GOLDEN, Colo. — As fires continue to rage across Los Angeles, more and more people in Colorado are stepping up to help families in need.
Denver7 sat down with former "Bachelor" Ben Higgins, who lives in Colorado but is using his platform and following to make a difference for those impacted in California.
Higgins said Los Angeles is a second home to him and the majority of his friends live there.
He said it was heartbreaking to hear about the devastating fires destroying a community he's close to.
"It's disorienting. A lot of times when friends are going through something, there's always one clear way to help. And I think in this situation, it's felt uncontrollable for not only them but also for a friend because you don't know how they need help. You don't know the current status of their home, you don't know where they're going to be moving to or where they have to find shelter," Higgins said.
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Higgins said he knew right away that he wanted to figure out how to support them as best he could.
"I have so many friends there, so many people I work with there. It's a place that is near to my heart," he said.
Higgins is working alongside Project HOPE, an organization that is providing urgent relief to those who have been displaced.
"I just spoke to the team, and what they're finding is that they know with any disaster, mental health is a priority for the kids and for the families. And so they're setting up structures right now to give mental health support to care for those uninsured, which many in some of these areas are," Higgins said. "And they're on the ground to help however they can right now."
Project HOPE has also been visiting shelters and health clinics to support evacuees, health workers, and marginalized communities that have been impacted by the fires.
The organization said shelters need high-quality masks to filter smoke, hygiene supplies like soap and shampoo, and bedding materials like blankets, pillows, and mattress pads.
They also expect both an immediate and long-term need for mental health support given how disasters like this can lead to anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Higgins said it's important to remember that these victims will need support now and down the road when the fires are no longer top of mind.
"Right now, people are still living in hotels. They're still displaced. A lot of people, you know, the fires are still burning. Kids have lost their schools. Families have lost their place of worship," he told Denver7.
Higgins, who has over 1 million followers on social media, is encouraging his followers to do their part too.
"One of the greatest gifts in my life has been this platform being handed to me. I was once encouraged to use it for something greater than myself, and in situations like this, using a platform for something greater than myself is something that I'm able to do and I want to do," said Higgins. "I have built this platform of a lot of generous people who care very deeply about others. It's what this community that I'm a part of is — it's generous in nature — and so to be able to speak out in situations like this, to ask people to be generous and to consider somebody else and to look left and right... for those who feel like outsiders, which right now, most people in LA do, it was important to me."
You can donate to Project HOPE here.
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