Fresno churches and businesses collecting donations for victims of SoCal fires

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Pastors at Peoples Church in Northeast Fresno spent the day sorting through donations, which will soon be taken to The Dream Center in Los Angeles.

Monetary donations will also go to Convoy of Hope to help wildfire survivors and first responders.

"We spent a lot of time during our gatherings over the weekend praying for this specific situation," said Peoples Church Pastor Brad Liebe.

The devastating fires have unified people, across the city of Angels, and beyond.

"It does around the world, but especially here in California kind of bring us back together and say 'hey some of these things don't matter right now or maybe not at all' when you're dealing with loss of life or family members going in to serve," said Liebe.

Across town, Meathead Movers, off El Capitan and Shaw in northwest Fresno, is also collecting donations.

"It's just tragic seeing the news and seeing everything that's going on, all the loss that's going on," said Tiago Paim of Meathead Movers.

So, just everyone coming together and trying to get as many donations as we can."

The heartbreaking images are motivating people, like Diana Lewis, to do something.

She donated several cases of water and will be heading down the the Southland herself to volunteer in animal shelter next week.

"I grew up in Southern California and a lot of the places that burnt down were our old hanging around places, it was just sad. I've got a lot of family down there," said Lewis.

The fires might be hundreds of miles away, but those giving in the Central Valley say this is just what you do: help your neighbor.

"These are our neighbors, these are people from our state, these are Californians," said Liebe.

The Peoples Church will be taking the donations at their office until 4:30 every night.

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