Dear friends and family,
What does disaster recovery look like when the cameras leave, but the work is far from over? Sometimes, it’s a child walking into a restored school. A family receiving fresh produce while still struggling to make ends meet. Or a volunteer clearing vegetation in Santa Cruz County to reduce the risk of the next wildfire reaching someone’s home.
These moments may look different, but they share one belief: communities deserve support not only after disasters, but also before the next one strikes.
That’s the future we’re building at All Hands & Hearts (AH&H) in California.
A Different Kind of Disaster Work
In Santa Cruz County, the scars of past wildfires remain. For residents who have already experienced devastating losses, preparing for another fire can feel overwhelming.
That’s where our teams are stepping in.
Working alongside the Santa Cruz County Long Term Recovery Group (SCCLTRG), we’re helping vulnerable households reduce wildfire risks through Zone 0 improvements, defensible-space work, vegetation management, and hazardous tree removal.
It’s demanding, hands-on work. But every property made safer represents something much bigger: a family with greater peace of mind and a community better prepared for the future.
With support from partners including ToolBank, we’re equipping our teams with the tools needed to turn preparedness into action.
We aren’t waiting for the next wildfire to find out where help is needed.
The Most Valuable Tool Is a Trained Community
A chainsaw can clear hazardous vegetation. But in trained hands, it can also help build something that lasts: local capacity.
Over three weeks this fall, AH&H has been bringing together alumni volunteers, Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) members, staff, and community partners for hands-on chainsaw training.
The goal goes beyond learning how to operate equipment. We’re strengthening a network of people who can contribute safely to wildfire mitigation and future disaster response.
And that network is growing.
9 AH&H alumni volunteers were engaged. 25 day-volunteer applications were received. Local community volunteers joined the effort.
We also coordinated two days of practical workshops led by Steve Whalley, Safety and Security Advisor, focused on strengthening DART participation, safely distributing aid after disasters, and building community first-aid and Stop the Bleed skills.
Each person who gains confidence and practical knowledge becomes another resource their community can count on.
Interested in volunteering in California? We’d love to connect and explore how you can get involved.
Preparedness Shouldn’t Be Complicated or Out of Reach
What would your family do during the first 72 hours after a disaster? Would you know when to evacuate, where to go, and what to bring?
Every household deserves the tools to answer these questions.
Through our Cal OES LISTOS grant-supported Community Wildfire Readiness Program, we’re working across Santa Cruz and Alameda Counties to make emergency preparedness more accessible, practical, and community-centered.
This October, we’re taking that conversation directly to students, families, and neighbors.
On October 14, we joined the Las Positas College Earth Science Summit in Livermore, where students explored how science, sustainability, and real-world challenges intersect. Our team shared wildfire-readiness resources and discussed how communities can prepare for disasters.
On October 17, we joined the City of Santa Cruz and UC Santa Cruz for Race the Flame, an emergency preparedness run and community information fair focused on resilience and the importance of planning for the first 72 hours after a disaster.
At both events, we’ll host preparedness information tables, share educational resources, and connect with community members.
In November, we’ll bring this work even closer to home through a November 7 neighborhood go-bag workshop in Oakland and a November 12 approximately 50 families preparedness event at Via Nova Preschool in Berkeley.
We’re also connecting with California’s wider preparedness network through Cal OES Ready Summits in San Ramon and Long Beach.
Because preparedness becomes powerful when it moves beyond a checklist and becomes something families understand, practice, and share.
In Altadena, Recovery Is Still Personal
Nearly two years after the 2025 Eaton Fire, recovery remains part of everyday life for many families.
At Odyssey Charter School South, we continue restoring educational spaces where students can learn, play, and reconnect.
A school is more than its buildings. It’s where friendships form, routines return, and children begin to feel that life is moving forward again.
In partnership with Aaron Shen and the Public Health and Safety Youth Coalition, a student-led organization from Temple City, we’ve helped deliver 427 school-supply bags to students at Odyssey South and Rosebud Academy.
Our ongoing partnership with 24LA(two for LA) is helping create more opportunities for youth engagement, creativity, and community connection, keeping local voices at the center of recovery.
And sometimes, the moments that matter most are the simplest.
Thanks to a generous donation from Aspire Bakeries, Odyssey South students will have opportunities to come together, learn about baking, and share cookies. A chance to learn something new, laugh with friends, and enjoy being kids.
These are the moments that remind us what we’re rebuilding for.
Nourishing Recovery, One Family at a Time
For families affected by the Eaton Fire, recovery is about more than rebuilding walls. It’s also about having access to the essentials that make everyday life possible.
Through our partnership with Altadena Farmers Market, supported by the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, we’re helping fire-affected households access fresh, locally sourced produce through December 2026.
In September alone, the program provided:
400 free produce vouchers. Approximately 5,120 meals.
Behind every number is a household working to regain stability.
This September, we also joined the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank’s Day of Giving, alongside Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation and community partners, to strengthen conversations and partnerships around food access and long-term recovery.
Food brings people together. And in communities rebuilding after disaster, that connection matters as much as ever.
Ten Runners. One Marathon. A Mission That Goes Far Beyond the Finish Line.
Next March, we’re taking our mission to the streets of Los Angeles!
All Hands & Hearts is bringing a team of 10 runners to the 2027 ASICS Los Angeles Marathon, with a collective goal of raising at least $10,000 to support our work.
Every mile will represent something bigger than the race: families rebuilding, students returning to welcoming classrooms, and communities preparing for the future.
And there’s still an opportunity to be part of the team.
A limited number of runner spots are available.
Whether you’re an experienced marathoner or ready to take on a new challenge for a meaningful cause, we’d love to have you join us.
Apply to Run with All Hands & Hearts
The Next Chapter Is Ours to Build Together
There isn’t one finish line for disaster recovery.
For some families, the journey is about returning home. For others, it’s finding stability, restoring a school, or preparing their property before the next wildfire season.
That’s why our work in California is growing beyond individual projects and immediate disaster response.
We’re building relationships that last, skills that stay in communities, and programs that connect recovery with readiness.
And there is a place for you in this work.
You can volunteer your time, support our programs with a donation, introduce us to a community or organization that needs a partner, or help us spread the word.
Every contribution helps us reach another family, support another student, or make another community more resilient.
Thank you for believing in the importance of staying, listening, and building alongside communities long after the headlines fade.
Support Disaster Readiness and Long-Term Recovery in California
True resilience takes long-term commitment. Your donation clears hazardous wildfire fuels, restores essential learning spaces for students, delivers fresh produce to fire-impacted families, and trains local volunteers across California.
