Amid the flurry of rapidly spreading news and information online about the Los Angeles wildfires, Westridge alumna Lauren Tom ’12 rushed to check in with her friends—many of whom are also Westridge alumni. Even when Lauren’s friends weren’t directly affected by the Los Angeles fires, each new text in their group chat brought more unfortunate and tragic news about classmates who had lost everything. Much of the information about GoFundMe fundraisers for these Westridge families’ situations was limited to small, direct networks of family members and friends.
What began as a simple list on Lauren’s phone to note the GoFundMe fundraisers she saw online eventually turned into a Google Sheet for better shareability and organization. Now, the list contains over 70 names—including alumni, teachers, and students—who are looking for support through GoFundMe and love from their community.
Beyond Lauren and her friends’ networks, alumni and current students shared the spreadsheet’s link on their Instagram stories. Additionally, a Westridge alumni newsletter shared the spreadsheet as well. “People shared it with their networks and started adding names to the list, [and it] is heartbreaking to see the list grow. But also really cool that the network is strong, and we can get something moving that quickly,” Lauren said.
Since its creation, Lauren and her friends have continued to update and expand the page. Every day, Lauren and Chloe Obico ’11 update each family’s fundraising goal and reorder the list so those who have received fewer donations appear at the top of the spreadsheet.
They have also added additional resources, linking to fundraisers for Black and Latine families affected by the fires and local volunteering opportunities. “I figured if I was trying to go find [these sources] again, it would probably help someone else, too, to be there,” Lauren said.
Discovering that GoFundMe fundraisers can impact eligibility for FEMA aid, Mary Orndorff ’11 researched and created a guide to inform families about the process and help families navigate fundraising. Veronica Verdin ’11, who works for Forest Service, shared information about wildfires with the group so they could improve the list.
This small project to organize and share GoFundMe fundraisers has had a greater, meaningful impact on the Westridge community. Chloe said, “I’ve gotten messages—not just me, but Lauren and other people who helped put this together—from alumni and their families, just who are so grateful for us putting this together…I want to be humble. It’s just a spreadsheet that we put together. I don’t feel like we’re doing anything too crazy. But if it helps people in our community, and if it is a useful resource for them, then I’m really happy and proud to be a part of it.”
“[The fires] really highlighted LA’s community and how quick to jump into action people are, which is really amazing. So…just in this horrible, devastating time, we’ve really jumped into action and are trying to help where we can,” Lauren said.
