From pizza fundraisers to handwritten letters, how Orange County is helping LA wildfire victims

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- The Orange County community is busy organizing ways to help their neighbors in Los Angeles affected by wildfires.

With freshly-rinsed mushrooms and cheesy dough, pizza lovers with big hearts helped Sgt. Pepperoni's Pizza raise money and collect donations for victims.

Partner and owner Jeff Roberts said 100% of proceeds from pizza sales this week at all three locations in Irvine, Aliso Viejo and Newport Beach will go to the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army.

"We have the opportunity to be able to support others, and it's a calling, and I can tell you that there are so many folks in this Orange County community that will do whatever it takes to help support," he said.

In Irvine, the line of donors giving to the Los Angeles Mission spilled onto University Drive from Tanaka Farms this past weekend.

Owner Kenny Tanaka said it was a family affair as aunts and uncles sorted through items.

"I was preparing for like 10 bins of things, but we ended up getting about 320 bins of clothes, water, hygiene [items,] toys and it was just amazing how the community stepped up and came out and donated," said Tanaka.

People of all ages showed human kindness.

Little Adalyn Rose Alvarez stepped up to help as well, just like the community did in her own family's time of need. Her mother, Yesenia Aguilar, was killed when an intoxicated woman ran an SUV into her parents in Anaheim.

The little girl was in her mother's womb and survived the crash alongside her father, James Alvarez.

The 4-year-old collected letters to boost the spirits of survivors and first responders.

Among the bins collected filled with notes were a couple from students at McFadden Institute of Technology in Santa Ana.

"We've been getting a lot of letters so we need more," Adalyn and her father told Eyewitness News in a Zoom interview.

Heartwarming messages, toiletries, warm clothes, money or a cheesy pie - those are just some of the ways Orange County stepped up to help their neighbors in need.

"This is our community," said Kim Goodwin, who gave back on Tuesday by buying lunch at Sgt. Pepperoni's Pizza. "L.A. and O.C. - we are together in this community and yes, there's five of us that came on down to have lunch and contribute and give back."