LOS ANGELES (BP) — Send Relief, Southern Baptists’ compassion ministry, has established a giving channel to help in the wake of the devastating fires in Los Angeles and the surrounding area.

Los Angeles is home to one of Send Relief’s ministry centers, spread around the U.S. In a video posted Friday (Jan. 10), Ministry Center Director Darryl Speers gave an update.

A team is currently serving at the ministry center, located in L.A.’s notorious Skid Row, providing hot meals, water and even face masks.

“It literally is raining down ashes from the local fires,” Speers said, adding that the ministry center exists to “strengthen communities and link with our partners here in Los Angeles through mercy and compassion ministry, which is all about the gospel.”

Around 180,000 people have been displaced by the fires, Speers said. Family members of local church partners have lost their homes.

“So as we’re responding to this crisis in Los Angeles, we ask for your prayers to come alongside us as we partner to meet the need,” he said.

“We are partnering together with Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) that is also here with us as we prepare for a massive cleanup effort over the next few days and months here in Los Angeles.”

Kendrick Neal, director of California Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (CSBDR), confirmed in a Jan. 9 release that CSBDR is in communication with the City of Los Angeles, the Emergency Network of Los Angeles, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, first responders and local churches. They have been asked to help with “support at the Local Assistance Centers, spiritual care and clean-up once the fires have been contained.”

“While first responders work on protecting people and putting out fires, we are planning and preparing to provide help, hope and healing to those affected by the fires,” Neal said. “This is going to be a long recovery.”

Neal said CSBDR will need local churches to house recovery teams and will need a lot of volunteers. He encouraged people to get trained and to help others get trained.

SBDR is mobilizing now for a response in the coming days.

Speers urged Southern Baptists to pray for Los Angeles and to consider giving to relief efforts. Donations to Send Relief’s L.A. fires relief can be made here.

Donations to CSBDR can be made here.

A request for prayer on the Send Relief website urges prayer for the following: Firefighters and first responders, weather conditions, local churches, SBDR teams as they get ready to deploy, healing and restoration for fire victims.