I recently spoke to Cristina, a 62-year-old gardener who lived and worked in the Pacific Palisades and lost her home and her job in the fires. I called her because she was applying for $500 in assistance from the Open Air Worker Relief Fund, a response effort set up by Inclusive Action, the community development financial institution I lead in Los Angeles. Cristina was on the verge of tears, attempting to share her experience, but also working hard to suppress the well of emotions from the sudden loss of her livelihood.

We have all seen the climate-induced devastation of communities in the Pacific Palisades and across town in the historic Black community of Altadena. Families not only lost homes, but they lost generational wealth, culture and history. They even lost their community and connection with each other as they fan out in search of shelter.

How do we rebuild the physical elements of fire-ravaged communities, but also facilitate the healing of the cultural intangibles that have been lost?

Leaders are already issuing public calls to speed the rebuilding process, and some are considering how community development financial institutions, or CDFIs, can support the rebuilding process. Indeed, we in the CDFI community have been called upon to help before. Most recently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, CDFIs helped distribute Paycheck Protection Program loans to small businesses shut out by early loans that went to better-connected and well-resourced businesses.

Read more: CDFI Helps Families Rebuild in the Wake of Disaster

I believe CDFIs not only could play a role in the recovery, we must. But in the urgent calls for a recovery, we have to build our capacity to move swiftly while also moving with intention and equity at the center of our work. My hope is that CDFIs can play a role that transforms economic systems, empowers communities and leaves a legacy of economic justice.

CDFIs engaged in disaster relief must commit to engaging impacted communities meaningfully. We’ve learned through our work at Inclusive Action that those we serve are the experts in their communities and can best advise institutions on how to invest and support a neighborhood. CDFIs must not only survey community members on their top-line needs, we should consider how the community can meaningfully guide our investments, review our underwriting systems and identify better ways to be a partner in rebuilding. In neighborhoods like Altadena, legacy black families and their elders should be consulted to guide the rebuilding efforts. Some may believe that community engagement slows a process down, but in our experience, community members also like to move quickly and are interested in responsive, transparent processes. Victims of the fire want to move fast, too – we just shouldn’t move fast without them.

CDFIs should engage with coalitions seeking systems change. CDFIs should play a role in demanding a stronger social safety net for the community members impacted by climate catastrophes. The LA fires remind us once again how vulnerable most people are; many of us are one emergency away from losing our shelter. A recent Bank of America survey highlighted that at least a quarter of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. At Inclusive Action, we lean into systems change through direct policy advocacy and through our participation in coalitions for tenant rights, small business protections, immigrant rights and more. CDFIs should not limit their presence to the financial arena, we should amplify the voices of the communities we serve in partnership with other groups.

CDFIs must also consider what new tools are needed for a recovery. Too many CDFIs are unwilling to revisit their loan policies, reform their underwriting procedures, or reduce their margins, even in a crisis. While some are raising major resources from philanthropy in the name of justice, they are unwilling to move capital to those who have historically been left behind. This perpetuates bias and slows down resources that are needed urgently in emergencies. We must design new tools and we can’t hold on to old expectations of financial returns and discriminatory definitions of risk. To help LA communities rebuild, we must remember that economic justice won’t come via outdated practices we borrowed from banks; we must explore new finance tools that can advance justice.

CDFIs must fight hate and racism. With the inauguration of Trump, I’m seeing some CDFIs are already scaling back their equity-centered language and initiatives. I see my city coming together to recover from climate-induced fires, and the specter of a new presidential administration and his ICE raids is overwhelming. The fear of losing what we currently have – a CDFI certification or assets on our balance sheet – can lead people to carry water for tyrants and racists. Instead, these are the moments when we must come together and fight back. CDFIs have an important role to play in elevating the experiences of Black, Brown and immigrant communities in economic recovery. We cannot turn our backs.

Read more: How CDFIs Can Help Build L.A.’s Future

These wildfires have devastated my city and have ravaged whole communities. But we’ve also seen thousands of Angelenos come together to give money and time to care for one another. Immigrants have been a key part of this wave of “second responders.” CDFIs must join the people fighting for their communities, and engage them in the full spirit of why CDFIs were created to begin with: as a radical alternative to mainstream financial institutions. CDFIs must prioritize people over profits.

Los Angeles needs us – and my hope is that CDFIs can engage with compassion, direct partnership with community members and a willingness to join with advocates to change the systems that have left so many vulnerable.

This post was originally published on Next City.