Months after the Palisades and Eaton fires tore through LA County, communities are seeing significant signs of recovery, from rebuilding parks to grassroots efforts helping neighborhoods heal.
After the Eaton Fire left Altadena families displaced and young girls struggling to regain a sense of normalcy, one nonprofit in Pasadena began working to give those girls a fresh start.
Lauren Sandidge and her now 15-year-old daughter, Avery Colvert, founded Altadena Girls for those impacted by the fire.
“We really enjoyed being with our community, and so many of the spaces were gone, places to gather,” said Sandidge.
The non-profit has a permanent home in Pasadena and it is opening its doors to all girls in the San Gabriel Valley ages 13 to 17.
“I talked to so many different girls; older than me, Younger than me, my age, and they all had gone through something together, and we could bond over it,” said Colvert.
The space features an area for lounging, music rooms, and racks stocked with complimentary clothing. At a winter celebration, dozens of girls and volunteers gathered for food and crafts at the new home.
“I think that what makes it special is that there aren’t expectations when yOu are here. There is no need to look or be a certain way. It’s a place where you can just be,” said Colvert.
That sense of community is also alive on the coast, where Will Rogers State Historic Park reopened for the first time since the Palisades Fire
“We lost the historic ranch house, the historic stables. But despite the loss of those facilities, the heart and the spirit of this park have not been extinguished,” said Richard Fink, district superintendent for the Angeles District of California State Parks.
Fink says about five miles of trails, the polo field and the main lawn are back in service
“After so much damage and so much sadness that the community had to face. It’s a light and a glimmer of hope that it’s open,” said Valerie Sepulveda, who was visiting the park Saturday.
From Pasadena to the Palisades, recovery is happening slowly but surely. And while the scars of the fires remain, so does the determination to move forward
“It’s a long-term recovery. It’s going to take time. It’s going to take, I think, at least 10 years before things get completely back to normal, and we plan to be here to help support,” said Sandige.
Source: NBC Los Angeles