With thousands of acres burned and homes lost, the citizens of this historic L.A. suburb find nourishment, solace, and resolve through local food. Here’s how you can help.
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With thousands of acres burned and homes lost, the citizens of this historic L.A. suburb find nourishment, solace, and resolve through local food. Here’s how you can help.
January 22, 2025
Congresswoman Judy Chu, right, at a World Central Kitchen food distribution site in Altadena, CA, during the wildfires that consumed large swaths of Los Angeles this month. (Photo credit: Ryan Salm Photography/World Central Kitchen)
In Los Angeles, the Palisades and Eaton fires that have burned for the past two weeks are among the deadliest and most destructive in California history, exacerbated by climate change. As of publication, the Palisades Fire is 63 percent contained while Eaton, in the suburb of Altadena, is 89 percent contained. Together they’ve burned nearly 40,000 acres of urban Los Angeles.
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Pacific Palisades, which has an average home listing price of $4.7 million, has gotten much of the attention in news media because of the many celebrities who own homes there. Altadena, whose average home listing price is just 28 percent that of the Palisades, is less known, yet has a rich history.
During the Great Migration, when 6 million African Americans moved from the South to the North, Midwest, and West, many Black families settled here as nearby neighborhoods like Pasadena practiced redlining. In 2024, 18 percent of Altadena residents were Black; more than half were people of color. And 80 percent of those Black Americans were homeowners.
Though the Eaton fire still smolders, the Altadena community has banded together for relief and recovery. Many have lost so much: family members, friends, homes, valuables, places where memories were made. Through food, residents who have lost everything are finding sustenance for body and soul, and hospitality workers are collaborating to help the best way they know how. Here are 13 initiatives—some within the neighborhood, some from greater Los Angeles—that you can support to keep the victims of the fire in this vibrant community fed in the short and long term.
In operation since 2012 and held on Wednesday afternoons in Loma Alta Park in west Altadena, the Altadena farmers’ market has sustained a double whammy, with local farms and vendors losing business and residents suffering the tremendous loss of the market, incinerated in the fire. All donations “will be used to purchase local produce from small farmers who are deeply affected by the fires,” says Rafaela Gass, the market manager and owner. “The produce will be given for free to families who lost everything and are now living on cereal bars and fast food. Our community needs and deserves to be nourished with healthy fruits and vegetables, grown with love and care by our farmers.” Farmers’ market food giveaways will take place on Wednesdays starting January 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Unincorporated Coffee Roasters, 2160 Colorado Avenue, in Eagle Rock.
The Altadena Community Garden, which began in the mid-1970s, has also been decimated by the Eaton Fire. Located on the site of a former military academy adjacent to Loma Alta Park, it had 82 plots rented by residents for generations, and a communal area spread over 2.5 acres. Operating as a self-supported nonprofit, it receives no county funding, making the loss of the garden that much more tragic. It is hard to estimate the impact the destruction of the garden will have on the community’s ability to feed itself, as community gardens are instrumental in battling food insecurity. The garden also reduces environmental impacts, since the food doesn’t need to be trucked in. To help the garden rebuild, you can donate to its efforts to rehabilitate the soil, replenish garden tools and structures, and replant foliage—all consumed by the fire.
Altadena Seed Library is a seed-exchange network, founded to expand access to green spaces and shade while increasing food sovereignty and restoring local ecosystems. Helmed by Nina Raj, the library is accepting native seed and plant donations as well as tools such as shovels, crowbars, gloves, and saws to help sift through the rubble and clear debris. Native plants are especially useful after fire: Because they’re adapted to the dry local environment, they require far less water and are more apt to thrive. To find out which plants are native to the Altadena area, visit Calscape. Seed donations can be mailed to 37 Auburn Ave., No. 8, Sierra Madre, California, 91024, in care of Altadena Seed Library.
New Revelation Missionary Church, in partnership with Special Needs Network, LA Urban League, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has served as the site of distributing three hot, to-go meals per day prepared by Black-owned restaurants in L.A., among them The Serving Spoon, Dulan’s on Crenshaw, Hotville Chicken, and A Family Affair. It’s an important partnership between Black communities, with these restaurants—based in Inglewood, Crenshaw, Windsor Hills, and South L.A.—feeding Altadena, where 80 percent of New Revelation’s congregation lives.
“Our initiative not only supports local businesses, but also ensures that Altadena’s displaced residents have access to nourishing meals during this crisis,” says Connie Chavarria, senior director of programs and community services at Special Needs Network. “Donations serve as a lifeline for those who have been affected by the wildfires, offering them not just sustenance but also a sense of care and support from their community.” Donate to their LA/Altadena Fire Relief Fund to keep the meals going at 855 N. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena, with distribution times of 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 5:30 p.m.
The fires, and the destruction they’ve left in their path, have created dangerously poor air quality in the Los Angeles area, making conditions extremely hazardous for outdoor workers, including food vendors, many of whom live in Altadena. Inclusive Action for the City—an organization dedicated to supporting the economic needs of underinvested communities—has started a fund to provide cash assistance to those workers.
“Many street vendors, gardeners, and recyclers rely on jobs that are out in the open air, but due to the fires, many have lost their incomes or even their homes,” says Rudy Espinoza, the group’s CEO. The fund is offering $500 to each applicant, to be used however they see fit, and so far has received almost 11,000 applications.
“Thanks to generous donors and over 1,100 individuals on GoFundMe, we’ve raised over $1 million that can help us support 2,000 workers, but we still have a long way to go to care for them. We will continue to raise money to cover as many people as we can,” Espinoza says. To contribute to Inclusive Action’s cash assistance fund for outdoor workers, donate here.
Another Round Another Rally
An organization started by bartenders Amanda Gunderson and Travis Nass, Another Round Another Rally helps support restaurant workers, many of whom live in Altadena, with education through scholarships and emergency aid. “Right now our Disaster Relief Fund is focused on hospitality workers who were affected by the fires in Los Angeles. You can donate or apply for aid at disasterrelief. anotherroundanotherrally.org, and you can also find tools there to host a fundraiser,” says Gunderson.
Countless independent restaurants around Los Angeles have stepped up to help feed first responders and evacuees despite having lower cash flow due to the slow winter season and empty dining rooms in the aftermath of the fires. Many of these establishments have been paying out of pocket to feed their communities. Thanks to a coalition of restaurants banding together to form LA Community Meals, supporters can purchase prepared foods for those in need while patronizing impacted restaurants at the same time.
“The Community Meals initiative is important, because it has found a way for people in Los Angeles to contribute, while recognizing that restaurants can’t undertake the effort without financial support,” says Beth Griffiths, owner of Little Nelly, in Burbank. “We’re cooking meals at cost and with the assistance of generously donated product from our vendors, but being able to pay our staff has been game-changing in terms of how much we can put out each day.” Support one or more restaurants as they cook meals for those affected by the fires here.
World Central Kitchen (WCK), helmed by chef José Andrés, has been feeding afflicted communities all over the world, and Los Angeles is no exception. Here, they’ve partnered with Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken of Socalo; Roy Choi’s Kogi Trucks; Evan Funke of Mother Wolf, Funke, and Felix; and Briana Valdez of HomeState Pasadena. WCK’s fleet of food trucks have been on the road, feeding first responders and families who have been affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires, thanks to the funding of generous patrons.
“We chefs are built to feed people, and when there’s a disaster like this one in L.A., we swing into fifth gear,” says Milliken. “WCK is the glue between those in need and chefs who want to keep busy doing what they love: cooking. We’ve made over 10,000 meals and counting. My team is so thankful to be useful at a time when we all feel pretty useless in the face of natural disasters.”
Homestate Pasadena is also open and distributing meals. “Despite not having functional utilities, our team has been able to share over 7,000 meals, warm hospitality, and a place to call home for breakfast and dinner,” says Valdez.
You can donate to keep WCK’s trucks feeding those in need in L.A., or even join the WCK volunteer corps. Sign up to volunteer at HomeState Pasadena, or consider donating an order of Homestate’s tacos to those in need. To receive a free meal from WCK, check out its full list of meal distribution sites.
Hollywood Food Coalition has been serving dinners daily, 365 days a year, since 1987. Since the L.A. fires began, they’ve been ramping up food distributions to emergency responders and evacuation centers. They recognize the inadequacy of current response systems, especially for those experiencing homelessness.
“When a crisis strikes—like the current L.A. fires—we mobilize quickly with our partners to provide immediate relief until government assistance arrives,” says Arnali Ray, executive director. “We must keep investing in our food system infrastructure to ensure that, when the next crisis occurs, everyone—especially marginalized communities—has access to the food they need.”
The coalition is currently accepting dropoffs of food and other supplies in moderate quantities; see the list of desired items here. You can also make monetary donations on the same page. Dinners are served Mondays through Fridays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at The Salvation Army Campus at 5939 Hollywood Blvd., and on Saturdays and Sundays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the street, at the corner of Orange and Romaine.
Friends In Deed is a Pasadena-based, interfaith grassroots organization that began in 1894 and was officially established as a nonprofit in 1946. It serves homeless and at-risk communities, and during the fires is providing shelter at Trinity Lutheran Church at 997 E. Walnut Street in Pasadena, two miles south of the Eaton fire line. Though normally only operating at nighttime, their Bad Weather Shelter has kicked into 24/7 mode. The ongoing food pantry has been a staple in the community for over 50 years, and accepted donations can be found here, with the most-needed items being canned tuna and canned chicken, cereal, peanut butter, rice, hearty soups, stew, chili, pasta and pasta sauce, oil, sugar, flour, shelf-stable juices, and plant-based products.
“Our community represents just about every culture and background,” says Merria Velasco, senior director of development. “Single retired adults, families with young children, people who have fallen onto hard times, individuals experiencing homelessness, and most every other household picture you can think of, Friends In Deed serves them all.” The food pantry is open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Voto Latino, a grassroots political organization focused on empowering the new generation of Latino voters, is matching all donations to the National Day Laborer Organizing Network up to $15,000. The funds will support NDLON’s Pasadena Community Job Center, which is serving as a relief hub for Pasadena and Altadena, providing food, temporary shelter, water, and emergency kits for the workers who put food on L.A.’s tables, yet are frequently forgotten. They’re also taking donations of canned goods, Gatorade, water, fresh produce, and more for second responders, who often are undocumented day laborers who step up for disaster recovery.
This New York-based charity, founded by Yin Chang and Moonlynn Tsai, has expanded its operations to Los Angeles to help battle food insecurity experienced by Asian elders. Culturally sensitive foods accompanied by N95 masks and caring notes written in native languages are packaged in artful, hand-decorated bags, then delivered to homes with the aim of bringing hope and nourishment amid the crisis. On January 10, the first emergency drop to Korean elders contained packages of Korean bone broth, fresh produce, rice, buns, fishcakes, beef kimbap, and more. Donate to help Heart of Dinner reach its goal of feeding 1,000 Asian elders. Just $30 funds two to three days of meals and protective supplies.
Project Angel Food prepares and delivers medically tailored meals to the critically ill, designed to fit the unique needs of each patient, whether heart healthy, low fat, low protein, diabetic, gastrointestinal friendly, and more. At the moment, donations to the fire relief fund are being doubled, as it’s more crucial than ever that meals reach clients during this crisis. You can also volunteer for a shift to work in Angel Food’s temporary kitchen, located at 230 W Ave. 26 in Lincoln Heights, or to deliver meals.
As Altadena absorbs the shock and grief of loss, its deep community strength and the outpouring of support from the surrounding city are already helping its citizens recover. It will be a long, slow build, and your support will make a difference.
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