Chinmaya Mission Donates $40,000 To Support LA Wildfire Victim Relief

India-West Staff Reporter

TUSTIN, CA — In response to the recent, devastating wildfires across Southern California, members of Chinmaya Mission Los Angeles and Chinmaya Mission Bakersfield came together to make a generous donation of $40,000 in support of ongoing relief and rehabilitation of those affected.

“Our founder, Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda, said, ‘Seva is love made visible.’ It links selfless service with the highest spiritual emotion—love expressed through action,” remarked Swami Ishwarananda, spiritual head of Chinmaya Mission in the region, while reflecting on the compassion shown by members when contributing to the cause.

The wildfires have left a trail of devastation – displacing families, destroying homes, damaging infrastructure, and overwhelming communities already facing hardship. In such times, recovery extends far beyond emergency response. It demands long-term support, healing, and rebuilding.

Organizations like the Los Angeles Mission have been central to these efforts, offering a holistic support system that includes shelter, meals, counseling, education, and skills training to empower individuals toward self-sufficiency and hope.

On April 11, a delegation from CMLA – led by Swami Ishwarananda and Brahmacharini Sandhya Chaitanya – visited the Los Angeles Mission to witness the impact of their programs firsthand and to officially hand over the donation check.

The group was warmly welcomed by Interim CEO Dennis Oleesky, who shared the Mission’s decades-long commitment to restoring dignity and opportunity to the city’s most vulnerable populations. Oleesky then led a tour of the facility, including a visit to the chapel, where he regularly leads prayer meetings, and the kitchen, where over 1,000 meals are prepared daily to serve the unhoused.

In recognition of Chinmaya Mission’s unwavering service, the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to the organization and accepted on behalf of its members by Swami Ishwarananda.

The LA Mission acknowledged the impact of the Chinmaya community with a touching Instagram tribute:“They’ve brought joy. Now they’ve brought hope. For years, Chinmaya Mission students have delivered hundreds of toys to our holiday events—lighting up Skid Row with compassion and care. Today, they returned to the Los Angeles Mission with a $40,000 donation to support wildfire survivors across LA.”

During the visit, Swami Ishwarananda and Oleesky also talked about expanding efforts to extend support to even more communities in need throughout the city.