CHULA VISTA - "What would you do if this was you? What would you want one person to do for you if this was you in that situation? And if it was me in my car stuck on a freeway with my children, my in-laws, my pets and no place to go, surrounded by smoke and fire, what would you want somebody to do for you."
That's Mellie Melilo, and for herself, and her fellow organizer, Katia Callahan, the answer to that is bringing together supplies for people after the Los Angeles fires.
"It's the senior facilities, it's the dog shelters, it's the hospitals, it's the little people that have nothing," said Mellie. "That's where my heart goes to."
For Mellie, this hits close to home. She lived in Los Angeles for more than 20 years.
"My friends and family that have lost everything and it was like, what can I do to help."
They're looking for practical items.
"Things that they might need that doesn't take a lot of space that it's great," said Katia. "Sunscreen, eyedrops, chapsticks, these are going to be things that they are going to be needing tons of it."
For both Mellie and Katia, it's about bringing people together and uniting them for this cause.
"A very united community that I have seen so, our love from Chula Vista to LA - we're a little piece of here, but we care about everyone. This is all about community," said Katia.
The organizers hope to continue these donation fundraisers in the future.
