Village Rising was an integral part of the rebuild efforts of Westlake Village after the Woolsey Fire. Under Ilise’s leadership, the organization provided quick access to resources to those most vulnerable. It is actions like these that have created the special community in which we live.

In 2018, Village Rising was created to assist community members who were directly impacted by the Woolsey Fire. Within three weeks, over $300,000 was raised, providing direct aid for over 70 displaced residents in Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, and in the unincorporated areas of Malibu.

For several years after the initial funds were granted, we supported other disaster-related needs, first with a small grant to support relief efforts after the Getty Fire, then with global support to a community in Australia who were directly impacted by their own devastating fire-related disaster. In 2022, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, we shut down our initial phase of grantmaking.