“The volunteers? I love them, they are the best!” Homeowner Sandra Diaz couldn’t wait to gush about the HCRN volunteers who had come to her house to remediate smoke damage and make repairs. “I enjoyed them so much,” she said recently as she showed me her home. “This room had the whole ceiling come down because the wind damaged the roof and the water just poured in, but now it’s fixed and so beautiful. It even feels bigger.” Sandra is one of thousands of Altadena residents who suffered damage during the January 2025 fires and the strong winds, but whose homes remain standing.
She has been renting a small apartment in Los Angeles about 45 minutes from Altadena after moving a couple of times. She said she’s been paying rent and her mortgage since the fire.
Sandra came to a Family Night Dinner recently and shared with the group about her experience. “I had lost hope. I thought my God had forgotten me. I had hired a contractor who didn’t complete the work, took my money and left. I prayed and told God, I just can’t do anymore.” Then she said she had a call from Mark at Hope Crisis Response Network. Mark went to the house, assessed the situation and created a plan to make the repairs. Sandra was able to move back into her house, along with her teenage son.
The roof had been repaired but the damage left inside was still a huge problem. The interior plaster was damaged in the ceiling and the wall in both bedrooms. Sandra was very concerned about getting back into her house after being displaced for more than a year. HCRN staff and volunteers were able to make repairs, remediate the house and even provided new beds for the family. “Getting Sandra back into her home was our priority after meeting her and seeing the remaining damage,” said Mark Cox, HCRN vice president of operations. “Our plan provided a safe, sanitary and secure home for Sandra and her son.”
Sandra drove to her home every day to meet the volunteers and made fresh fruit infused waters for them, which were refreshing during the early season heat wave. The volunteers enjoyed their chats with Sandra and her hospitality.
Sandra and her family are so thankful to be home and back in Altadena, no longer paying both rent and a mortgage. Sandra said she also appreciated the staff for their attitude toward her. “They didn’t treat me like a beggar needing help, they gave me kindness and hope.”
HCRN is able to repair homes for Altadena residents like Sandra thanks to a grant from FireAid. Their support allows us to repair the damage left by the fire and strong winds that heavily damaged homes that survived the flames.
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