Sunday, May 10, 2026

Altadena Order of the Phoenix Holds May Meeting at La Cañada Presbyterian

[photo credit: Altadena Order of the Phoenix]

Sixteen months after the Eaton Fire reduced thousands of Altadena homes to rubble, a peer support network born out of a neighborhood dog-walking circle continues to draw scores of fire survivors to a single table once a month. The Altadena Order of the Phoenix — named for the mythical bird reborn from its ashes — meets Tuesday evening at La Cañada Presbyterian Church for its monthly dinner gathering.

Cofounded by Altadena residents Michele Judd and Chelsea Cartwright, both of whom lost their homes in the January 9, 2025 fire, the group rebranded after its earliest gatherings expanded beyond walking neighbors into something closer to a mutual aid society. About 100 residents now attend monthly meetings, traveling from Studio City, Simi Valley, North Hollywood, and beyond, according to LAist’s reporting on an earlier session.

“This is the type of community we cannot let go of,” Judd told LAist at the group’s second meeting last spring. “We must preserve Altadena. And we have an incredibly diverse community. And I’m really worried
we’re going to lose that.”

Members identify themselves at meetings with colored tags — those who lost everything, those with partial damage, those whose homes were spared — and trade pointers about working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, navigating insurance claims, and preparing for property clearing. La Cañada Presbyterian Church has hosted past meetings in Sweetland Hall and similar spaces, and at one earlier gathering opened its donated-clothing closet to fire survivors.

To learn more, be added to the mailing list, or RSVP for the dinner-meeting, visit altadenaorderofthephoenix.com.

Altadena Order of the Phoenix monthly meeting will run on Tuesday, May 12 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. La Cañada Presbyterian Church, 626 Foothill Boulevard, La Cañada Flintridge. For more information, visit altadenaorderofthephoenix.com. RSVP required for dinner.