By Lookout Staff

January 10, 2025 -- Santa Monica College (SMC) announced it would collect donations on Monday and Tuesday for those affected by the Pacific Palisades fire, while LA County postponed its annual homeless count, officials announced Friday.

SMC's Fire Support Resource Drive -- which takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 3171 S. Bundy Drive -- will aid "students, employees and members of the community affected by the recent catastrophic fires," officials said.

The SMC Foundation will collect food, clothing, hygiene products, baby supplies, blankets of any size and other necessities.

The donations will be distributed to people in need in Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Brentwood and Greater Los Angeles County.

A list of needed items, as well as items that cannot be accepted, is posted at the SMC Foundation's Disaster Support webpage (smc.edu/disastersupport).

The Foundation has also established the Santa Monica Community College Disaster Support Fund to raise at least $250,000 to aid SMC students, faculty and staff.

The funds will provide temporary housing, food, water, clothing, transportation, medical supplies, school materials and emergency funding to support immediate needs.

A comprehensive list of government, nonprofit, and other disaster relief services and resources available in the community can be found at smc.edu/disasterrelief.

Partners in the drive include Baby2Baby, the Westside Food Bank and the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce.

Also on Friday, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) announced it will postpone the 2025 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count for at least 30 days due to the "ongoing wildfire crisis."

The decision to postpone the count originally scheduled for January 21, 22 and 23 has been approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), LAHSA officials said.

"The recent wildfires have created significant challenges and disruptions across the region, including evacuations, displacement of individuals experiencing homelessness, and disruptions to essential supportive services," agency officials said in a statement.

"LAHSA determined that conducting the point-in-time count under these circumstances would compromise both the safety of participants and the accuracy of the data collected."

LAHSA officials said they are working closely with partners "to monitor the situation and finalize an appropriate date to reschedule the count."

“The safety and well-being of our community, including those experiencing homelessness, is our top priority,” said LAHSA CEO Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum.

"This will allow us to conduct the point-in-time count when conditions are safe and ensure that we obtain reliable data that accurately reflects the current state of homelessness in our community.”