Parish Challenge in South Dakota Pours Out God’s Provision on LA Wildfire Victims

It all began with a simple sacrificial cylinder, a tangible reminder for the faithful of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Spearfish, South Dakota to live out the pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Six years later, one pastor’s nudge to expand their Lenten Almsgiving Challenge turned these cylinders into vessels of God’s provision for families more than 1,300 miles away.  

When Tami Ragels saw the fires sweeping through Altadena and the Pacific Palisades on the news in January 2025, the parish accountant and mastermind behind the Lenten Almsgiving Challenge was deeply moved. As she researched for ways to support the families who lost everything, even their church, she came across  The Orange Catholic Foundation’s (OCF) Help LA Fund. “I just thought that it would be the most horrific thing ever to not have a place to go worship. I wanted to help,” said Ragels.

Aware her pastor, Rev. Kevin Achbach, hoped to shift the focus of their annual challenge from helping local Catholic ministries to what he called “true almsgiving,” Ragels brought this idea to his attention. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2462) Fr. Kevin agreed to the plan saying, “Through the contribution of alms, our material goods are rendered into a spiritual sacrifice for God and used by Him in the ministry of His Divine Mercy. So, we turned in compassion toward our suffering neighbors in LA.”

In Spearfish, the threat of drought and wildfires was all too familiar. In May 2025, drought monitors reported that all of South Dakota was experiencing conditions ranging from abnormally dry to severe drought. “We have a truly empathic parish. When it’s really dry here, we’re just one spark away from having the same thing,” said Michele Curtin, the parish administrative assistant.  

As the joy of the Easter season arrived, parishioners returned their cylinders, raising over $1,400 for OCF’s Help LA Fund. Hopeful that God would use the funds to provide for their brothers and sisters in Christ, Ragels shared, “Because you're a Catholic foundation, we knew it would be used appropriately and not just squandered.”

Their confidence has also been felt by many other Help LA Fund donors. While OCF and the Diocese of Orange came together to establish the Help LA Fund, they intentionally embraced the principle of subsidiarity, working directly with Los Angeles County parish pastors and staff to distribute grants to those in great need.    

Curtin expressed, “We just become so much closer as a Church when we help. I think we’ll have some crying because they will know their money went to good use.” From replacing essential medical equipment for a joyful young daughter to covering rent after an unexpected job loss from the fires, hundreds of families and individuals have been helped through the Help LA Fund.

However, the road to recovery for these families will take many more months, perhaps even years, as they work to rebuild their lives. Moved by the spirit of this Lenten Almsgiving Challenge, you also can become a vessel of God’s mercy and provision. To make a gift today, click here or reach out to OCF at 714.282.3021 or info@OrangeCatholicFoundation.org to learn how your generosity can make a lasting impact.