California Wildfires

Album donation drive: Help this record shop help fire evacuees find their music

Record Safari in Los Angeles is accepting vinyl donations, both "new and used"; find how to contribute.

Olena Malik

What to Know

  • Record Safari
  • 3222 Los Feliz Boulevard in Los Angeles
  • The collection drive, organized by owner Alex Rodriguez, is working to help fire-impacted locals rebuild their music collection
  • Feel free to drop off records, both "new and used," at Record Safari

A favorite song, a beloved musician, our go-to group, the album we'd take to a desert island: The beautiful ballads and rocking anthems of our lives have bolstered us when we required bolstering and provided some solace when a sense of peace was desperately needed.

Alex Rodriguez, the owner of the music shop Record Safari, wanted to help the people who've lost their homes and the album collections they held dear.

Soon after the fires started, Mr. Rodriguez sent the call out to shop fans and music lovers across Southern California and beyond: Any record donations, "new and used," would be accepted at the Los Feliz Boulevard shop.

These could be "records you haven't listened to in awhile" or records created by your label or your band, if you work in the music business. Or even a favorite disc that you want to pass along to someone who could find inspiration and hope in the songs you love best.

"I'm getting some boxes of records together to give to people who lost their record collections in the Los Angeles fires. I'm starting with stuff from my personal collection and my store stock. If you'd like to contribute any records, please feel free to drop them off at my store," Mr. Rodriguez shared in a Jan. 15 post on social media.

"If you want to donate a large quantity, I can try to come pick them up. All types of records are welcome, new and used. Great shape or not the best shape but still playable still welcome!"

"If you bring records in, make sure to let us know that the records are for the donation boxes."

As of Jan. 15, Record Safari had received "a few hundred" records.

Mr. Rodriguez is packaging 15 records together, depending on what a person might like. There might come a time when people can come choose their 15 records, if the response is "overwhelming."

For more information and how to donate records, visit this site or swing by the Los Feliz Boulevard shop during its open hours.

Updated Jan. 17

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