Helpers of Hope

Amplifying stories of resilience and hope rising from the Los Angeles Fires

The devastation of the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires will be felt for years to come. In spite of the immeasurable loss, strangers have been helping one another and providing much-needed hope to those affected. We seek to amplify these unique stories and offer the hope needed to move forward.

Rising from the Flames

Helpers of Hope was created by Aaron Samson after his firsthand experience escaping the Pacific Palisades fire. Aaron was taking care of his father-in-law, who has Parkinson’s, in the Pacific Palisades when the fire broke out. He could see the smoke and flames, but he had no car. After unsuccessfully trying to call Uber and 911, he was finally able to flag down a helpful stranger, Jeff Columbus, who graciously gave him and his father-in-law a ride down the hill, even as the fires flanked Jeff's car. Then, it was standstill traffic. Huge fires started just feet from the cars. Police began yelling at everyone to get out of their vehicles and abandon them, proceeding on foot. Aaron left his bags in Jeff's car, grabbed his father’s walker, and continued on foot. Another kind stranger, Andrew Lin, saw them struggling and offered them a ride to safety, where they were finally out of danger. While Jeff, Andrew, and Aaron’s father’s homes all burned down, they were all alive!

As Aaron processed the trauma of his escape, he stayed in touch with all of his helpers and uncovered an even larger web of kind strangers offering hope and help to others. Many of these helpers had experienced immeasurable losses themselves. By amplifying these stories, Aaron seeks not only to acknowledge the helpers but also to provide hope to the community at large.