‘One Garment at a Time’: How Rebuild and Renew Is Restoring Hope for Los Angeles Fire Victims

In the wake of the Los Angeles wildfires, two friends are stepping up to provide clothing and essentials to victims who have lost everything. 

Courtney Mizel and Erin Feniger Maggio run Rebuild and Renew, a Santa Monica-based pop-up boutique and nonprofit where individuals and families affected by the recent fires can rebuild their wardrobe with new or vintage clothing at no cost. 

Mizel, who opened the boutique in her living room, told The Daily Signal that she and Feniger Maggio were inspired to start their initiative when they saw videos of fire victims digging through piles of clothing at evacuation centers. 

“These are people who have lost everything,” Mizel said. “And to give them a way to actually feel a little bit sense of normal, and to be able to go into a store and a boutique setting and actually shop … they could start rebuilding their wardrobes and rebuilding their lives.” 

The Palisades Fire, which began in Los Angeles County on Jan. 7, burned 23,707 acres, killed 12 people and destroyed 6,837 structures before it was contained on Jan. 31.

“I think what people don’t realize is these are entire communities which are affected. It’s not just individuals,” Mizel stated. 

One of the biggest challenges facing the Rebuild and Renew staff two months after the fires began is ensuring there are enough volunteers to operate the boutique, which is now run out of a mall.

“In the very beginning, there were tons of people wanting to volunteer, and I think people kind of started going on with their lives,” Mizel said, adding that many victims are still in need of help.  

Mizel’s message to those affected by the fires is, “We’re here to support you. We know that you are rebuilding your lives, and we can only help in the area of clothing, but we want to help people rebuild one garment at a time.” 

Rebuild and Renew is a budding locale for community and volunteer work, according to the boutique’s retail experience and merchandising manager Alyssa Ramirez. 

“We get a lot of recurring customers too, which has been nice because it’s really just reinforced that community that we wanted to build,” Ramirez, a current graduate student, told The Daily Signal. 

“It’s different from all the other donation centers,” Ramirez explained. “It’s like a store. We do it by appointment-only to not only ensure the privacy, but to allow for that retail experience.”

The post ‘One Garment at a Time’: How Rebuild and Renew Is Restoring Hope for Los Angeles Fire Victims appeared first on The Daily Signal.