Topics: Celebrity, US News, Los Angeles, Wildfires, California
Jennifer Garner has opened up about her 'heart bleeding' for all her friends affected by the Palisades fire, including one friend tragically passing away.
The fires raging through California have caused devastation across Los Angeles, leaving thousands of structures and homes damaged or destroyed, leading hundreds of thousands to be forced to evacuate and at least 11 confirmed to have been killed.
And one of those who has passed away is reported as being a friend of Jennifer Garner.
Garner and World Central Kitchen’s Chef José Andrés joined MSNBC reporter Katy Tur in the area of the Palisades, surrounded by rubble and debris of buildings and homes lost to the blaze.
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The 13 Going on 30 star explained: "I've lived in and around the Palisades for 25 years so I think all of us, we want to get our hands into working somehow to be helpful. because of my work with save the children I have a relationship with Chef and I was able to just say, 'Can I be with you for the day? What can I do to help? Put me to work'."
Garner revealed her 'best friend's house' used to be 'down the street' and had a gong in the front year.
She reflected: "There were so many kids that played in the street and they'd hit the gong at the end of the day and call them home just like neighborhoods across the country. It is not some far away place that you can't reach. this is the street we run down on 5Ks, this is where the firetruck that - God bless our firefighters - goes on the 4th of July parade.
"This is a neighborhood."
The actor then acknowledged she actually 'did lose a friend' to the fires however, she noted her friend's passing is still 'really tender' for the church community in the area she won't 'talk about her yet,' although she confirmed: "I did lose a friend who did not get out in time."
Appearing to fight back tears, she continued: "My heart bleeds for my friends. I can think of 100 families and there are 5,000 homes lost. I could write out a list of 100 friends who lost their homes. I feel almost guilty walking through my house. What can I do, how can I help? What do I have to offer with these hands and these walls and the safety I have?"
Garner resolved: "It is an incredible thing to watch World Central Kitchen and Chef José just come in and - 'We've got this handled. We've got you'."
Meanwhile, Chef José emphasized: "The most important thing here is once the cameras are gone, once everybody forgets what's happening we've seen - like in Nashville and North Carolina - what we need to make sure [...] is we cannot leave these communities forgotten.
"Everybody has to remember them [...] so they can start reconstruction [...] We need to make sure the people who lost their jobs, probably for weeks or months, they're not going to have an income, that we take care of those people."
You can support those affected by the fires by donating to the Red Cross online, by calling (800) 733-2767 or texting REDCROSS to 90999.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact GrieveWell on (734) 975-0238, or email [email protected].
