LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles received more than $72 million from 12,500 donations to provide direct financial assistance and services to 225,000 Angelenos in the last year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced today, the one-year anniversary of his emergency order and the beginning of the city's shutdowns.
“We've seen such incredible generosity. We can put a figure on that -- more than 12,500 donations and $72 million that you've given to your fellow Angelenos, going directly to those most in need through the Mayor's Fund. It's been a lifeline for 255,000 people here in the city of Los Angeles,'' Garcetti said.
The funding helped provide a total of $48,533,579 in direct financial assistance to 126,728 Angelenos, equitable vaccine distribution, shelter and services for 1,502 domestic violence survivors, 685,514 meals for isolated seniors, childcare for essential hospital employees, internet access for 18,000 student and personal protective equipment, including 265,000 masks and 24,000 COVID-19 prevention kits for households that needed it, according to Garcetti's office.
“The work of the Mayor's Fund is powered by the generosity of the people of Los Angeles, who inspire us with their L.A. love," said Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles President and CEO Deidre Lind.
“Getting through this pandemic and then recovering from it will require government, philanthropy and businesses to all come together, and that is the intersection where the Mayor's Fund lives."
Garcetti urged people to keep donating to the Mayor's Fund by visiting www.MayorsFundLA.org.
During his COVID-19 briefing, Garcetti commemorated the more than 9,000 residents of the city and over 22,000 residents of Los Angeles County that died of COVID-19.
“When I became mayor I figured maybe the toughest night I'd face would be coming before you to say the aftermath of an earthquake had hit our city ... but when I do the math now and I think about Northridge in 1994, we lost 57 people in that horrible horrible earthquake. We've averaged 60 deaths every single day for a year (during the pandemic),'' Garcetti said.
“That's like a Northridge earthquake for 365 days without letting up,'' he said.
Los Angeles City Hall will be lit red Monday night to commemorate the people the city lost to the virus, he said.
“I know how hard it is to allow yourself to feel some optimism, but let me tell you, you have real reasons to be optimistic right now,'' Garcetti said, as more and more Angelenos receive their COVID-19 vaccines and the county begins allowing indoor dining and limited capacity at movie theaters.
As of Monday, the city-run vaccination sites have administered 610,922 COVID-19 vaccine doses, and over 55,000 first doses are available for Angelenos this week. Additionally, the city's mobile teams have administered 24,000 shots, with 91% of them going into the arms of people of color.
Overall, 98% of the city's vaccine supply has been used.
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