Following the devastating January 2025 wildfire that destroyed the Palisades-Malibu YMCA, the community has united to support recovery efforts. Executive Director Jim Kirtley has introduced measures like placing “Don’t Quit” dolphin logo flags at nearby YMCA locations to create a sense of home for displaced members, alongside offering free day and sleepaway camp enrollments for affected youth and 715 scholarships for the California YMCA Youth & Government program, 70 of which went to Palisades-Malibu Y students.
The YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles has provided relief to over 90,000 individuals in six months, offering mental health resources, art therapy, and food delivery. A citywide Community Healing Dinner is planned to foster unity, and the organization aims to convert facilities into permanent resilience hubs for disaster preparedness and community services, signaling a hopeful future for the Palisades-Malibu Y.