Project HOPE Marks Lasting Recovery and Resilience After the Los Angeles Wildfires

Project HOPE is recognizing the lasting impact of its Los Angeles emergency response and long-term recovery program supporting communities affected by the devastating Eaton and Palisades wildfires, which broke out over a year and a half ago.

From the moment the fires began, Project HOPE’s team sprang into action. The emergency response team distributed critical supplies, including hygiene kits, personal protective equipment, over-the-counter medicines, air filters and purifiers, clean water, and Psychological First Aid items for children. Project HOPE also partnered with Free and Charitable Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers across the region to deliver care to wildfire-affected communities, particularly for those facing greater barriers to health care access.

As emergency needs evolved into long-term recovery, Project HOPE identified a growing mental health crisis among communities disproportionately impacted by the wildfires, including children, educators, older adults, communities of color, LGBTQ+ communities, and frontline responders. In response, Project HOPE developed a comprehensive mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) program, working alongside trusted community partners, schools, and health systems to expand access to trauma-informed care.

Throughout 2025 and into 2026, Project HOPE’s MHPSS program helped promote healing and strengthen community resilience through resilience workshops, psychological first aid, creative arts-based mental health services, and capacity-strengthening trainings that equipped local organizations to continue providing support long after the immediate crisis had passed.

“Our time in Los Angeles has left an indelible mark on all of us,” said Anna Tate, Director of Domestic Programs at Project HOPE. “We are incredibly proud of what we accomplished alongside our local partners – from meeting urgent health needs and reaching more than 20,000 people in the early days of the disaster to helping strengthen the long-term mental health and resilience of thousands of people. Recovery doesn’t happen overnight, but together we helped build a stronger foundation for healing.”

Project HOPE’s commitment to strengthening resilient health systems and supporting communities before, during, and after disasters remains steadfast. The lessons learned and partnerships built during the Los Angeles wildfire response will continue to inform Project HOPE’s disaster preparedness and recovery efforts in communities around the world.

Photos from Project HOPE’s Los Angeles wildfire response are available HERE. For media inquiries, please contact media@projecthope.org