Impact & Programs

Partnering with LA Strong is deeply personal to me. It’s about showing up for our neighbors, lifting people through difficult moments, and turning compassion into meaningful action that strengthens our entire community.

As someone who’s lived on the Westside of LA for 13+ years, this community is incredibly special to me and my family. LA Strong’s determined, resourceful, and fast-acting grassroots approach to genuine care, connection, and support quickly resonated with the kind of network we want to cultivate. We’re honored to stand along LA Strong’s mission to upholding this beautiful city we know and love.

When the fires hit, the calls didn’t stop coming. People needed to know where to find a bed, a meal, a form, a phone number — and there was no way a handful of volunteers could answer every call, let alone tell each person which door was actually open to them. Most organizations would have accepted the busy signal as a fact of a crisis. Drew asked a different question: could something pick up every call at once?

At the time that wasn’t an obvious idea. Voice AI was not what people reached for when they wanted to help their neighbors. But the need was immediate, and Drew and Maxi have never been interested in waiting for a solution to become fashionable.

That question is where Fast Response AI came from. Drew named the company. What began as a way for LA Strong to answer every call and point people toward the resources they could actually access turned into a business — one that exists because a foundation needed it to exist first. Ask Maxi answers in English or Spanish, finds what’s closest to you, and hands you to a person when a person is what you need.

I support LA Strong with the technology and the answering service because I’ve seen what happens on the other end of the line: someone in the worst week of their life getting a real answer in minutes instead of a voicemail. Everything I’ve built started with a problem Drew refused to accept. I’m proud that it did.

LA Strong believed in me and Pali Trading Post, providing support and encouragement as a resident and a business owner. From donating goods and services to me, to sponsoring events at my store, they’ve been amazing through this difficult chapter.

LA Strong shows up for Malibu when our community needs it most. Their compassion, responsiveness, and commitment to helping families through a difficult time made a meaningful difference. They didn’t just provide essential resources, they reminded us that we aren’t alone. We are incredibly grateful for their support.

Thank you, LA Strong, for believing in Sole Support from the beginning, inspiring us to make a difference, and helping us turn our vision into meaningful impact.

LA Strong’s matching grant helped make it possible for the Seed Bomb Project to grow its impact and bring our community together around restoring our environment. Their grant directly funded our making and distributing 500 native wildflower seed bombs to burn zones in Malibu and Pacific Palisades. Beyond funding, the support was a vote of confidence in our vision and in the power of community action. We’re incredibly grateful to have LA Strong alongside us.

I’ve known Drew and Maxi Koven for many years, and we’ve done several business ventures together. When you do deals with someone, you learn who they really are, how they handle pressure and how they treat people when there’s nothing to gain. Drew and Maxi are the real deal. Everything they do comes from purpose first.

When the fires hit Los Angeles, they didn’t form a committee or wait for permission. They got to work. Within days, they had products coming in from all over the country and needed to move them quickly to families who had lost everything. Through AVID, we helped with warehousing and distribution, and saw up close how the LA Strong Foundation operates: no red tape, no ego, just getting the right things to the right people as quickly as humanly possible.

I’ve also been part of the events they put on, and what stands out is that Drew and Maxi are there in person, doing the work and connecting with everyone who walks through the doors. That’s not a photo op. That’s who they are.

I have a lot of respect for people who show up when it counts. Drew and Maxi show up, every time. I’m proud to call them friends, and proud to support what they’re building with the LA Strong Foundation.

LA Strong genuinely cares about the people and communities they serve. I’ve seen their heart and impact firsthand, and I’m proud to partner with an organization committed to making Los Angeles stronger together.

LA Strong has been an amazing supporter of Beach Life Sorrento. Their generosity, encouragement, and commitment to our community mean so much to us. They are more than a sponsor — they are part of our Beach Life family. We’re truly grateful for their continued support and friendship.

LA Strong has been an incredible partner to the Wins & Lessons Foundation. Their genuine commitment to collaboration and community has helped us expand our impact, provide meaningful resources, and create opportunities for youth and families. We’re grateful to have LA Strong standing alongside us.

From the very beginning, LA Strong believed in Miracles in Motion and stood beside us as we grew our mission. Their generosity and unwavering support have helped us bring hope, dignity, and love to families throughout our community. We are beyond grateful and blessed to call LA Strong a true partner.

LA Strong Foundation is the kind of partner that’s one call away. When we had almost nothing for our South LA youth last Christmas at the Sheriff Youth Activities League, they provided gifts and support when it mattered most. Their generous product donations have helped us put products in the hands of those who truly need it. Thank you, LA Strong, for making our youth feel valued and celebrated!

The LA Strong Foundation has been a true blessing to Sisters of Watts. They stepped up when we needed help, by providing a split unit to keep our community house cool, an electrician to help us right away, when no one else would step up. They provided us with backpacks and school supplies for our youth. Their support goes beyond donations; they help us continue creating a cool and welcoming space and meaningful opportunities for the youth and families we serve. We are truly grateful for LA Strong and the difference they make in our community.

LA Strong has been a vital partner in supporting the Altadena community. We were proud to host our first Christmas celebration together for local residents, creating a special moment of hope and connection after the Eaton Fire. Since then, LA Strong has continued to show up, delivering essential supplies almost weekly and helping ensure affected families receive the support they need.

The LA Strong Foundation understood that keeping alive the stories of what happened to our community in the wildfires was a powerful way to heal and learn from the disaster. Their support of our documentary film, WINDSWEPT, which follows four teens displaced in January of 2025, came at a vital time. Without Drew and Maxi’s early and enthusiastic support, we wouldn’t have been able to complete the filming. Now we are nearing the finish line on a story that will ensure that the LA wildfires and what resilience looks like won’t soon be forgotten.

LA Strong showed up when our community needed it most. From January through March 2025, Safe Place for Youth served as a disaster relief distribution hub, reaching more than 700 people and families affected by the crisis. Together, we provided essential supplies while creating a space grounded in dignity, compassion, and care.

What made this partnership especially meaningful was seeing SPY’s own youth — many of whom have experienced homelessness themselves — step forward as volunteers to help others. Their resilience and compassion transformed the distribution center into more than a resource hub; it became a place where neighbors supported neighbors and our entire community could take part in healing.

We witnessed firsthand LA Strong’s commitment to efficiency, dignity, and genuine care. Their partnership represents the very best of community-driven disaster response and long-term resilience building.

For me, the LA Strong Foundation is much more than an organization we work with. They have become part of my circle, part of our community, and truly part of the family. These are people I know I can count on when it matters. They show up, they support, and they genuinely care. I’m very grateful to have LA Strong close to us and to be able to do meaningful work together. Together, we make Los Angeles and the world a little better and create a positive impact on the people and communities around us.

We recently faced a critical shortage with just days to spare for our 6th annual Back-to-School event in Houston, Texas. I called on my community partners in Los Angeles, California. The LA Strong Foundation didn’t just answer the call — they moved mountains. At a time when our Houston at-risk youth needed us most, they stepped up without hesitation and delivered over 500 backpacks in just 72 hours. That’s not just responsive service; that’s true partnership and unwavering commitment to underserved communities. LA Strong proved they’re not just words, they’re action, reliability, and genuine hearts in motion. We’re forever grateful to Drew and Maxi!

Having known LA Strong’s founders for over 15 years, I wasn’t surprised that when LA needed them most, they sprang into action. The LA Strong Foundation embodies the best of our city, working at a truly grassroots level to deliver essential supplies, uplift communities, and help Angelenos recover and rebuild with dignity and hope. At Pledge, we couldn’t be prouder to power donations for an organization that brings people together and turns compassion into immediate, meaningful action.