City Council Agenda Report
Meeting Date: August 18, 2026
From: Brian Saeki, City Administrator
Department: City Administration
Submitted by: Lilia Hernandez, Deputy City Administrator Subject
Emergency Donations to Nonprofit Organizations Responding to the Palos Warehouse Fire Recommendation
A. Find that providing financial support to nonprofit organizations responding to the Palos Warehouse Fire serves a public purpose and benefits Vernon area communities; and B. Approve and authorize emergency donations in the amount of $10,000 each ($30,000 in total) to 1) InnerCity Struggle; 2) Labor Community Services Los Angeles; and 3) Proyecto Pastoral at Dolores Mission, nonprofit organizations that have provided aid to families and individuals affected by the Palos Warehouse Fire, and authorize the City Administrator to execute any related documentation to facilitate the donations.
Background
The structural fire at the Lineage, Inc., cold storage facility in Boyle Heights on June 17, 2026 (Palos Warehouse Fire) had significant immediate impacts on the residents and businesses in the area. On June 20, 2026, Governor Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency to exist in Los Angeles County due to the Palos Warehouse Fire.
Given the proximity of the Lineage facility to Vernon, effective June 20, 2026, Mayor Melissa Ybarra, acting as the Chief Executive Officer of the Vernon Disaster Council, also issued a Proclamation of Local Emergency declaring the existence of an emergency in the City of Vernon.
The proclamation was ratified by the Vernon City Council via Resolution No. 2026-034 on June 23, 2026 and subsequently renewed on July 21, 2026 due to the persisting impacts of the Palos Warehouse Fire on the local community.
The aftermath of the fire incident continues to burden nearby communities nearly two months later. Because of the smoke released by the fire over several days, the millions of pounds of decomposing food inside the facility, and the increase in vermin and flies, concerns about air quality, environmental hazards, and public health remain prevalent today. Accordingly, the City Council will again consider renewing the Proclamation of Local Emergency (via Resolution No. 2026-034) at its meeting on August 18, 2026.
To address the many urgent needs of the impacted community, government agencies and nonprofit organizations have mobilized to support relief efforts. The City has received emergency funding requests from several nonprofit organizations that are directly engaged with residents and businesses facing significant hardship, and providing aid to those most affected by the Palos Warehouse Fire. InnerCity Struggle, Labor Community Services Los Angeles, and Proyecto Pastoral at Dolores Mission are seeking donations from the City to supplement their ongoing work. Additional funding will help mitigate the Palos Warehouse Fire’s impacts in Boyle Heights and throughout the broader region of southeast Los Angeles (SELA) and will expedite the provision of services and goods during this challenging time.
InnerCity Struggle
InnerCity Struggle (ICS) is a 32-year-old non-profit organization based in Boyle Heights. Located less than a mile from the Lineage facility, the site of the Palos Warehouse Fire, ICS was one of the first community-based organizations to respond to the crisis and support the impacted area.
ICS has focused on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) distribution, mutual aid distribution, organizing, access to health services, and advocacy, taking a frontline role in protecting residents as odors, respiratory distress, and pest infestations continue to affect nearby households.
Additionally, the organization has helped shape small business stabilization and long-term environmental justice reforms, uplifting community voices to drive recovery decisions.
Labor Community Services Los Angeles
Labor Community Services (LCS) is a nonprofit organization with a long history of responding to emergencies and disasters throughout Southern California. LCS has consistently worked alongside public agencies, labor organizations, community-based partners, and elected officials to provide timely and effective relief to families and workers in need. The organization has been committed to reinforcing the collective Palos Warehouse Fire response, activating its worker-relief and emergency-assistance infrastructure to provide food assistance for over 800 families and a full pallet of N95 face masks to impacted community members. LCS’ current activities fall into two major categories: Emergency food and essential supply distribution and worker support and resource navigation.
Proyecto Pastoral at Dolores Mission
Proyecto Pastoral (Proyecto) is a nonprofit organization that has served the Boyle Heights community for more than 40 years providing programs in education, youth development, leadership, housing, and workforce development. In response to the Palos Warehouse Fire, Proyecto has focused on immediate, family-level assistance, especially for vulnerable residents, establishing a Fire Relief Fund to provide direct financial aid to those impacted by the incident.
Assistance is available for rent and temporary lodging, healthcare expenses, and other essential needs – Proyecto has received nearly 200 applications from families. The nonprofit’s role centers on direct service, family stabilization, and community resilience and Proyecto has mobilized its existing programs to connect residents to medical and social services, and is advocating for housing, food support, and environmental testing and accountability.
To evaluate the requests for support and vet the aforementioned nonprofit organizations, staff consulted with Jemmott Rollins Group, Inc. (JRG), a firm with extensive experience in grant administration and considerable knowledge of community-based nonprofit organizations serving the region. In summary, JRG’s assessment of the collective organizations’ support for the Palos Warehouse Fire emergency response is that their work has been timely, effective, and impactful.
Together, ICS, LCS, and Proyecto help:
• Sustain a unified, communitywide response that integrates advocacy, emergency assistance, and direct family support
• Coordinate efforts with Eastside and Boyle Heights partners to ensure critical resources reach the most impacted populations
• Disperse accurate information to residents to allow their participation in shaping the community’s recovery
• Offer trusted leadership to advocate for environmental justice, worker protection, and family stabilization
All three of the nonprofit organizations noted above rapidly mobilized after the fire and were critical to the urgent provision of aid and resources for the community. These nonprofits were able to leverage their existing partner networks within the affected areas to immediately and efficiently address the spike in community need, augmenting the response efforts of local government agencies. Providing financial support to ICS, LCS, and Proyecto would serve a public purpose, as the organizations would be equipped to further effectuate long-term recovery in the Vernon area communities impacted by the Palos Warehouse Fire.
Staff proposes donation amounts of $10,000 for each of the organizations; however, City Council has full discretion to determine the donation value (if any). Based on feedback from ICS, LCS, Proyecto, and JRG, a $10,000 donation would provide significant funds to administer food assistance, essential supplies, and specialized services to hundreds of residents and workers.
Any donation from the City would extend relief efforts for additional days or weeks and enable opportunities for recovery.
If donations to the organizations are approved by City Council, the City Administrator would be authorized to take actions to facilitate the distribution of funds, including the execution of related agreements or Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) that would formalize the City’s financial support and the organizations’ use of funds to support families in need. Any such agreement would be subject to review and approval as-to-form by the City Attorney.
Strategic Plan Goals
Goal 1: Strengthen City Credibility and Partnerships
Fiscal Impact
Approval of this action requires an appropriation of $30,000 for community support in response to the Palos Warehouse Fire in General Fund, City Administration, Emergency Management Services Account No. 011-010-105-529400 and Project No. HLTH260004-5004 from the General Fund Unassigned Fund Balance.
Attachments
None.