HopSkipDrive’s Response to the Southern California Wildfires

Words feel inadequate to express our heartfelt concern for the students, families, school communities, and our own employees affected by the devastating wildfires across Southern California these past weeks. As a company founded and headquartered in Los Angeles, these events hit especially close to home for HopSkipDrive. 

The challenges we face are complex, but our ability to respond is immediate. We take pride in working alongside our district partners to arrange student transportation with just six hours’ notice. Whether a child is temporarily displaced and needs to get to school, a school must quickly reroute students to a new location, or district staff understandably struggle to maintain their usual transportation arrangements, we’re here to help. 

Supporting students, schools, and families

In partnership with the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, we’re supporting relief efforts for those in need across the county. YMCA centers are serving as temporary evacuation sites, providing shelter, showers, and essential support for children, families, and first responders. We’ve also partnered with CASA of Los Angeles and the Children’s Law Center of California to contribute to their support initiatives for the community’s most vulnerable youth. 

To ensure educational continuity, we’re coordinating two supply drive events. Last weekend, our Sacramento-based teammates and CareDrivers gathered at YMCA of Superior California to assemble backpacks filled with essential school supplies. On March 1st, our LA-based team and CareDrivers will host a similar event at our headquarters in downtown Los Angeles. These backpacks will be delivered to YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, helping displaced students be fully equipped. This initiative builds on our long-standing commitment to supporting California’s students, where we’ve been proud to support hundreds of schools, school districts, and county agencies across the state over the past decade. 

“We are thrilled to partner with HopSkipDrive for this project, providing much-needed support to youth in the LA area who have been impacted by the recent fires,” said Sierra Bamsey, YMCA of Superior California’s Director of Marketing & Communications. “Our mission is to help all individuals live a healthy life in spirit, mind, and body, and ensuring kids have the resources they need to succeed is at the heart of that mission. We are honored to support our fellow YMCAs in LA and grateful for the opportunity to make a difference together.”

Supporting CareDrivers

We’re working closely with Southern California CareDrivers, expediting vehicle assistance for those whose cars were impacted and helping to ensure they can return to serving students as quickly and safely as possible. CareDriver performance metrics will not be impacted by ride cancellations during this unimaginably difficult time, and this approach aims to ensure those who care for Southern California’s children can rightfully focus on recovery. We’ve also distributed resource guides and are organizing volunteering opportunities at hubs in Los Angeles and Sacramento, where CareDrivers can help assemble and deliver supplies to affected families through the YMCA if they wish. 

Supporting our L.A.-area team

To help support our L.A.-based employees, we’ve established financial support programs for those directly affected by the fires. This company-led initiative has been strengthened by HopSkipDrive team members nationwide, who have stepped up to contribute their own support for their colleagues. We hope these contributions will help our L.A. colleagues navigate these challenges, and we're incredibly proud of the compassion and generosity shown by our teammates.

The path to recovery will require sustained effort and unwavering commitment, and we’re dedicated to supporting our neighbors through both immediate relief and long-term rebuilding. Whether it’s arranging transportation for displaced students with just six hours’ notice or helping school districts adapt to these new circumstances, we remain steadfast in our mission to provide safe, reliable transportation when it’s needed most. 

Together, we’ll help our community emerge stronger.