Help Hayden & Elijah Support Hilda & Vidal After Pali Fire

My name is Elijah Wells. Last week, in the Palisades Fire, both of my parents’ homes burned down. My mom’s house, where I grew up with my brother (I lived there from age 1 to age 18), is completely gone. We lost most of everything, and the entire neighborhood is gone. It’s been a shocking experience, but my family is okay, and we’re so grateful for the love and support we’ve received from friends and our community.

Beyond being our home and haven, my mom’s house was also a place of work for two incredible people: Hilda, my mom’s housecleaner for over a decade, and Vidal, her longtime gardener. Both have lost a key source of income due to the fire. Vidal told us he’s lost seven houses of employment because of this disaster. Hilda relied on her job with us to support her family - she commuted long hours on the bus and on foot in the morning and evening to be there. Vidal runs a business that supports not just his family but also his coworkers, and losing this neighborhood is a massive blow to their livelihoods. It takes a longtime to build these clienteles, and it will take a long time to rebuild them - it is not even clear when residents will be able to return to the neighborhood, and it will surely be much longer before most jobs return.

My brother Hayden and I have set up this fundraiser to help Hilda and Vidal in the immediate aftermath of this disaster. Any amount you can give will make a difference—no donation is too small. Every dollar will go directly to them to provide some relief and help them support those who depend on them.

We need to step up and take care of our people. Most Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, without a safety net for something like this. Hilda and Vidal need help now, and we have an opportunity to give them a boost when they need it most - right now.

It’s been amazing to see how Los Angeles has come together through this tragedy, and we hope you’ll join us in supporting two wonderful people who have always been there for us. Thank you for your love and generosity. My family deeply appreciates it, and together we can make a serious difference.

This fund will go directly to Hilda and Vidal, with every dollar being evenly split between them. They will use this money to support their family, their coworkers, and themselves. We will not take any percentage for ourselves. While this has been a massive loss for our family, we are fortunate to be okay in the immediate aftermath.

Let’s make something happen.