How the nonprofit Change Reaction gets money to LA households impacted by wildfires so fast

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — As Angelenos reel from the devastating wildfires that destroyed thousands of homes and businesses and killed at least 29 people, an LA-based nonprofit is handing out cash payments of as much as $5,000 to provide fast, unrestricted help to some of those impacted.

The Change Reaction, a philanthropic nonprofit founded by real estate investor Greg Perlman and his wife Jodi, has distributed checks to 3,000 people across LA so far to help them meet immediate needs in one of the most expensive cities in the United States.

“It’s kind of like oxygen,” The Change Reaction founder and main funder Greg Perlman said of the cash payments. He and his wife seeded the group’s Wildfire Direct Giving Fund with $10 million, nearly half of which has already been given away.

The money helps people like Katherine Anderson, 80, who lost her home of more than 30 years in the Eaton Fire last month.

Anderson is in Montebello, 30 miles away, sharing a motel room with four other people, including her sister, Paulette Allen, who used to stay with Anderson while getting cancer treatments at the nearby City of Hope cancer hospital.

“We’re making do,” said Anderson.

Last week, Anderson got a text from the minister of her church, which also burned down, telling her to come to a Change Reaction event in the gymnasium of Pasadena City College where she could receive financial relief.

“I need it,” she said. “I lost everything.”

A check was waiting for her, with no application required and no conditions on how she spends it. Anderson said she'll put it toward finding a place to rent.

“Going from motel to motel, no clothing, and not being able to cook,” she said. “I need to be stable somewhere,” she said.

Stabilizing households is a key role of direct cash assistance, according to experts. Federal assistance, insurance money and unemployment are often slow to arrive. Quick cash infusions can prevent people from falling into debt or foregoing basic needs. They also give households agency over how they use their resources.

“It creates an incredible amount of empowerment for individuals to not fall as far behind as they could,” said Patricia McIlreavy, president and CEO of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy.

The Change Reaction has been offering cash relief in Los Angeles since 2019, when the Perlmans started supporting households receiving care at UCLA hospitals with related and burdensome expenses like hotel stays.

Families were referred to the organization through hospital social workers, cutting red tape and lowering the hurdles they had to jump for help. The social workers were already trusted and vetted, so when they applied on behalf of a family, the Perlmans didn’t need to know more. They just cut checks.

The Change Reaction now works with a network of 250 nonprofits and around 2,000 “change makers” — social workers, teachers, and community advocates empowered to apply on behalf of households experiencing financial emergencies like a car repair, lost wages, or help transitioning into stable housing. Most requests are filled within 48 hours.

“We’ve got all these community leaders and we trust them,” said Perlman, who amassed his wealth through real estate investments in affordable housing buildings. “So just get behind that person, give them the money. Don’t get in their way.”

When the fires devastated communities across LA, impacting tens of thousands, The Change Reaction’s system was well positioned to offer immediate relief.

The group reached out to clergy members in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena asking them to refer households impacted by the fires. They started writing checks: About $1,000 for people who didn’t lose housing but were evacuated, and between $2,500-$5,000 for those with more dire needs. A $1 million donation from GoFundMe allowed them to pass out $500 gift cards, too.

That money is sorely needed, said Charles Johnson, pastor of Cochrane Avenue Baptist Church in west Los Angeles and one of the clergy members who referred congregants to The Change Reaction. “They’re meeting people where they are,” he said. “An opportunity like this is phenomenal because it’s immediate.”

Johnson worries about kids who missed meals when schools were shut down, and families placed in hotels and Airbnbs 50 miles from home with nowhere to cook. He said that while some families were receiving $770 payments from FEMA for immediate needs, that wasn’t enough in LA.

“If you know the price of food, if you go shopping three times and you have a family of four, that’s the money,” said Johnson.

Philanthropic foundations, nonprofits and FEMA have all been expanding their use of cash relief after recent natural disasters. After Hurricanes Helene and Milton, GiveDirectly used AI to find households in some of the worst-impacted areas and send them $1,000 through an app that helps people manage federal benefits like SNAP.

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County has a longstanding program that pays housing, transportation, utilities and childcare bills in emergencies.

Programs like these are challenged to find everyone who needs help and to deliver payments efficiently.

At the Change Reaction event in Altadena last week, 1,000 cash recipients — many elderly or towing kids and dogs — waited in a long line to enter the gymnasium, then navigated more lines inside to pick up their checks. Only the people connected by the group’s change makers had access to the program, possibly leaving out those with weaker community ties or who are reluctant to come forward to get help.

“We hope to raise enough money where we can help everybody,” said The Change Reaction President Wade Trimmer. “But the reality is that right now, we can’t, so we’re really relying on these faith leaders and embedded community members to identify the people who need the help the most.”

More technical approaches that use data to find households or leverage electronic payments leave people out, too. McIlreavy said it’s expected for a program to be unable to capture everyone.

After handing out nearly 3,000 checks last month, The Change Reaction is looking next to how it can help households with new housing costs like security deposits, rent and furnishings. It's dedicating $500,000 dollars for people impacted in the foster system and also focusing on the elderly.

With $15 million donated so far, the group wants to raise $50 million for the effort — and to give it away fast. “This is not just about raising money,” said Trimmer. “We are a clearinghouse, we’re getting this money out daily.”

Walking out of the Altadena event last week, Angelica Martinez looked relieved. Her house didn’t burn, but she hasn’t been allowed to return to it yet. She said she could use some assistance to pay for laundry for her and her three kids, for food and gas. She hadn’t looked at the amount yet.

“Anything is a blessing,” she said. “This is the first help we’ve gotten.” ——

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

People impacted by the Eaton Fire wait in line to receive a check at the gymnasium of Pasadena City College where The Change Reaction is handing out about 1,000 checks of between $2,500-$5,000, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

A member of the audience reacts as people impacted by the Eaton Fire attend an event at the gymnasium of Pasadena City College where The Change Reaction will be handing out about 1,000 checks of between $2,500-$5,000, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan delivers a speech as he attends an event at the gymnasium of Pasadena City College where The Change Reaction will be handing out about 1,000 checks of between $2,500-$5,000, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan, left, The Change Reaction founders Greg Perlman, left, and his wife Jodi attend an event at the gymnasium of Pasadena City College during which The Change Reaction foundation will be handing out about 1,000 checks of between $2,500-$5,000 to people impacted by the Eaton Fire, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

A member of the audience reacts as people impacted by the Eaton Fire attend an event at the gymnasium of Pasadena City College where The Change Reaction will be handing out about 1,000 checks of between $2,500-$5,000, in Pasadena, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

People impacted by the Eaton Fire pray as they attend an event at the gymnasium of Pasadena City College where The Change Reaction will be handing out about 1,000 checks of between $2,500-$5,000, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

People impacted by the Eaton Fire wait in line to access Pasadena City College's gymnasium, where The Change Reaction will be handing out about 1,000 checks of between $2,500-$5,000, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

People impacted by the Eaton Fire wait in line to access Pasadena City College's gymnasium, where The Change Reaction will be handing out about 1,000 checks of between $2,500-$5,000, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

Pastor Charles Johnson attends an event at the gymnasium of Pasadena City College during which The Change Reaction will be handing out about 1,000 checks of between $2,500-$5,000 to people impacted by the Eaton Fire, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

People impacted by the Eaton Fire take each other in their arms as they wait in line to access Pasadena City College's gymnasium where The Change Reaction will be handing out about 1,000 checks of between $2,500-$5,000, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

People impacted by the Eaton Fire attend an event at the gymnasium of Pasadena City College where The Change Reaction will be handing out about 1,000 checks of between $2,500-$5,000, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

Impacted by the Eaton Fire, Katherine Anderson poses with an envelope containing a check as she leaves the gymnasium of Pasadena City College where The Change Reaction is handing out about 1,000 checks of between $2,500-$5,000 to people impacted by the wildfire, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

The Change Reaction founder Greg Perlman delivers a speech as he attends an event at the gymnasium of Pasadena City College where The Change Reaction will be handing out about 1,000 checks of between $2,500-$5,000 to people impacted by the Eaton Fire, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

A woman reacts as she receives a check at the gymnasium of Pasadena City College where The Change Reaction is handing out about 1,000 checks of between $2,500-$5,000, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

The NFL set a record for fewest punts per game in 2025, and wild-card weekend was filled with fourth-down fun and folly as punters were mostly spectators, especially Chicago's Tory Taylor, who never stepped off the sideline in the Bears' come-from-behind win over the Green Bay Packers.

In all, teams converted 15 of 29 fourth down attempts on wild-card weekend, when there were only 41 punts, nine of them Monday night in the Houston Texans' 30-6 rout of Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Bears first-year coach Ben Johnson was particularly aggressive, going for it a half dozen times in fourth down Saturday night, including two backfires in the first half that led to a pair of Green Bay touchdowns and put the Bears in a 21-3 halftime hole.

Caleb Williams was intercepted on fourth-and-6 from the Packers 40-yard line, leading to Jordan Love's 18-yard touchdown throw, and Williams threw incomplete on fourth-and-5 from his own 32. That one led to Love's TD throw on fourth-and-goal from the Bears 2 that gave Green Bay an 18-point halftime cushion.

The Packers couldn't capitalize on another turnover on downs by Chicago just before halftime because Brandon McManus missed a 55-yard field goal on the final play after Williams threw incomplete deep on fourth-and-4 from the Green Bay 37.

When Prime Video's sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung asked the Bears' coach about his aggressive approach and going for it on fourth down multiple times on his own side of the field, Johnson replied, “Yeah, we want to maximize our possessions and we want to go for fourth-down plays.”

Her follow-up was about how to slow down Green Bay's efficient offense.

“That's a big reason why we're being aggressive on offense, so that we can extend our drives and score points ourselves,” Johnson insisted. “It's a really good offense we're going against.”

Although the Bears would convert just twice on their six fourth downs — Green Bay was 3 for 3 on fourth down — that strategy paid off in the end. Williams threw a 27-yard pass to Rome Odunze to the Packers' 30-yard line, which led to the TD that pulled Chicago to 27-24 with 4:21 remaining.

Johnson said the game plan featured an aggressive fourth-down mentality, and "I think where it gets misconstrued is, there’s a lack of confidence in your defense when you do that. I think the opposite, I think it’s because I have confidence in our defense and their ability to stop teams in the red zone."

“I’m never going to apologize for being aggressive or doing things that might be a little unorthodox,” Johnson added, "if it’s what we deem is best for us to win a ballgame.”

Johnson was the Lions' offensive coordinator when Detroit blew a 17-point halftime lead and lost the NFC championship to San Francisco 34-31 after the 2023 season. In that game, Lions coach Dan Campbell went for it on fourth down twice in field-goal range but came up short, later saying he'd do it again if he could.

Those failures didn't curtail the Lions' aggressive fourth-down philosophy, one that Johnson took to Chicago when he was hired by the Bears a year ago.

He had plenty of company over the weekend as a trend from the regular season continued. There were just 3.55 punts per game per team this season and that figure fell in the first round of the playoffs with teams averaging just 3.41 punts per game.

The Panthers and Rams got the fun going Saturday when early fourth-down failures led to touchdowns by each team.

Trevor Lawrence thought he had the first down when the Jaguars went for it on fourth-and-2 from the Buffalo 9 only to see the review reveal his shin had hit the ground shy of the first-down marker, a fourth-down faux pas that proved pivotal in Jacksonville's 27-24 loss to the Bills.

The Bills twice went for it on fourth-and-1 deep in Jaguars territory. Josh Allen had a 4-yard keeper on the first one and was carried 9 yards on an astonishing tush push to the 1 that also led to a Buffalo touchdown.

The 49ers didn't attempt a single fourth-down conversion in their 23-19 win at Philadelphia, where the Eagles were 3-for-5 on fourth down.

The Patriots converted their only fourth-down try, on fourth-and-4 from the Chargers' 30, which led to a field goal. When the Chargers took a delay after failing to induce an offsides call and then punted from midfield, NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth said, “I think Jim Harbaugh's been watching the games this weekend.”

And when Steelers coach Mike Tomlin chose to take the three points with a 32-yard field goal try rather that chancing it fourth-and-3 from the Houston 14 Monday night, ESPN analyst Troy Aikman commented: “We're in a time as we all know when a lot of offenses would be going for it ... But points are going to be (at) a premium. You've got two defenses that are capable of dominating their opponent. Get 'em when you can.”

Well, points certainly were at a premium for Pittsburgh, which hung in there most of the night before the Texans' 23-0 fourth-quarter blitz in what might have been Rodgers' farewell game.

If so, Rodgers' final pass was a pick-6 by safety Calen Bullock, whose 50-yard interception return for a touchdown came on ... you guessed it, fourth down.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson reacts during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Green Bay Packers Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)