Eaton Fire Survivors, in Days of Advocacy, Call on State Leaders to Fund the CARE Fund and Keep Altadena Whole

Pasadena, CA – On Tuesday, August 18, at 9:00 a.m. (Pacific), the Dena Rise Up Coalition will hold a send off press conference at the Pasadena Job Center with buses carrying more than 100 Eaton Fire survivors, residents, workers, faith leaders, and community advocates and headed to Sacramento for a statewide advocacy effort focused on securing support for the Community Aid for Rebuilding Equity (CARE) Fund at the close of the first state budget since the state’s second largest disaster. 

“Recovery cannot be measured by promises. It must be measured by whether families can come home,” said Florence Annang, a spokesperson for the Dena Rise Up Coalition. “The CARE Fund is a community-driven solution designed to help working families, renters, seniors, and homeowners rebuild their lives and remain in the communities they helped build.” 

The advocacy trip comes more than a year after the Eaton Fire devastated Altadena and Pasadena communities, destroying thousands of structures and displacing families who continue to face major financial and housing barriers to returning home. Members of Dena Rise Up will meet with state legislators and administration officials to advocate for $25M in the Community Aid for Rebuilding and Equity Fund.  

“I can accept and be changed by what happens to me, but I REFUSE to be reduced by it,” said Esther Lopez-Ruiz, 52 year long Altadena resident, and total loss Eaton fire survivor.  

The coalition is advocating for the CARE Fund because it directly addresses the long term unmet needs of low- and moderate-income homeowners and renters while preserving and restoring affordable housing in Altadena. They are also organizing another press conference outside the Governor’s Mansion on Wednesday as part of the advocacy activities. 

According to Dena Rise Up, many survivors continue to face significant rebuilding gaps, insurance delays, and housing insecurity. The coalition is advocating for the CARE Fund because it directly addresses the unmet needs of low- and moderate-income homeowners and renters while preserving affordable housing opportunities in Altadena.  

The proposed CARE Fund would: 

• Provide rebuilding gap assistance for lower-income homeowners. 
• Preserve and expand affordable housing opportunities for displaced renters and working families. 

Dena Rise Up leaders note that Altadena remains at a critical crossroads. While recovery efforts continue, many residents still lack the resources needed to rebuild, creating a risk that longtime community members will be permanently displaced. The coalition believes the CARE Fund represents the state’s best opportunity to ensure recovery resources reach the survivors most impacted by the disaster.  

WHAT:  Bus send off, press conference with more than 100 Eaton Fire Survivors heading to Sacramento to advocate for funding to assist in rebuilding their lives after the devastating fire of 2025

WHEN:   Tuesday, August 18, 2026, 9:00 a.m. (Pacific)

WHERE:   Pasadena Community Job Center, 500 N Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA 91101

WHO:  members of the Dena Rise Up Coalition will be speaking, including 5 Fire Survivors who are going on the bus, My Tribe Rise Executive Director Heavenly Hughes, and Vlad Carrasco, Climate Justice Director at CHIRLA and a member of the Eaton Fire Collaborative 

And on Wednesday at 9 a.m.:

SACRAMENTO PRESS CONFERENCE AND STATE ADVOCACY

WHAT: Press conference with more than 100 Eaton Fire survivors, residents, workers, faith leaders, and community advocates arriving in Sacramento to call for $25 million in CARE Fund recovery funding. Following the press conference, Dena Rise Up members will travel to the State Capitol for meetings with state legislators and administration officials as a main advocacy activity of the delegation.

WHEN: Wednesday, August 19, 2026, 9:00 a.m. (Pacific)

WHERE: Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park, 1526 H St, Sacramento, CA 95814

PROGRAM:

• 8:30 a.m. — Arrival and media check-in
• 9:00 a.m. — Press conference
• 9:30 a.m. — Coalition departs for State Capitol advocacy

WHO: Eaton Fire survivors, residents, workers, faith leaders, community advocates, and members of the Dena Rise Up Coalition, including Brandon Lamar, Heavenly Hughes, Adriana Baptista, Vlad Carrasco, Jane Lawton, Kenny Peters, and other fire survivors.

PRESS is requested to RSVP to the press contacts above.

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About Dena Rise Up 

The Dena Rise Up Coalition brings together Eaton Fire survivors who live, work, and serve in Altadena and Pasadena. The coalition is working to ensure an inclusive recovery that allows residents to return, rebuild, and thrive through policies that support housing stability, environmental health, worker protections, and equitable investment in wildfire recovery. The coalition includes My Tribe Rise, NDLON,The Eaton Fire Collaborative, CHIRLA, End Child Poverty CA, Catalyst CA, Pasadena Community Job Center, , POP, LA Voice, NAACP PASADENA BRANCH, EFRU, Black Power Network, Altadena Rising and more.