4,500 senior gift bags donated to replace damaged ones from LA fire

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- After a fire destroyed an apartment building and 2,000 gift bags meant for seniors on Dec. 8, Los Angeles residents donated more than $180,000 to replace the items.

Mayor Eric Garcetti and his wife called on Los Angeles residents to help replaced the bags and in less than a week thousands of donations came in.

"I'm going to be the kind of mayor, my wife and I together, who calls on this city on moments like this because I know that the spirit of this city is grand. I know that the generosity is great," Garcetti said.

Today, dozens of volunteers came out to help assemble the new gift bags containing items such as blankets, socks and toiletries.

Volunteers created assembly lines to stuff 4,500 bags, which is more than double the amount that were destroyed as a result of the fire.

"The department of aging was going to serve 2,000 seniors, but we in the long run are now serving 4,500 seniors, and that would not have happened in a different context," said Amy Elaine Wakeland, Garcetti's wife.