Sunday, June 7, 2026

Altadena Community Center Reopens as Full Service Hub After Eaton Fire Recovery

By EDDIE RIVERA

Supervisor Kathryn Barger addresses the crowd gathered at the Altadena Community Center’s re-opening. [Photo credit: Brian Feinzimer/LA County]

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger joined residents, community partners and the county’s Department of Consumer and Business Affairs at the Altadena Community Center on Saturday to celebrate the reopening of a facility that was damaged in the Eaton Fire just days after the department assumed operations there in January 2025.

The “New Beginnings” open house, a milestone in DCBA’s yearlong 50th anniversary celebration, drew community members who toured the renovated facility, met with county departments and local organizations, received health screenings and weighed in on future programming, according to a county press release.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger greets a resource table representative inside the community room at the Altadena Community Center. [Photo credit: Brian Feinzimer/LA County]

The event drew dozens of residents still navigating recovery from the fire. Barger and Carbajal each delivered brief remarks, and the center provided food for attendees.

Less than 18 months ago the center was closed for smoke damage and repurposed as a support center for wildfire survivors, the release stated; today, the county said, it operates as a full community hub offering services, recovery support and space for civic engagement.

After the county’s disaster recovery center closed, the community center reopened as a survivor support site, hosting representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Department of Mental Health, Public Health and the county tax collector, among others. Carbajal said thousands of residents used the services.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger speaks with a resource table representative while touring the newly renovated community room at the Altadena Community Center. [Photo credit: Brian Feinzimer/LA County]

“The Altadena Community Center has always been a place where neighbors connect and support one another,” Barger said in the release. “As Altadena continues to recover and rebuild, it’s essential that community spaces evolve to meet residents’ changing needs. This renewed facility will help ensure that local families have access to services, resources, and opportunities close to home.”

At Saturday’s ceremony, Barger said the recovery effort remains rooted in restoring the community’s connections. “While many have been displaced, they want to come back to this community,” she said. “They want to reconnect with their friends.”

Supervisor Kathryn Barger stands next to Liliana Garcia, the Community Center’s director, and Patricia Quirarte (left) and Erika Ortuno (far right) with Latina Fuerza Unida. [Photo credit: Brian Feinzimer/LA County]

“Reopening the Altadena Community Center reflects our commitment to meet residents where they are,” said Rafael Carbajal, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs. “As we mark 50 years of service, we’re not asking communities to come to us—we’re going to them. We listened to what Altadena residents told us they needed, and this Center helps us bring those services closer to home.”

Carbajal said the timing of the fire — just days after the county took over operations on Jan. 1, 2025 — made the disaster feel personal. “Everything that this community has gone through, this center went through it as well,” he said.

The community center’s large hall — freshly renovated with new paint, lighting and upgrades to their multi-media — bustled with activity as residents mingled with staff from various resource tables, according to the release.

Much of the renovation work was carried out by interns through the National Dislocated Worker Program, Liliana Garcia, the center’s director, told the crowd. “They were instrumental in helping us paint hard surfaces, declutter, reorganize,” Garcia said. “They never complained and were there whenever I needed them.”

“The [sic] is a great place and opportunity to reach out to and connect with the people from the Altadena Community,” said Erika Ortuno, President of Fuerza Latina Unida, a new community support organization. “I look forward to partnering with other community resources that are here, including other non-profits, to see how we can all collaborate together to support Altadena.”

The ceremony included the presentation to Barger of a painting by Clarence Stubblefield, a watercolor and plein air artist based in Altadena who teaches an art class at the center. Works by senior students in the class were displayed throughout the facility, and the sewing class also had pieces on display.

The center’s growing network of partners includes the Altadena Chamber of Commerce, Altadena Heritage, Altadena Historical Society, Altadena NAACP, Altadena Town Council and the Sheriff’s Support Group, the release stated.

Event partners included the LA County Fire Department, Department of Parks and Recreation, Department of Mental Health, the U.S. Small Business Administration, Huntington Hospital, Foothill Family Services, and numerous local businesses and community organizations.

Barger told the crowd she would be signing up for a painting class, and “more is coming.” She promised the community a dedicated senior center, describing it as bigger and better than what existed before.

“This is the beginning,” she said.

More information about the Altadena Community Center and its upcoming programs is available at dcba.lacounty.gov/altadena-center.