For 17 months, the Altadena Farmers’ Market has served as a lifeline for families recovering from the Eaton fire, providing free fresh produce to hundreds of households navigating displacement, rising housing costs, insurance challenges and the long road to rebuilding.
Despite securing enough funding to continue food distributions through December, the nonprofit organization behind the effort says it is facing a different challenge: finding the money to keep its staff working.
Recently, the Altadena Farmers’ Market secured $100,000 in funding dedicated to purchasing produce, ensuring that about 400 wildfire-affected households each month will continue receiving fresh fruits and vegetables through the end of the year. The funding, however, cannot be used for payroll or operational expenses.
“The produce is covered,” said Rafaela Gass, executive director of the Altadena Farmers’ Market. “The payroll money is over.”
The organization has launched a GoFundMe campaign in an effort to bridge the gap and continue operating one of the community’s longest-running recovery programs.
“We made a commitment that whatever it takes, we’re going to make it work,” Gass said. “If we have to do it as volunteers, we will. But for some of us, this is our job.”
The funding challenge comes as the need for food assistance remains significant across Altadena. Before the fire, the Altadena Farmers’ Market operated as a certified farmers market since 2013 before transitioning to an online model in the years leading up to the disaster. When the Eaton fire devastated the community, Gass said the organization lost nearly everything, including homes, equipment and vendors.
Within weeks, the team shifted its focus entirely toward relief efforts, partnering with organizations including World Central Kitchen and the Hollywood Food Coalition to provide free produce distributions for fire survivors.
Since then, the organization has hosted twice-monthly distributions while supporting local farms that also suffered economic losses in the aftermath of the fire.
“A lot of people lost their jobs because businesses burned down or because they were displaced,” Gass said. “The need is still very present, but many of the resources that were available in the beginning are gone.”
Despite the financial uncertainty, the organization is preparing for a special July 11 event that will mark the next phase of its recovery efforts. Unlike traditional distributions, where produce is pre-packed and distributed to registered participants, residents will be able to select fresh produce in a farmers market-style setting at no cost.
The event will also feature community listening sessions focused on food access, recovery challenges and long-term needs throughout Altadena. All Hands & Hearts and Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, are paying for the produce from July to December.
“We want to hear directly from residents about what they’re struggling to find and what they want food access to look like moving forward,” Gass said.
Organizers will provide on-site registration assistance and introduce improvements designed to make participation easier for residents navigating multiple recovery programs and services. The event will also serve as a celebration of the program’s continued operation as it enters a new phase supported by recently secured produce funding.
For Joy Hepp, an Altadena resident of 10 years who is currently displaced in East Hollywood while her home is rebuilt, the program has provided more than groceries.
“We went from spending minimal rent for years to suddenly having a rent payment,” Hepp said. “All of our budgets became stretched overnight.”
While any food assistance helps, Hepp said the quality of the produce has made a meaningful difference during a difficult and uncertain time.
“It felt like a dignified experience,” she said. “Having fresh organic food felt like a luxury at a time when you’re mostly buying whatever is on sale and trying to make everything work.”
She remembers early distributions supported through partnerships with World Central Kitchen, where families received fresh herbs, basil and large ripe strawberries. “It goes beyond saving money,” Hepp said. “It’s a morale boost.”
With rebuilding still underway and timelines uncertain, Hepp said many survivors continue balancing temporary housing costs, insurance challenges and the emotional toll of recovery.
“Having one thing you don’t have to worry about is really nice,” she said. “A lot of people look forward to these distributions because they get to see people who still care. So many things have dropped off, but the fact that they’re still showing up is really heartening,” said Hepp.
Looking beyond immediate disaster recovery, the organization recently helped launch the Dena Food Resource Committee, bringing together food providers and community organizations to coordinate resources, reduce waste and strengthen food access throughout Altadena. The goal, Gass said, is to build a more resilient local food system that continues serving residents long after recovery efforts conclude.
“We want to continue providing food access long term,” she said. “And if we ever get to a point where we can’t provide it for free, we want to make sure people can still access healthy, locally grown food at prices they can afford.”
The future of one of Altadena’s most visible recovery programs depends on whether it can secure enough support to keep the people behind it working.
After months of serving a community still navigating recovery, Gass says the mission remains unchanged. “We’re trying to stay here as long as we can for the community.”