This year’s wildfires in Los Angeles didn’t only destroy homes and livelihoods they also revealed the longstanding inequities in disaster response. The workers who are clearing debris, the small business owners struggling to reopen, the laborers who lost their income, and the immigrant families still displaced from their communities are facing challenges that go well beyond this moment, showing the importance of leading with trust. Yet, disaster response efforts continue to fall short of prioritizing these communities, leaving them without the resources and support they need to recover.

At the Latino Community Foundation (LCF), we’ve learned that disaster response efforts are best led by those rooted in the communities, demonstrating the importance of leading with trust. Our approach isn’t just about writing checks. It’s about listening, trusting, and investing in the grassroots organizations that know their people best. This is the formula for an equitable recovery, and this is what philanthropy must embrace this approach more fully.

The Challenges Facing Latino and Immigrant Communities in Los Angeles

Recent research from the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute has shown us a grim reality: Preexisting health and pollution disparities have only worsened the impact of wildfires on Latino and immigrant communities in Los Angeles. At the start of the fires, 74,000 Latinos were at risk of displacement. Wildfire smoke also disproportionately affected outdoor workers, who already deal with serious health and economic risks. What’s even more troubling is that systemic barriers, such as limited healthcare access, language obstacles, and exclusion from relief efforts, are exacerbating the suffering of these communities.

Worse yet, the policies coming out of Washington D.C. are compounding the crisis for vulnerable communities. Aside from the political gridlock surrounding federal aid for California, the growing anti-immigrant rhetoric fuels fear, making many individuals hesitant to seek help, as they worry about being deported. This climate of fear prevents families from accessing emergency relief, even when it is desperately needed.

Read the full article about leading with trust by Julián Castro at The Center for Effective Philanthropy.