Los Angeles, California
California Disaster Recovery & Wildfire Readiness
Program Start: January 2025
From long-term recovery in Altadena to wildfire preparedness across Santa Cruz and Alameda Counties, All Hands & Hearts is building a year-round presence in California that helps communities recover, prepare, and become more resilient.
Recent Updates
Disaster Profile
The 2025 Los Angeles wildfires were one of the most devastating disasters in California’s history.
The Los Angeles Wildfires ignited on January 7, 2025, beginning with the Palisades Fire, which rapidly spread due to an extreme wind event. Just hours later, the Eaton Fire sparked, quickly intensifying the devastation. Both fires, along with several smaller blazes, tore through residential neighborhoods, local businesses and community centers, fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds and dangerously dry conditions. More than 50,000 acres burned, over 16,000 structures were destroyed and 28 lives were lost. At the peak of the crisis, more than 200,000 people were under evacuation orders, making this one of the most deadly and devastating wildfire events in California history.
California Recovery Doesn’t End When the Headlines Do
Recovery creates resilience.
All Hands & Hearts is building a long-term presence in California that connects disaster recovery with preparedness and resilience. Through trusted local partnerships, we help communities recover after disaster, restore schools and community spaces, and strengthen wildfire preparedness before the next emergency.
Recovery doesn’t end when rebuilding is complete. It continues until families feel safe, schools thrive, neighbors reconnect, and communities are prepared for whatever comes next.
A displaced family returns home. A neighborhood at risk becomes a neighborhood ready. None of it lasts without the people who stay.
California Impact
Since January 2025, All Hands & Hearts has directly impacted more than 21,000 people across California through recovery, community partnerships, and preparedness initiatives.
Current impact includes:
- 21,000+ people directly impacted across California
- 1,700+ fire-affected families receiving fresh produce through December 2026
- Long-term recovery projects in Altadena following the Eaton Fire
- Community Wildfire Readiness initiatives launching in Santa Cruz and Alameda Counties
- Growing partnerships with schools, nonprofits, local governments, businesses, and community organizations
Every number represents a family rebuilding after a disaster, a student returning to a healthier learning environment, or a community becoming stronger before the next emergency.
One State. Two Timelines. One Mission.
California is one state, but communities are living very different realities.
While communities in Southern California continue the long road to recovery, Northern California is preparing for future wildfire seasons through community readiness and risk reduction.
AH&H works across both timelines because resilient communities require both recovery and preparedness.
Southern California
Recovery
Our work in Altadena and Los Angeles County focuses on helping communities rebuild stronger after the Eaton Fire.
Current initiatives include:
- Home repair and rebuilding support
- School recovery and campus revitalization
- Outdoor learning spaces
- Murals and campus beautification
- Community gathering spaces
- Food security and fresh produce access
- Corporate volunteer engagement
- Local business partnerships
- Family-centered community events
Through partnerships with schools, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and community leaders, AH&H continues supporting long-term recovery well beyond the emergency response.
Northern California
Readiness
In Santa Cruz and Alameda Counties, AH&H is helping communities prepare before disaster strikes.
Through California’s Community Wildfire Readiness Program, supported by the Cal OES LISTOS grant, we are developing programs focused on:
- Community preparedness workshops
- Emergency planning education
- Wildfire awareness
- Trusted information and alerts
- Chainsaw safety training
- Defensible Space and Zone 0 implementation
- Home hardening education
- Community tabling and outreach
- Local partner capacity building
Prepared communities recover faster.
Why California?
California experiences some of the nation’s most complex disasters.
Wildfire recovery often continues for years after emergency response ends, while communities across the state face increasing risks from future wildfires, extreme heat, and climate-related disasters.
AH&H is investing in long-term partnerships that allow us to support communities throughout the entire disaster cycle, connecting recovery with preparedness to build stronger and more resilient communities.
Why All Hands & Hearts?
Our approach combines Recovery, Readiness, and Relationships into one connected model.
Unlike organizations that focus on only one phase of disaster management, AH&H works across the full continuum by combining:
- Volunteer-powered implementation
- Community-driven project development
- Home rebuilding and recovery
- School and neighborhood restoration
- Disaster preparedness education
- Wildfire mitigation initiatives
- Long-term local partnerships
Our work is built alongside communities, not simply delivered to them.
What Recovery Creates:
Recovery
Creates:
- Safe homes
- Restored schools
- Community gathering spaces
- Food security
- Stability
- Hope
Readiness
Creates:
- Better prepared families
- Safer neighborhoods
- Reduced wildfire risk
- Faster disaster recovery
- Community confidence
Relationships
Create:
- Trusted local partnerships
- Volunteer engagement
- Community ownership
- Sustainable impact
- Long-term investment
Together they create Resilience.
California in Action
Home Recovery
Supporting rebuilding and repair projects that help families safely return home.
School Recovery
Creating healthier, safer, and more inspiring learning environments through campus improvements, outdoor learning spaces, murals, shade structures, and volunteer-led beautification.
Community Partnerships
Working alongside trusted local organizations to identify needs, strengthen community resilience, and expand long-term impact.
Food Security
Supporting families through fresh produce distributions, community events, and partnerships that improve access to healthy food.
Wildfire Readiness
Preparing communities through education, training, and practical mitigation efforts that reduce future wildfire risk.
Our Partners
Recovery happens through collaboration.
AH&H works alongside:
- Schools
- Local governments
- VOAD partners
- Long-Term Recovery Groups
- Community organizations
- Local businesses
- Foundations
- Corporate partners
- Volunteers
- Community leaders
Together we are building stronger, more resilient California communities.
Community Voice
Placeholder for a community, partner, volunteer, donor, or school quote.
A human story should reinforce the impact of the work.
Examples:
- Principal
- Homeowner
- Volunteer
- Student
- Community partner
Get Involved
There are many ways to support California communities.
Volunteer
Join community recovery projects, school revitalization efforts, preparedness events, and future volunteer deployments.
Corporate Partnerships
Support meaningful employee engagement through volunteer opportunities that create lasting community impact.
Foundations & Donors
Invest in projects that connect recovery with preparedness, creating stronger communities today while reducing future disaster risk.
Community Partners
If your organization serves wildfire-impacted or at-risk communities, we’d love to explore opportunities to work together.
Current Focus Areas
Southern California
- Long-term Eaton Fire recovery
- School campus revitalization
- Home rebuilding support
- Community events
- Food security initiatives
- Corporate volunteer opportunities
Northern California
- Community Wildfire Readiness
- Preparedness education
- Chainsaw training
- Defensible Space / Zone 0 implementation
- Home hardening education
- Community outreach
Looking Ahead
California’s disaster landscape continues to evolve. AH&H is committed to remaining a trusted partner for communities before, during, and after disasters by investing in long-term relationships, volunteer-powered implementation, and locally driven solutions that extend well beyond emergency response.
Our vision is to help California communities not only recover from disasters, but become stronger, safer, and more resilient before the next one.
