Jolene Austin, 40, can trace the trajectory of her life post-Eaton Fire geographically.
After her 9-year-old daughter woke her up at 3 a.m. Jan. 7, and the family of five fled their Altadena home, Austin has called the Pasadena Convention Center, an AirBnB and then a hotel home.
On Tuesday, they arrived at their fourth stop: the LA Crystal Hotel in Compton. They were among the first of 40 families displaced by the Eaton Fire that is getting help from “Project Uplift: Altadena Resident Relief.”
Councilmember Andre Spicer said he and his partners have raised $45,000 to house 40 Altadena families for three weeks, longer if more funds are collected. He said he launched the initiative shortly after the Palisades and Eaton wildfires erupted on Jan. 7. Both fires have razed more than 37,000 acres and killed at least 28 people. Both are also close to 100% containment.
The plan is to house people temporarily and give them a chance to regroup while also accessing resources to get them back on their feet. He could not just stand by and watch, Spicer said.
“We want to keep these people home, whether that home is Altadena or Compton, we want them to stay in Los Angeles County,” adding he hopes the city of Compton will also pledge its support.
Rev. Michael J.T. Fisher, pastor of Greater Zion Church in Compton, told the families they will be matched with volunteers who will help each get acclimated to the city. It’s a case of “your own stepping up to make it happen, Brown and Black, like we’ve done for hundreds of years.”
“Allow space to grieve for what you’ve lost, feel a way about this, have your questions,” Fisher said. “All will be well even if we can’t see it.”
Spicer said he is focusing on victims from Altadena and Pasadena because “those communities are the most affected and the last to get resources in most cases.”
During their stay, the families can attend workshops on business and personal finance, access mental health resources…
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