Back to School After California Eaton Fire, A Playground Built by You

Before the Eaton Fire, mornings at Odyssey South Charter School in Altadena, California, looked like mornings anywhere else: backpacks bouncing down the sidewalk, kids racing each other to their favorite bench, parents at the school gate waving goodbye to their little ones. Odyssey South was a thriving school community in Altadena, where students learned, played, and grew together each day.

Then the fire tore through, taking more than buildings with it. It forced the school off its campus, disrupting far more than classrooms. For students and families, it also disrupted the routines, relationships, and sense of stability that make a school feel like home.

Alongside the Altadena community, All Hands & Hearts helped transform Odyssey South’s new, relocated campus into a vibrant place to learn and grow. What was once an office building became a school filled with color and life.

Restoring Community and Play

Today, Odyssey South welcomes 220 students and 37 staff members each morning. At drop-off, parents stay a little longer, catching up with friends and reconnecting with neighbors. The transformed outdoor spaces have created vital opportunities for students to play, connect, and simply enjoy being kids again.

“By investing in our playground, you are helping us create a joyful, healing environment where children can feel like kids again—free to laugh, play, and grow.”

— Odyssey Charter School

The playground did more than give children a place to run; it helped bring an entire community back together.

Double Your Impact This Back to School Season

Our Back to School, Built by You campaign is officially underway. From now until September 9, every gift goes twice as far thanks to a $50,000 match.

You can help make this a reality for many more children around the world today, bringing safe, welcoming learning spaces back to the next community that needs them.