Since January, All Hands & Hearts (AH&H) has been on the ground supporting communities recovering from the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles County, the most destructive in California’s history. A lot has happened since then, and together with community members, local partners and dedicated volunteers, we’ve helped families take major steps toward recovery and new beginnings.
In this time, we’ve served over 21,000 people across the region, each with a story of personal strength and community resilience to tell.
Clearing the Air
Smoke left behind after wildfires can embed heavy metal toxins, such as lead, into walls, flooring, and soft goods, posing serious health risks to families. In Altadena, where many residents are renters or low-income households, commercial smoke remediation costs of $6,000–$10,000 were out of reach. Together with partner organizations -and building on lessons from our work supporting Hawaii’s wildfire recovery- we provided smoke remediation at over 180 family homes, removing toxic residues and helping families return to safe, healthy living spaces.
For Alyson, a mother of two, buying their first home in Altadena was the start of something beautiful. She was on her way to creating a safe space where her children could grow up surrounded by a vibrant community and kind neighbors. They had even planned to build a second home on the property for her parents, a dream cut short when the wildfire swept through their neighborhood.
“The experience during the wildfires was truly unimaginable,” Alyson shared. “The magnitude of what happened that night, and the hours and days after, were incredibly traumatizing.”
She and her family escaped with only their most precious belongings and important documents, finding temporary refuge in her husband’s office just 13 minutes away, where smoke still filled the air. For months, they lived out of suitcases, relying on every form of support available for basics such as clean water and meals. Despite losing their home and even her child’s school, Alyson and her husband’s main focus was on keeping the kids safe, supported and smiling through it all.
Today, Alyson’s home is the final one our team has smoke remediated in Los Angeles. As her family waits to finally return for the first time since January, this progress is a hopeful turning point. Thanks to the dedicated smoke remediation work completed by our teams, Alyson’s home is now one step closer to welcoming them back.
“There are not enough words of gratitude that I can extend,” Alyson shared. “Working alongside All Hands & Hearts has definitely restored my faith in the goodness people have.”
Community-Led Recovery
From the very beginning, we have partnered with women- and community-led organizations to ensure recovery efforts truly reflected the needs of local families. Through initiatives like 24LA’s Shop with Dignity, we helped families shop for donated goods in a choice-based way, allowing individuals in need to access their own essentials with dignity. Meanwhile, our Soft Goods & Furnishings Project provided bedding, clothing and household essentials to households recovering from smoke damage.
Through partnerships with organizations across Los Angeles, including NDLON, 24LA Relief Center, YMCA Pasadena Sierra Madre, CORE pop-up events and warehouse, Reach Out WorldWide (ROWW), and the LA Dream Center, we’ve supported the distribution of essential supplies to tens of thousands of residents, ensuring fire survivors could access free, dignified assistance exactly when they needed it most.
Now, we continue to support 24LA’s warehouse, which operates as a year-round community hub—its “shopping days” serve more than 400 residents per event. There is a room for children to play while parents shop for items still in need almost a year after the disaster.
Supporting Youth and Emotional Recovery
Beyond the physical impacts of disaster hides the often-overlooked emotional burden of trauma and loss. AH&H has been prioritizing supporting families and youth as they navigate these challenges, helping bring stability and a sense of normalcy. In partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Pasadena, we continue to support the emotional recovery of local children who faced displacement, trauma and disruption to their daily lives. For many children, the Club became a place of refuge after the fires, a space where they could reconnect with friends and participate in activities to take their minds off what’s happening at home.
“I could see how much it meant to them to have somewhere familiar,” shared Natalie, a Care Coordinator at the Club. “Somewhere they could just be kids and feel okay.”
Through structured activities, academic support and access to mental health services -including a full-time mental health professional funded by AH&H- the Club has played an essential role in helping children heal. AH&H also supported youth through summer camp registrations and equipment, ensuring kids could continue learning, laughing and feeling safe, when their home life was turned upside down.
Building a Safer, Prepared Future
As our field operations come to a close, we remain committed to building a safer, more prepared Los Angeles County. AH&H’s Safety and Security Advisor led HAZMAT and asbestos sample collection training to equip local teams with these specialized skills, ensuring that communities can safely carry out smoke remediation in the future, whenever the need arises.
Together, we’ve helped families recover, strengthened local capacity and brought hope back to thousands. The road to recovery continues, but the compassion and resilience we’ve witnessed in Los Angeles will leave a lasting impact for years to come.
