Over 2,000 miles away from Marquette University, Los Angeles residents have been affected by levels of destruction never before seen in California history. So far, the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst and Auto wildfires have caused at least 27 deaths and 200,000 evacuation notices. The economic loss total could reach $50 billion, JPMorgan estimated Thursday.
Stephen Blaha, director of Campus Ministry, noted there are a couple layers of awareness surrounding the natural disaster. He said while media portrayal has somewhat largely focused on the losses of celebrities’ houses and other popular landmarks, there are thousands of ordinary residents who have lost their homes and all their belongings.
“Nobody has been spared from the damage,” Blaha said.
Despite the cross-country distance, there will be upcoming opportunities for Marquette students to offer a helping hand to suffering Angelenos without having to leave Milwaukee. Blaha mentioned how a number of aid programs are currently coming to fruition at the university, including possible funding and clothing drives.
One of Campus Ministry’s efforts to help those affected by the wildfires will be a noon prayer service Thursday at the Chapel of the Holy Family in the Alumni Memorial Union, followed by a 10 p.m. Mass at the Joan of Arc Chapel with a focus on praying for Los Angeles residents.
“We wanted to create accessible prayer opportunities for students,” Blaha said. “Praying is fantastic.”
In addition to upcoming funding drives and prayer services, Blaha explained how Marquette students can help in other ways that do not require breaking the bank. He said students can follow the Mission Week 2025 theme, “Act with Care,” by remaining attentive to local and global ongoings, keeping their hearts loving and open and donating to humanitarian aid organizations in small amounts.
“You could think, ‘Today I’m not going to have my usual hot chocolate or coffee, but instead I’m going to use that to send money to relief efforts without breaking my budget as a college student,'” Blaha said.
This is a developing story as the Marquette community continues to create and identify opportunities to offer a helping hand to those affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles.
This story was written by Mia Thurow. She can be reached at [email protected].
