As Los Angeles County continues to confront devastating wildfires, members of the UC community are doing whatever they can to help. Find out what help is available from UC and from UC’s benefits partners — and how you can pitch in if you’re able.
Support from UC
If you need time off work, contact your supervisor and HR representative to learn more about your options, including administrative or catastrophic leave. See the Absence from work policy for policy-covered staff members or (if you’re a represented employee) your bargaining unit contract or agreement for details.
If you need emotional support, contact your location’s faculty and staff (or employee) assistance program. Assistance programs offer free, confidential resources for emotional health — often available right on campus — with easy access to short-term counseling, assessment and referrals.
If you need emergency housing:
- Vacant units in UCLA’s faculty housing facilities and at UCLA South Bay are available for employees who have lost their homes to the fires. Please reach out to UCLAHousing@housing.ucla.edu to learn more.
- Reduced rates for evacuees and those who have lost their homes are available at the UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center, The Inn at UCLA and the UCLA Lake Arrowhead Lodge. Please call 310-794-1600 to inquire about availability. Interested guests are asked to mention that their booking is due to a local wildfire evacuation or home loss and specify their desired location.
Support from UC’s benefits plans
Your UC benefits plans stand ready to provide extra assistance during a natural disaster or another emergency.
If you need money to help with expenses and rebuilding, Fidelity representatives will discuss your options for hardship withdrawals, unforeseeable emergency withdrawals and/or loans from UC Retirement Savings Program (RSP) voluntary 403(b) and/or 457(b) Plans.
If you need to replace lost documents, your UC-paid identity theft protection program includes 24/7 support from Experian’s member services team (855-797-0052).
If you need help with medical care or prescriptions, our health plans are keeping their websites up to date with updates and resources for those impacted by the fires:
- Kaiser Permanente facilities updates and resources
- Health Net emergency assistance
- Help from Anthem for members impacted by wildfires in Southern California
- VSP Vision Care emergency resources
How you can help
UCLA has compiled an extensive list of organizations that could use your support, including:
- Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation — This foundation, the official nonprofit of the Los Angeles City Fire Department, supports local firefighters and paramedics by providing equipment and tools.
- Mutual Aid Los Angeles Network — The network provides details on how people can donate resources and where those in need of shelter and assistance can turn.
- Los Angeles Regional Food Bank — The food bank working with government agencies, nonprofit and faith-based partners, and others to respond to the fires throughout Los Angeles County is taking food donations at their distribution centers and accepting volunteers.
- 211 LA — This nonprofit, which connects community members and organizations with health, human and social services in Los Angeles, has partnered with Airbnb.com to provide free accommodations for people evacuated as a result of the local wildfires.