Written by Lisa Richwine and Rollo Ross
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – When wildfires devastated parts of Los Angeles this week, real estate agent Jenna Cooper began asking friends for clothes and other items to help those in need.
Her request quickly spread through a network of powerful women. Actors including Sharon Stone and Halle Berry responded, offering jackets, shoes, clothing, handbags, belts, pajamas and more from their own collections.
“I'm packing my entire wardrobe,” Perry wrote on Instagram. “If you live in the Southern California area, I urge you to do the same. This is something we can do now.”
Cooper, who also runs a home goods store called +COOP, cleared out half the space to create a pop-up shopping experience for displaced people to grab what they need. Many Angelenos lost entire homes in the fires, which were still burning as of Friday.
Stone circulated information about the donations on social media, which helped attract publicity. She and her sister, Kelly Stone, contributed clothes, bedding and more, and Kelly volunteered to help shoppers.
“The first thing they need when they come into the store is a hug,” Kelly Stone said. Then she said to the shoppers: Show me your pictures, how do you dress? So you can guide them to jackets or coats that reflect their style.
At the store on Friday, a therapy dog named Jackie Robinson greeted people at the door. Inside, they looked through racks of dresses and coats, stacks of jeans, racks of shoes, and baskets of handbags.
The offers ranged from packages of fresh underwear from goal (NYSE:) to new or lightly used Zara dresses and some Gucci and Ferragamo shoes in the mix.
Cooper said she received donations and volunteer support from actors throughout Los Angeles, including actors, CEOs, lawyers, restaurant owners and mothers. She said her network of real estate agents in New York was sending gift cards.
A Hollywood stylist came in with two large bags of items from her closet and was enlisted to help organize the store for shoppers over the weekend.
“I know people who have lost everything, and even people I don't know that I feel very sad for,” said Lisa Serra, who has worked for celebrities including the Kardashians and Lenny Kravitz. “I decided I was going to get everything I could.”
Ellen Bennett was selecting items for her 72-year-old mother, who lost her home in… Eaton (NYSE:) Fire on the East Side of Los Angeles. Bennett said she chose the “basics,” including socks, a sweater, pants, a jacket and a pair of running shoes.
“She left her house with her dog and a suitcase and just some things. I thought she would come back,” Bennett said of her mother. “It's very special and beautiful, in this time of tragedy, people are rising up.” And help each other.”
Shop owner Cooper said she helped a man find a pair of sneakers so he could run on the beach, something he had not done since the fires. She said she was overwhelmed by the response to her idea to help.
“This is the city of love, and everyone wants to support each other,” Cooper said.
