Moninder Singh has spent the past week serving food and beverages at a Gurdwara -- a Sikh temple -- in Covina, California, to hungry victims displaced by Los Angeles County's devastating wildfires.
"When we serve chai, there is a glow on people's faces like we are giving them gold. The pleasure in their eyes is soothing to me," Singh said. "We are planning to make samosas tomorrow."
Asians Americans are the third-largest racial group in L.A. and the most religiously diverse group in the U.S. This diversity, however, is working in unison to lend a hand to the thousands of victims of the Southern California wildfires, the worst ever in the history of the state.
Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Taoists, Muslims, Jews and more are all raising money volunteering in many ways to bring relief to their fellow Angelenos.
Singh is a member of United Sikhs, a U.N.-affiliated, faith-based group that in the past has been deployed to disaster areas -- from hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, for example -- and also to war zones in Ukraine. This time, the group has turned its attention to the devastated Los Angeles area.
United Sikhs is among several organizations nationwide that have made their way to the area as the fires continue to roar through tens of thousands of acres.
For Mehul Patel, a volunteer at the Hindu temple BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, in Chino Hills, it is the concept of Seva, or selfless service, that motivates him to serve his community.
"In the joy of others, lies our own," said Patel, attributing this philosophy to the group's late president, his holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
"That is the motto that drives us, the spirit of Seva and service is embedded in our faith," Patel said.
Volunteers from the group started mobilizing within 24 hours of the start of the fires, he said.
They organized their first donation drive on Jan. 9, collecting water, first-aid kits and sleeping bags, and bringing them to disaster relief organizations in Pasadena.
Now, the Hindu organization has its own fundraising operation to support the victims in their recovery efforts, the #SOCALSTRONG Wildfire Relief and Recovery Fund.
"We have been receiving donations from all over the world. It really shows you the global impact that the city of L.A. has had, and people genuinely want to support this effort because of these dire circumstances," Patel told NBC News.
The belief in Seva and selflessly serving those in need is also a guiding philosophy behind the international group United Sikhs.
"This is embedded in the Sikh faith, Seva is selfless service. We have spoken out for the voiceless, we have fought for the vulnerable and aided and abetted those who cannot help themselves," said Gurvinder Singh, international humanitarian aid director at United Sikhs, who is not related to Moninder Singh.
The organization's helpline, called "Umeed," is mostly receiving calls from those who have been affected by the Los Angeles wildfires.
While there are many in need, Singh told NBC News that there are also many who wish to volunteer.
Moninder Singh at United Sikhs previously helped with disaster relief during Hurricane Helene.
In India, where he lived until four months ago, he owned five restaurants. He lost everything during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"God has sent me to be among these people," Moninder Singh said.
The Sikh group served over 1,300 meals on Sunday, Gurvinder Singh said.
"Not including snacks, emergency supplies and clothing. That's just hot meals which are a part of Langar, free meals for anyone served in Gurdwaras," he said.
It is his hope that when people see someone wearing a turban or having the word "Sikh" written on their clothing, people will know that they are going to be helped.
Tzu Chi USA, a Buddhist nonprofit, has been mobilizing its members as well, gathering donations and supplies for disaster relief and organizing an interfaith prayer on Jan. 7 at their San Gabriel Valley Service Center.
Local churches have also been at the helm of disaster aid relief. Justin Chang is the minister of Community Outreach for Mandarin Baptist Church of Los Angeles, a multicultural church with services in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
"We had a few members who were affected, some who lost their homes, and we have been trying to see how to help them," Chang said.
According to Chang, the international aid organization World Vision contacted his church as they were looking for organizations that could help the group distribute supplies in the Los Angeles area.
Chang told NBC News that on Saturday they were able to help 10 families through their distribution drive as they passed out blankets, water, school supplies, toys, hygiene kits, socks and masks.
"Some of our church members are more well-off and are able to stay with friends and family. But some have lost everything and so are taking whatever they need," Chang said.
In the case of Masjid Al-Taqwa, a Sunni Muslim mosque in Altadena, California, everything has been lost.
The Masjid, which has been a pillar of its community since the 1970s, was a casualty of the Eaton Fire on Jan. 7.
Jihad Saafir, former imam of the mosque and community partner, said the mosque was a pivotal community center, founded by African American Muslims in the Nation of Islam before transitioning to mainstream Sunni practice in 1975.
The imam said the prayer service gathered people of all faiths. "You have an Egyptian family praying next to a Pakistani family, praying next to a Bangladeshi family, and praying next to a black family. It's a diverse community."
A crowdfunding campaign on the online platform LaunchGood was organized by members of the local and international Muslim community. It has now raised over $700,000 to restore the Masjid, which was the first mosque in the Pasadena area.
The campaign also attracted attention online, including from prominent Muslim voices in the United States.
"It's beautiful seeing everyone coming together, this community is a community of light," Saafir said.
"It is a temporary setback for a beautiful comeback, I have faith, and a lot of people are rooting for Masjid Al Taqwa."