On the Ground in L.A. with Janti Soeripto: A Program Visit to Project:Camp
On January 15, Save the Children U.S. President & Chief Executive Officer Janti Soeripto visited with children and staff at Project:Camp, our partner in supporting children displaced by the deadly California wildfires. Here, she shares what she experienced.
Written by Save the Children U.S. President & Chief Executive Officer Janti Soeripto
I just got back from a program visit in L.A.
It always brings me joy to see kids just being kids, laughing and having fun together. Children are so resilient. But I’ll also never forget hearing them talk about how they lost their homes or their schools or their pets, and how scared they were feeling.
And that’s why Save the Children is there.
Right now, Save the Children is partnering with Project Camp, a local organization that’s providing day camps where children can learn and play while their caregivers figure out what’s next. With the help of our generous donors, we’ve supported staffing at Project Camp, which is a crucial step toward long-term recovery. For kids, there’s no better way to start the healing process than through play!
Providing children with a safe space full of care and warmth is an incredible thing to see. Many of the staff and volunteers helping are from the region, and many of them have lost their homes, too. This support is so important – it allows the children to feel more comfortable and helps protect their mental health and well-being.
But we can’t ignore the reality that it will take years for families to fully recover after this traumatic event. As of January 14, over 55 public schools have been impacted by the wildfires — an immediate disruption to thousands of kids’ education. That’s just the beginning of the challenges they’ll face in the weeks and months ahead.
Save the Children is the national leader in child-focused emergency response and recovery. We’re not just here to meet communities’ immediate needs. We stick around for months and sometimes even years — long after the cameras stop rolling — to help children return to normal.
Will you join us in showing up during this moment of immense need? Please, make a gift to the Children's Emergency Fund that will power our emergency response for children affected by disasters like wildfires, hurricanes and tornadoes across the country.
