When Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Paul created the Social Change Fund United, their mission was clear: They wanted to bring real change, especially during times of crisis. “It took something tragic to happen for us—me, Dwayne, CP—to really have a vision on what we wanted to do,” Carmelo recently shared. The fund began back in 2020 when the world felt heavy and uncertain. Even though circumstances have shifted now, five years later, the group stays active. So when another emergency hit earlier this year, they didn’t wait around before stepping up again to make a difference.
Between January 7 and 31, 2025, Southern California was in chaos. Have you ever seen nature turn terrifying? Hurricane-force Santa Ana winds hit 100 miles per hour, fueling 14 massive wildfires across LA and San Diego. Over 57,000 acres of land burned. More than 18,000 homes and buildings were destroyed. Sadly, at least 30 people lost their lives, and over 200,000 had to evacuate. The worst of it came from the Eaton Fire in Altadena and the Palisades Fire, both fully contained by the end of the month. Firefighters, ground crews, and aerial support worked nonstop to put an end to the destruction. And one person saw it all happening up close.
Former NBA star Jim Jackson had a front-row seat to the chaos. While speaking with Forbes’ Jabari Young on The Enterprise Zone, he gave a different perspective on the situation. He said, “Well, I got a condo, so fortunately—and again, here’s the real estate part of it—I was 5, 10 minutes from Brentwood. So I can see the billowing of the smoke.” Though he lost power, he was spared the worst. “So how lucky, how blessed we are that we didn’t get touched?” he added later on. Jackson feels saddened by the situation that left people and the community devastated.
Jackson wasn’t just worried about himself. He got real about the deeper issue. “Altadena—this is a community that third, fourth, fifth-year generations, people owned homes. A lot of their equity was in—and their wealth was in—the homes that got destroyed,” he said. Many lost everything, and rebuilding isn’t easy. “Yeah, what happens when your market value for your land is not equivalent to what it’s going to cost to rebuild that house? What happens then?” he asked.
It’s a painful reality. Still, LA made space for gratitude. Disneyland honored first responders with a heroes parade recently. There are several initiatives trying to help out people struggling in any way they can, including Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Paul.
Carmelo Anthony’s ventures build new roots in L.A. after the wildfires
As the wildfires tore through Los Angeles earlier this year, small businesses were hit hard. Many are still struggling to reopen, but a new initiative has recently offered a helping hand. NBA legends Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Paul recently made a huge announcement. Through their foundation, Social Change Fund United (SCFU), they have partnered with the fintech company Stackwell and the National Basketball Players Association to launch Visionary Ventures.
The program focuses on helping local business owners who were affected by the fires. It provides financial education, grant funding and other resources to help them rebuild and stay afloat. Business owners in L.A. can apply by downloading the Stackwell app.
Carmelo Anthony, recently inducted into the Hall of Fame, shared why this effort matters to him. “I just think it’s a very pivotal moment as we look at L.A. and those communities and try to help them rebuild, bringing more awareness to those wildfires, and then providing support. Stackwell also has a proven track record—amazing with what they’re doing,” he said. But for Melo, it’s also a deeply personal initiative.
“You’re watching it unfold and continue to escalate and grow right in front of your eyes. The whole world was watching. You can feel that in your heart, and you feel it in your soul,” he said. “You should be asking yourself what you could do.” Their goal isn’t just short-term help but building something that lasts. “Long term is just more about how do we scale this. How do we go out there and bring in more support?” Melo asked.
For now, they’re starting with what they know: community, teamwork, and action. Do you think athletes should take on more of this responsibility? Let us know in the comments.
The post Near Brush With Disaster Made Ex-NBA Star Worry for L.A. as Carmelo Anthony & Co. Come to the Rescue appeared first on EssentiallySports.
