Standing in front of a crowd at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Pasadena last Sunday, Pastor Anthony McFarland wasn’t celebrating a faith service, but he was offering up hope.
McFarland was joined by an impressive roster of Altadena community leaders to launch “Come Back Home,” led by his own Lift International Church and the Altadena CDC, or Community Development Corporation. Joy Chen, executive director of Every Fire Survivor’s Network and community activist Zaire Calvin of Xtreme Athletics also attended.
Their message: yes, the needs in rebuilding are out there, but so are help and options.
“Our mission is a coordinated effort to help Eaton fire survivors, including my family as well as myself, overcome the financial, administrative, and technical barriers that still keep families from rebuilding and returning home, and we are really targeting those members within our communities, seniors, elders who are having a tough time with figuring things out,” said McFarland, who lost his home of 32 years in the Eaton fire.
With 2,222 property parcels in the burn zone still without rebuilding applications on file, the need is there for continued support, he added. That means helping people come back home to build back with organizations they can trust to help them not only bridge gaps in funding the rebuild but also construct their home.
More than 160 families attended the launch, all of whom have received some aid in rebuilding. But more should step forward to get help.
Representatives from nonprofit builders said they are looking for Altadenans to help.
Philip Hamilton from Samaritan’s Purse; Katherine Peoples from HPP Cares; Valerie Cox from Hope Crisis Response; Dan Sharp from Mennonite Disaster Service; and Emma Hartley from an Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity said aid is waiting for Altadenans in all situations.
Glenn Friedman of direct-giving nonprofit The Change Reaction reported his philanthropy is helping 10 people build their homes back in Altadena.
“What I can tell you is, on your own, it’s a real challenge, but when you have allies and people supporting you, like Hope Crisis and Habitat for Humanity who’ve done this over and over again, helping communities come back, there is an opportunity,” Friedman said.
Victoria Knapp, former chair of the Altadena Town Council, represented the volunteer group ACONA, the Altadena Coalition of Neighborhoods. She lost her home in the fire and is about 80% rebuilt.
“As we move into the third year of recovery in 2027, community and its resilience are what are at the forefront of my mind,” Knapp said, adding that the memory of the 19 Altadenans killed in the fire are never far from her thoughts too. “But we are not exactly where we want to be.”
While about 3,700 of destroyed properties have submitted residential rebuild applications, and the town is closing in on its 200th home to be completed post-fire, an emergency remains as small businesses struggle to stay open.
“If you are within sound of my voice, please, please, please shop local,” Knapp said. “We have to have these small businesses survive.”
Van Brown, managing executive director of Altadena CDC, announced the launch of a centralized platform designed to provide state and municipal resources, grants, specialized recovery programs, and financial assistance options at altadenacdc.org.
The platform hopes to make the recovery process easier by offering a consolidated site for programs on everything rebuilding and recovery in all its forms.
Marisol Espino lost the home she shared with her father, child, sister and her sister’s children.
“After the fire there was never really a question about whether we wanted to rebuild,” she said. “Most importantly, we wanted our father, who is 84 years old, to be able to return to the home he had worked so hard for and live out his days there.”
The Espinos will break ground on their Foothill Catalog Foundation home this week, made possible by San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity.
“To any survivor who feels overwhelmed or hopeless, I want you to know there is a way home,” Marisol Espino said. “Ask questions. Explore your options. There is no one right way to rebuild. There’s only the path that works for you and your family.”
McFarland was on hand to celebrate the groundbreaking of Emmanuel and Emma Alvarado’s home on Aug. 20. The couple, who are in their late 80s and have been married 65 years, will rebuild through HPP Cares, at no cost to them, Peoples said.
“It’s a beautiful thing, especially when we’re helping our elders get back to their homes,” McFarland said. “I say it all the time, we’re all in the same boat rowing in the same direction, one day at a time, one week at a time, one month at a time all of our homes will be rebuilt. It’s prayers coming to pass as well as all the organizations coming together to make it happen.”