Current Season: L.A.’s Wildfire Recovery.

Community, Serve Us tackles one pressing humanitarian issue each season with a 360° view, expert insight, and easy ways for individuals to get involved.

Description

Our pilot season begins with the restoration from one of the most destructive and costly natural disasters in California & U.S. history: L.A.’s wildfire recovery. Together, we’ll explore root causes, listen to local voices, and crowdsource real solutions that other communities across the U.S. can apply when disaster strikes—and learn from to prepare in advance

Preparedness Shorts

Wildfire Preparedness

Unspoken Realities of Preparedness — What Other Videos Don’t Prepare You For.

Traditional preparedness advice often falls short when facing the chaos of a real emergency. This video goes beyond checklists and supplies to explore the real-life aspects of wildfire preparedness that most videos don’t talk about.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Why didn’t anyone prepare me for this?”, this video shares the unspoken truths from real emergency experiences. By understanding these overlooked aspects, you can become better prepared for the future.

Get the PDF: Real Scenarios Most Videos Don’t Cover

Learn About Each Episode

Community, Serve Us tackles one pressing humanitarian issue each season with a 360° view, expert insight, and easy ways for individuals to get involved.

Technology in Wildfire Recovery & Prevention

In this discussion, we explore how community service and technology can work together to combat wildfires, support disaster relief, and create lasting solutions.

Learn more about the episode

Panelists:

Danielle Busko – Founder/CEO, Studio Kula | Creator/Executive Producer, Community, Serve Us
Joe Davila – Advisory Board Member
Carlo Saggese – Entrepreneur & Executive

Discussion Topics:

Introduction & Panel Setup
Meet the panelists and learn about the purpose of this conversation.
Carlo’s journey in IT, business transformation, and his commitment to homelessness initiatives.
How local, community-driven efforts made a difference during COVID.
The strength of individuals coming together for change.
Firsthand accounts of the Hollywood Hills fire.
The emotional toll, evacuation challenges, and resilience of affected communities.
How AI, drones, and data-driven insights can revolutionize firefighting efforts.
The potential of robotic firefighting to reduce risks for first responders.
The power of crowdsourcing expertise to rebuild communities.
How city officials, builders, and tech leaders can collaborate.
Recognizing first responders and community heroes.
How YOU can contribute ideas, join the conversation, and support rebuilding efforts.

Crowdsourcing to Support Wildfire & Disaster Recovery

In this discussion, Danielle Busko (Founder of Community, Serve Us) sits down with expert panelists Asher Jay and Joe Davila to explore how Community, Serve Us is building a new model for disaster recovery and humanitarian response. As climate change accelerates — bringing wildfires, hurricanes, power outages, and displacements — many communities are left isolated without real-time access to the help, resources, or information they need.

Learn more about the episode

Panelists:

Danielle Busko – Founder/CEO, Studio Kula | Creator/Executive Producer, Community, Serve Us
Joe Davila – Advisory Board Member
Asher Jay – National Geographic Explorer / Tech Entrepreneur

Discussion Topics:

First-hand stories of disaster survivors & the gaps in current relief models.
How community-centered platforms can fill urgent resource needs.
The role of crowdsourced knowledge after natural disasters.
How stakeholder accountability, transparency, and local knowledge can transform humanitarian response.
Why radical collaboration will be critical for future crisis response.

Community, Serve Us 360° Storytelling & Facilitating Non-Partisan Discussions in Disaster Recovery

In this episode of Community, Serve Us, Founder and CEO Danielle Busko hosts a powerful discussion with Scott Winter (Chief Curator, The Collaborative Commons) and Joe Davila (Advisory Board Member) on how immersive storytelling and nonpartisan collaboration can shape disaster recovery, starting with the LA Wildfires.

Learn more about the episode

Panelists:

Danielle Busko – Founder/CEO, Studio Kula | Creator/Executive Producer, Community, Serve Us
Joe Davila – Advisory Board Member
Scott Winter – Chief Curator at the Collaborative Commons

Discussion Topics:

Welcome from Danielle Busko.
LA Wildfires as our pilot issue.
Two platform goals: 360° perspectives and nonpartisan discussion.
Introducing Joe Davila and guest expert Scott Winter.
Scott’s background and experience with the Camp Fire.
Coordinated vs. Collaborative recovery models.
Building trust before disaster strikes.
How digital tools can amplify citizen-led problem-solving.
The role of relationships, data, and funding in post-disaster work.
Helping communities identify what they need, when they don’t know.
Breaking through political dependency in funding.
How to facilitate difficult conversations and keep momentum.
Local wisdom, decentralization, and flexible response.
Why this platform is designed for long-term recovery.
Final thoughts and invitation to co-create.

Effective Service Coordination in Disaster Response & Recovery

In this episode of Community, Serve Us, we highlight the inspiring story behind the OC Chefs Relief Fund and California Love Drop—featuring Wing Lam (Wahoo’s Fish Tacos/California Love Drop), Robert DuVall (Red Cross OC Heroes Award Nominee/DuVall’s Dishes), and Kristin Martin (KM Productions). What started as a two-week grassroots mission grew into a three-month effort delivering meals and supplies to frontline workers, wildfire victims, and even downtown LA shelters whose supplies were depleted during this crisis.

Learn more about the episode

Panelists:

Danielle Busko – Founder/CEO, Studio Kula | Creator/Executive Producer, Community, Serve Us
Kristin Martin – KM Productions
Chef Wing Lam – Wahoo’s Fish Tacos/California Love Drop
Robert DuVall – American Red Cross OC Heroes Award Nominee/Duvall’s Dishes

Discussion:

When disaster struck Los Angeles, a small team of chefs and community leaders stepped up—and fed over 10,000 people.

In this episode of Community, Serve Us, we highlight the inspiring story behind the OC Chefs Relief Fund and California Love Drop—featuring Chef Wing Lam (Wahoo’s Fish Tacos/California Love Drop), Chef Robert DuVall (Red Cross OC Heroes Award Nominee/DuVall’s Dishes), and Kristin Martin (KM Productions). What started as a two-week grassroots mission grew into a three-month effort delivering meals and supplies to frontline workers, wildfire victims, and even downtown LA shelters whose supplies were depleted during this crisis.

You’ll also meet Buster, a rescue pup and unofficial mascot of the season, who survived the wildfires against all odds.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

– How these community leaders activated a volunteer-led response during the LA Wildfires
– What it takes to build momentum in disaster zones
– How the Community Serve Us Platform will be a valuable asset for logistics, fundraising, distribution and volunteer coordination for non-profits

Alone in the Aftermath: An Eaton Fire Survivor’s Story

This episode of Community, Serve Us is a human-centered story showing how weakened systems and lack of coordination hurt survivors. It’s a crisis call-to-action for better support—emotional, legal, logistical—for wildfire and disaster victims nationwide. Special Guest and Altadena resident, Carine Yahinian, bravely shares her family’s journey of navigating recovery, the urgent need for a simple, clear support guide and a better, community-informed system.

Learn more about the episode

Panelists:

Danielle Busko – Founder/CEO, Studio Kula | Creator/Executive Producer, Community, Serve Us
Joe Davilia – Advisory Board Member
Carine Yahinian – Altadena Resident & Eaton Fire Survivor

Discussion:

Wildfire survivor Carine Yahinian bravely shares how she overcame trauma, bureaucracy, and misinformation during Eaton Fire recovery—without guidance or support.

After the Eaton Fire nearly destroyed her home, Carine was left to navigate insurance fights, lead exposure fears, FEMA confusion, and repeated inspections—all while helping her family heal emotionally. Her story exposes the realities many survivors face long after the cameras leave.

🔍 What you’ll learn in this episode:
– Insight on the FireAid controversy before it made headlines
– How duplicated inspections created chaos for victims
– The emotional burden of navigating disaster recovery alone
– Dangerous misinformation around water safety and lead
– Why Carine, and others impacted by the wildfires or other disasters, need a centralized, trusted recovery platform

Fighting Fire With Fire: Cultural & Prescribed Burns

What if preventing wildfires starts with rethinking everything we believe about fire?

In this episode of Community, Serve Us, we sit down with Margo Robbins, Executive Director of Cultural Fire Management Council https://www.culturalfire.org/, to explore how cultural burning—a practice rooted in Indigenous knowledge—can prevent wildfires, restore ecosystems, and heal communities.

Learn more about the episode

Panelists:

Danielle Busko – Founder/CEO, Studio Kula | Creator/Executive Producer, Community, Serve Us
Margo Robbins – Executive Director, Cultural Fire Management Council

Discussion:

This conversation goes beyond fire. It challenges a deeply ingrained narrative:
That fire is always destructiv
That suppression is always the answer
That prevention starts after disaster strikes

The goal isn’t agreement. It’s idea generation.

Take It Further: Help Change the Narrative

We’re building a collaborative Ideas Board to rethink how we approach challenges like wildfire prevention, disaster recovery, and climate resilience.

Visit the Ideas Board and add your idea: How can we change the narrative around fire, prevention, and community resilience?

Your idea can be:

A policy shift
A community initiative
A storytelling or media concept
A technology or data solution
Or something no one has thought of yet

This is where conversation turns into action.

Why This Conversation Matters Right Now More than a year after the LA wildfires:

– Over 70% of survivors are still not home
– Nearly half have depleted their savings
– Over 40% have taken on debt just to survive And zooming out:
– The U.S. has experienced 426 billion-dollar disasters since 1980
– The gap between major disasters has shrunk from 82 days to just 18 days

We’re not just reacting to disasters anymore. We’re living in a loop of them. So the question becomes: How do we break it?

What You’ll Discover in This Episode:

– What cultural burning actually is—and why it’s been misunderstood
– How Indigenous fire stewardship prevented catastrophic wildfires for generations
– The hidden cost of removing fire from our ecosystems
– Why today’s wildfires are more intense (hint: a “fire deficit”)
– How communities can use fire as a tool for prevention—not just response
– The connection between land health, cultural practices, and human well-being

Join the Conversation (Your Ideas Matter)

We’re not just asking what you think—we’re asking what you would change.

Stay Connected: Sign-Up

Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome & Why This Conversation Matters
00:34 – The Ongoing Reality of Wildfire Recovery
01:37 – The Bigger Climate Disaster Landscape
03:18 – Why We Can’t Stop Talking About Prevention 04:36 – Introducing Margot Robbins 06:02 – What Is Cultural Burning?
07:16 – Fire as a Way of Life (Not a Threat)
08:45 – The Origins of Fire Stewardship
11:04 – When Cultural Burning Was Criminalized
14:40 – Reintroducing Fire to the Community
16:17 – Ecological & Cultural Benefits of Burning
20:46 – Fire, Health, and Connection to Land
24:06 – Is Fire Dangerous? Addressing Common Fears 26:08 – The “Fire Deficit” Problem
27:43 – Using Fire to Prevent Fire
29:00 – Impact on Wildlife & Ecosystems
31:14 – How the Movement Began
35:03 – Smoke: The Trade-Off We Need to Rethink 36:02 – Training the Next Generation (TREX)
37:55 – Scaling Solutions Across California
41:21 – How You Can Support & Get Involved
43:27 – Changing the Narrative Around Fire
44:24 – Protecting Communities: Ridge to Community Strategy
48:22 – Final Thoughts & Call to Action

Resources, Articles, and General Information

Community Support & Resources

Recovery is never one-size-fits-all.

The road ahead can feel overwhelming, and for many, it’s filled with uncertainty. Every individual affected by disaster carries a unique story—defined by the way they were impacted, the scale of their losses, and what they now need to rebuild.

Whether it’s the destruction of your home, the loss of meaningful keepsakes, the interruption of your income, or the lasting emotional and psychological toll—including the unimaginable loss of loved ones or pets—Community, Serve Us is here to walk beside you. Our mission is to serve communities like yours by helping you find the support you need. On our Resource Page, you’ll find straightforward how-tos, trusted links, and essential guidance—created with care to be easy to follow.

No matter where you are in your recovery journey, you are not alone. We’re here to help you take the next step—with clarity, compassion, and community.