WHEN THE FIRES HIT,
IBTU WAS ALREADY HERE.
72 hours to activate. 87 locations across Los Angeles. A permanent Relief Resource Hub that’s still open today. This isn’t charity — it’s infrastructure.
14 days. 87 locations. 5,000+ families.
Within 72 hours of the Palisades and Eaton fires, IBTU activated an emergency distribution network across 87+ locations throughout Los Angeles. 1,800+ volunteers were deployed in the first two weeks. 15,000+ meals served. 5,000+ families stabilized — not with handouts, but with infrastructure built to last.
The Hub. Permanent infrastructure.
IBTU opened the Relief Resource Hub at Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza — a permanent, community-led recovery center with 15+ partner services under one roof. Case management, dental, vision, mental health, food assistance, legal aid, and housing navigation. Not temporary. Not a popup. Built to stay.
From emergency response to community center.
The Hub is evolving into a permanent all-crisis community center — infrastructure that serves Los Angeles not just during the next disaster, but every single day in between. The model IBTU built in weeks is becoming the blueprint for community-led recovery nationwide.
THE HUB
WHAT WE DO HERE
We take a holistic approach because a family’s needs do not exist in isolation. A household that lost its home also lost its income, its kids’ school routine, its sense of safety, and sometimes its will to ask for help. We address all of it.
Comprehensive Intake
When someone arrives, we sit down and hear their whole story. Housing, health, employment, family needs — we assess everything so we can respond to the full picture, not just the surface.
Material Aid Distribution
Groceries, clothing, hygiene kits, household goods, baby essentials, pet supplies. We give people choice and dignity in selecting what they actually need — not a pre-packed box.
FEMA & Insurance Navigation
Insurance battles are ongoing and many survivors are severely underinsured. We help navigate applications, gather documentation, and connect people to case managers.
Mental Health Support
Parents watching their children have nightmares. Adults experiencing night terrors and severe anxiety. We connect every person who needs it to mental health services and ongoing counseling.
Employment Navigation
Housekeepers whose client homes burned. Hairdressers who lost their tools. Daycare providers whose facilities are gone. We help people navigate a financial collapse that didn’t make the news.
Long-Term Follow-Up
We are not a one-time stop. We remember names, children, and situations. We follow up. We are a consistent presence throughout the entire recovery journey.
The IBTU Relief Resource Hub
Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza
Suite 224-226
3650 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90008
WHAT MAKES IBTU DIFFERENT
Dignity First
We verify impact through proper documentation, but we never make people feel interrogated or judged. Every person who walks through our doors is in one of the most vulnerable moments of their life. We treat them accordingly.
Relationship-Based
This is not transactional. We remember names, we remember kids, we remember what someone was going through last time. People come back because they trust us. That trust is the foundation of everything we do.
Community Rooted
This fire relief work extends our existing mission of supporting Los Angeles communities. We were here before the fires. We will be here long after the headlines fade. We do not show up for a moment and leave — we stay.
NOT SURE IF YOU QUALIFY?
We verify addresses using Google Maps and publicly available fire zone and evacuation maps. No documentation looks suspicious to us — people lose everything in disasters. If you have questions, any IBTU team member can walk you through it.
Why Do You Verify Fire Impact?
We verify because we want limited resources to reach the people who need them most. This is not about distrust — it’s about accountability to our funders and to our community. We work hard to make verification easy, private, and dignified.
What if I’m a renter?
Bring your lease or rental agreement showing your affected address. Your personal ID can have a different address. We’ll confirm the address is in the fire zone and that you were displaced.
What if I lost everything, including my ID?
We work with what you have. We accept passports, temporary IDs, and foreign-issued IDs. Combined with FEMA paperwork, insurance documents, utility bills, or bank statements showing your affected address, we will do our best to verify your situation.
What about smoke damage in neighboring areas?
If you were forced to leave your home due to smoke damage and cannot return, you may qualify. We’ll need proof that you are still displaced — such as an uninhabitable notice, hotel receipts, or a temporary housing lease. Being near the fire zone without displacement does not qualify.
- Do you have a photo ID with your affected address, or a lease / deed for the affected property?
Yes → We verify the address against fire zone maps. If it’s in the burn or evacuation zone, you’re verified. - Do you have a photo ID at a different address plus proof of the affected property?
Yes → We verify the affected address online and confirm displacement. - Do you have a FEMA registration number plus one other document?
Yes → We verify with additional proof of impact. If not, you may receive one-time emergency access — please bring documentation next time.
SUPPORT THE HUB
The Hub is open. The work continues. Every dollar and every hour extends the reach of community-built infrastructure.