Our record-setting heatwave may finally be coming to an end this weekend, much to everyone’s relief, but one positive thing that’s come out of it is that it has brought out some lovely small humanitarian efforts by our local neighbors. For example, we’ve seen at least one household on a fairly high-traffic corner leaving boxes of frozen water bottles on their front stoop for anyone who needs one.
And a couple of Miracle Mile Residential Association board members went a bit further to help their overheated neighbors. MMRA Neighborhood Watch Coordinator Kari Garcia said she got frustrated that city and county cooling efforts weren’t going far or fast enough. “The problem is our city didn’t make any resources available for such a weather emergency and the nearest cooling center isn’t an option for those who can’t help themselves,” Garcia told the Buzz. So she “invited a fellow MMRA board member to hand out water with me last Sunday when temps were the highest. We loaded up my car and also went by foot to anyone we saw who may have been unhoused or in need of hydration. We handed out ice cold water bottles, bananas and granola bars.”
Garcia said the MMRA paid for the items, which were distributed along Wilshire from to La Brea, and some streets in between.
“It was a heartwarming experience and I truly felt we may have saved a life,” she said.
It’s pretty likely we’ll see another heat wave or two before Los Angeles finally settles into cooler fall weather patterns, so Garcia said she “hopes more people think about the humanitarian problem we have on our doorstep instead of endlessly complaining.”
“Sometimes we just have to use common sense and help out even if we see faults in our system…I hope more neighbors and associations do the same.”
