"The first thing you see when you walk into the Collaboratory in Altadena is a wall of devastation. A floor-to-ceiling map of every lot lost to the Eaton fire in January 9,413 structures. Each marked with a red dot on a grid of streets that have looked like a charred moonscape for 11 months. The wall is a harrowing depiction of loss in the Eaton fire. But one turn to the right, and hope kicks back in."
"As government and charitable attention have drifted from Altadena over the last year, it's one of the few new lifelines in the area for fire survivors still rebuilding their lives. None of us have experienced this before, said Michelle White, an Altadena native and the founder of the community activist nonprofit Neighborhood Survants, which spearheaded the Collaboratory. People were saying, I don't know where housing is. I don't know where to find my deed. I need help with mental health services, rebuilding, insurance."
The Collaboratory opened in October in Altadena to house dozens of nonprofits offering consolidated aid to Eaton fire survivors. The hub provides one-stop access to services including housing assistance, mental health support, permitting help and guidance on deeds, insurance and rebuilding. A floor-to-ceiling map inside tracks the 9,413 structures lost in the January fire, underscoring the scale of local loss. The Collaboratory was created to simplify bureaucracy and connect survivors to resources as government and charitable attention decreased. The center aims to reduce displacement risk and support long-term community recovery.
Read at www.latimes.com
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