Two BC students organize fundraiser for LA wildfire victims
The disastrous spate of January wildfires that leveled an estimated 18,000 metro Los Angeles-area homes and businesses—dramatically disrupting the lives of more than 200,000 residents and causing $250 billion in financial losses—simultaneously motivated two Boston College undergraduates, whose homes are 2,000 miles apart, to form an on-campus alliance to raise funds for the victims.
Through cataclysmic kismet, LA native Marine Degryse ’26 and Georgia Paris ’26, of Jeffersonville, Ind., serendipitously met through BC’s Volunteer and Service Learning Center (VSLC), driven by their mutual desire to help the numerous displaced families and individuals in Southern California. With the VSLC’s assistance, the pair organized a fundraiser that netted $10,000 for the Wildfires Disaster Relief Fund of Catholic Charities of Los Angeles Inc., a non-profit organization endorsed by the Council on Accreditation for Children and Family Services.
Juniors Marine Degryse (center) and Georgia Paris (right) spearheaded a fundraising effort to help Los Angeles-area wildfire victims. At left is Kendra Glenn, assistant director of the BC Volunteer and Service Learning Center, who helped the pair coordinate the campaign. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
“I have an uncle who lives in the Pacific Palisades,” said Paris, referencing the Los Angeles community where the wildfires destroyed more than 6,800 structures and damaged nearly 1,000 others. “So, I wanted to do something—possibly a clothing drive—to help the victims of the fire. Community service is very important to me, so I reached out to the VSLC, and coincidently, Marine—whom I had never met—had done the same.”
On January 21, during lunch in Corcoran Commons and dinner at Carney’s at McElroy Commons, Paris and Degryse pitched students to donate their Dining Bucks to the cause. They preceded their fundraiser with social media posts, emails, and texts to on-campus friends, while the VSLC supplied critical guidance, electronic promotion, posters and signage, and logistical support.
“It was heartwarming to see so many students enthusiastically respond to our plea, particularly since it was so personal for me,” said Degryse, whose family—though unscathed—was under an evacuation warning. “My neighborhood itself was not negatively impacted but many families and friends lost their homes. I wanted to be a good community member, which motivated me to bring the fundraising idea to the VSLC.”
“When there is a major disaster in the world it is not uncommon for our students to look for ways to help.”
VSLC Assistant Director Kendra Glenn was only too happy to provide assistance. “Marine and Georgia took their empathy and put it into action to do good. We encourage all students who feel passionately about a cause or a disaster to come to us and we will do our best to partner with them to find a solution.”
“When there is a major disaster in the world it is not uncommon for our students to look for ways to help,” said Dan Ponsetto, the Welles Remy Crowther Director of the VSLC. “We have a partnership in place with Auxiliary Services whereby students can raise funds in the dining halls, so we are often able to create a way to engage the whole student body in responding to the event. The most important piece needed is student leadership, and that is what Marine and Georgia provided.”
Catholic Charities’ emergency relief assistance included food, clothing, transportation, household needs, and necessities; financial aid, including rental/mortgage assistance, motel/hotel vouchers, utility assistance, and security deposits; gift cards for essential supplies; property and insurance consultation; FEMA applications and appeals guidance; access to long-term disaster case management; and referrals to existing resource hubs and disaster recovery centers.
A letter from Degryse and Paris outlining their fundraising motivations accompanied the donation, which was transmitted by the VSLC.
Paris, a psychology major and film studies minor, noted that the entire experience was not only enlightening but clearly demonstrated the potentially significant impact of volunteerism.
“It truly restored my hope for humanity,” she said. “BC students are awesome; so many students showed they cared. For me, it was an opportunity to exhibit my Christian identity.”
Degryse, an economics major and marketing minor, agreed: “It was so uplifting to see BC students who cared about what happened in Los Angeles, a city so distant from Boston.”