the school instituted a week of no-harm classes so that students who lost everything could focus on taking care of themselves. The school community came together in ways it had never before, giving families who were scrambling to find new housing and file insurance claims a support system to help them through a traumatic time.
Two weeks later, Hamilton Gym was empty. Displaced families moved into hotels or rentals and those whose lives were not directly affected by the fires moved on. While assuming normal routines and a regular pace of life is healthy, it leaves those who lost everything in the fire in an isolating space. The “honeymoon phase” that victims of the fire experienced in the first few weeks after the events eventually ended, but their difficult situations did not magically disappear. Students have begun working towards replacing basic necessities and getting through a day of school without feeling exhausted, but the homework and tests have ramped up once more. Many people who have lost everything feel even more alone now than they did in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy.
Community members need to make an effort to continue showing up for the people in their lives who are struggling, even as the event becomes weeks and eventually, months old. As people have to replace things like marriage certificates or passports, they may have less bandwidth to cook for their families or get their work done. Acts of kindness, like bringing dinner to a friend or washing their car, could mean so much to someone who simply doesn’t have enough time to perform daily tasks in addition to their new responsibilities. Other than acts of service, being intentional about reaching out to friends to check in with them can make all the difference for someone’s mental health. Calling to check in about how a friend’s day was or how they are feeling could help give someone a support system when they most need it.
At school, students who lost their belongings and homes might struggle to stay focused in class and may not have a stable place to study or even sleep. Teachers need to remember that some of their students aren’t slacking off but rather don’t have their lives in order enough to devote the time they normally would to their studies. Asking how a student is doing and being forgiving about slight inattentiveness or tiredness during class will help students feel more comfortable going to class. The school’s institution of a case-by-case grade floor policy for students affected by the fires has also granted struggling students a chance to go to school and learn without the pressure of their grades dropping. Community members should do their best to spread awareness to affected students about their ability to receive grade floors and alert deans about students who are struggling, as many are uncomfortable coming to deans themselves about focus issues.
Losing one’s home to a fire is traumatic, and the impacts of the event can last for years after the event. It is more important than ever for our community to recognize that although the fires happened in January, it is still up to all of us to continue showing up for those experiencing loss as they work to rebuild their lives.
