DENA Cares

Wildfire relief

San Gabriel Valley

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

On January 8, 2025, the Eaton Canyon Fire displaced numerous families and individuals in the Pasadena and Altadena communities. In response, Day One has mobilized immediate and sustained support to those affected, particularly vulnerable populations including seniors, pregnant women, mixed-status families, families within the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD), and many other family compositions. Our team has created safe, welcoming spaces where the community can access vital resources, support, and a sense of stability during this difficult time.

DENA Cares is a community-led disaster recovery initiative launched in response to the Eaton Canyon wildfires to meet both immediate and long-term needs of families in Altadena and Pasadena. From this effort grew two anchor programs: DENA Home Market and DENA Shop. DENA Home Market is a recurring event that serves up to 3,000 families per gathering and has distributed over $30,000 in direct recovery support. It functions as a hub for healing and connection, offering mental health services, essential goods, gift cards, music, and therapeutic spaces, including a children’s area. The Market moves beyond traditional resource fairs by offering on-site services such as eye exams, contractor guidance, and storytelling spaces that foster recovery.
DENA Shop is a no-cost relief store supported by a community collaborative. While our staff manages inventory, we follow a “take what you need” model and invite ongoing community input to ensure the space stays welcoming and community-informed.
What makes DENA Cares innovative is its commitment to sustainable recovery, even within emergency response constraints. We hire locally to support economic resilience and are intentional about what we distribute such as bikes for fire-impacted families, reusable goods, and solar panel options featured at our events, offering practical, low-carbon tools to help families build back better.

If our work is successful, fire-impacted families in Altadena and Pasadena will have access to safe, stable housing and feel supported through every stage of their recovery. In the short term, families will receive essential goods, housing referrals, and emotional care. In the long term, they’ll rebuild stronger connections to community, resources, and opportunity. Our vision is to establish a recovery model rooted in care, sustainability, and trust; one that hires locally, distributes intentionally, and promotes low-carbon, practical solutions. DENA Cares can serve as a scalable blueprint for how communities across Los Angeles County can respond to wildfires and natural disasters with equity and urgency. By uplifting families through coordinated, community-led efforts, we aim not only to build resilience but to build back better.