Cedric “The Entertainer” Kyles and his foundation, The Kyles Family Foundation, in partnership with FIAT and the Brotherhood Crusade, recently donated nine FIAT 500e vehicles, each with a 27-month lease, to families and individuals affected by the devastating Altadena wildfires. The recipients gathered with Kyles, the cast of CBS’s “The Neighborhood,” FIAT and Brotherhood Crusade officials at Alfa Romeo & FIAT in Glendale, CA.
“After weeks-and-weeks of hardship and just trying to keep my family afloat, this is some relief in all the chaos that’s been going on,” said Sergio Lambert, a 35-year resident of Altadena.
“I’m truly grateful for everybody who had a hand in this, the Brotherhood Crusade, Cedric ‘the Entertainer’ and FIAT—I’m super grateful so, that I can get back to work and provide for my family.”
“It is unbelievable, it’s wonderful,” said Totress Beasley. “I’m grateful and I’m just happy—happy to be here.”
The Altadena wildfires left many families without homes, resources and transportation. Cedric ‘the Entertainer,’ through his foundation, is committed to giving back to the community, and this partnership with FIAT and the Brotherhood Crusade is providing much-needed relief and mobility to those in need.
“This idea really stemmed from something of ‘The Neighborhood’, the show that I’ve been on, producing for seven seasons, is based in Pasadena,” said Kyles. “The idea of seeing this happen to a community that we try to portray on television each and every week was something that was very personal to us here, our cast members are here as well, but just seeing so much devastating loss, so many people that lost homes, history and the stories that go with it was just something that was very touching to me.”
“I’m just—gratitude, for Cedric, for Fiat, for Kyle’s Family Foundation, just the love to be able to give back to our families in Altadena during this difficult time—it means the world to me,” said Charisse Bremond-Weaver, president and CEO of the Brotherhood Crusade
“As a company, both as FIAT, as our parent company, Stellantis, we’re really proud to be a small participant in what Cedric is doing for this community, it’s just been devastated,” said Aamir Ahmed, head of FIAT North America.
“It wouldn’t have been done without Cedric’s generosity and we’re very, very proud to be contributing something to this. L.A., in many ways, it’s the heartbeat of our country as well so, we’re just happy to play a small part in helping out.”
The cast of “The Neighborhood” came out to show their love and support to the recipients of the FIAT 500e vehicles as well. Actress and singer Tichina Arnold, and actors Marcel Spears, Sheaun McKinney and Max Greenfield greeted and congratulated the families and individuals. Some of the cast members shared how they can relate to the situation completely.
“I lost my home in Hurricane Katrina in 2005,” said Spears. “When the fires happened and when I saw what was happening to Altadena, Pasadena and Palisades, all the surrounding areas, it hit home for me in a different way because I understand what that loss is like, I understand what it feels like to lose precious memories and your sense of safety, your sense of security and I saw my city have to sort of come together and help each other out.
“I saw that same spirit in the communities in L.A. and I was just really, really proud of being here and proud of being a part of a show that represents the area.”
“I’m from Miami and Hurricane Andrew came, I remember that, when I was a little kid and we literally had to run from room-to-room to survive and we lost everything, every family memento, every single thing—by the grace of God we survived huddled together in one room,” said McKinney.
“I remember after that, what it was like when those things that you think, that we naturally take for granted, not in a bad way, but we just do because we expect things to be there, but I remember what it was like the next day, we can’t just get in the car and go down the street or we can’t get XYZ, those little things that we think are so easy.
“We’ve been blessed for seven years on this show and an opportunity to do something like this, I think you just you have to do it.”
“It’s always wonderful when you can share and it’s important to share with people and we at ‘The Neighborhood’ obviously has a boss, who is an amazing human being and when he told us to be here, we came here and we’re here,” said Arnold. “Our philanthropic parts of our lives are very important to us, we work very hard to get where we are and you always look to the side, look back and you give.
“You share.”
“It’s overwhelming, I didn’t expect this at all,” said Shane Liem. “It’s incredible, it’s an incredible gift for sure in a time where it’s been kind of difficult.
“We lost everything like everybody else here and that’s been difficult to wrestle with, but the generosity of people has been shocking, beautiful, helpful.”
“Oh my gosh, this is just awesome, and I can’t explain, I don’t have the words to just express how pleased I am, how thankful I am that we have people in our community who care about us and they show it in this way,” said Juanita West Tillman.
“We’ve lost everything, but we know that we’re resilient, we’re going to come back and with assistance like this, we know that we’re going to be unstoppable.”
Against the backdrop of a beautiful, sunny day in Cali, Altadena residents received their car keys, information and lots of love from Kyles and the cast of “The Neighborhood,” who really made it feel like a block party. Kyles shared he was happy to do it.
“It’s not about luxury, sometimes just the utility of life,” he said. “This idea to be able to get people rolling, get them back on the streets, there’s a pleasure and then to see people will actually be able to ride away in these vehicles is going to be great.”
Seeing on television the devastation that so many families in Altadena were suffering from motivated Cedric “the Entertainer” Kyles to do something. After discussing it with Fiat, he immediately called Brotherhood Crusade Chairman Danny J. Bakewell, Sr., and put the plan into motion.
“Bakewell and Brotherhood Crusade were boots on the ground. So, when I called and discussed it, they immediately went into action,” said Kyles.
Bakewell promptly contacted Charisse Bremond-Weaver, who is the president of the organization. Brotherhood handled vetting all of the applicants and ensuring that those most in need received the gift of a new vehicle from Fiat.
“I can’t thank FIAT and my Brother Cedric enough. We are honored to partner with Cedric, FIAT, ‘The Neighborhood’ and the team at CBS. Being able to bring a little joy to these families who have literally lost everything is a ray of sunshine and a signal that better days are ahead for them all,” said Bakewell, Sr., who is also executive publisher the Los Angeles Sentinel.
