Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Altadena Chamber Distributes $225,000 in Gift Cards to Fire Survivors as County Program Tops $300,000

[photo credit: LA County Department of Economic Opportunity]

More than 15 months after the Eaton Fire, the Shop Local LA County Gift Card Program reaches a funding milestone — with Altadena and Pasadena businesses among those still struggling to recover

The Altadena Chamber of Commerce has distributed $500 gift cards to 450 residents impacted by the Eaton Fire, directing roughly $225,000 in spending toward fire-affected small businesses in Altadena, Pasadena, and surrounding communities.

The distribution pushes the total funding generated through the Shop Local LA County Gift Card Program past $300,000, according to an announcement from the office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose Fifth District includes both Altadena and Pasadena.

The cards — delivered electronically in mid-March through the county’s ShopLocal.LA platform — are redeemable only at verified small businesses listed in the county’s Recover Local Business Directory. Recipients were selected through a grant application process managed by the Altadena Chamber, with eligibility extended to anyone who lost a home, sustained property damage, or was displaced by the fire.

According to Barger’s office, more than 110 fire-impacted businesses are now listed in the Recover Local Business Directory, with 68 actively participating in the gift card program across Altadena, Pasadena, Sierra Madre, and other affected communities.

“From day one, I’ve remained committed to standing with Eaton Fire survivors to help rebuild a better future,” Barger said in a statement released by her office. “This new investment supports a program that offers continued, steady support for residents and small businesses alike. I remain focused on driving the economic revitalization of Altadena and ensuring this community comes back stronger.”

The distribution is the latest step in a program Barger initiated through a motion approved by the Board of Supervisors in July 2025. That motion established the county’s “Shop Local. Dine Local. Recover Local.” campaign, run by the LA County Department of Economic Opportunity, to stabilize brick-and-mortar businesses in Altadena and other fire-impacted areas that had experienced steep declines in foot traffic and revenue following the January 2025 fire.

How the program works

The gift card program operates through a public-private partnership between the county, technology platform Yiftee, and Southern California Grantmakers, with an initial $100,000 contribution from L.A. Care Health Plan. Under the consumer-facing component of the program, residents and supporters can purchase gift cards in $20, $50, and $100 increments at ShopLocal.LA, receiving bonus cards of $10, $25, and $50, respectively, while supplies last.

The Altadena Chamber’s $225,000 distribution — calculated from 450 cards at $500 each — represents a separate, targeted investment. Rather than relying on individual consumer purchases, the chamber used its own funding to place gift cards directly into the hands of fire-affected residents, with the dual aim of providing household relief and channeling that spending into Altadena’s commercial corridors.

Judy Matthews, president of the Altadena Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement that the effort was designed to serve both residents and businesses simultaneously.

“By providing these gift cards, we are not only offering immediate financial relief to those affected, but also encouraging residents to shop locally, keep money circulating within our community, and help our small businesses recover and thrive,” Matthews said in the statement.

According to reporting by Pasadena Now, the chamber opened three rounds of applications on its website before closing the process, and demand exceeded the available funding. Although the cards are issued through the countywide Shop Local LA program and can technically be used at any participating business in the directory, the chamber has encouraged recipients to spend at Altadena-area businesses.

The Pasadena connection

While the Eaton Fire’s most devastating physical damage occurred in unincorporated Altadena — where more than 9,400 structures were destroyed and at least 19 people were killed, according to Cal Fire — the economic aftershocks have reached well into Pasadena.

North Pasadena is designated as an eligible area for the Recover Local Business Directory, and businesses in that part of the city can participate in the gift card program. The City of Pasadena is also listed as a partner in the broader Shop Local campaign.

Local business owners in Pasadena have described sustained revenue losses tied to the displacement of Altadena residents who had been part of their regular customer base. Some Pasadena businesses along the Altadena border sustained direct fire damage, including extended power outages that forced prolonged closures.

Separately, the City of Pasadena recently launched its own Microenterprise Recovery Grant Program, offering grants of up to $5,000 to small businesses with five or fewer employees that were impacted by the fire. Applications for that program, funded through federal Community Development Block Grant disaster relief funds, close April 16.

The Altadena Chamber of Commerce is itself fiscally sponsored by the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce & Civic Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, for the purpose of receiving wildfire-related donations — a structural link that underscores the interdependence of the two communities’ recovery efforts.

The broader economic picture

The gift card milestone comes as Altadena’s small business landscape continues to face significant headwinds. According to a January 2026 report from the LA County Department of Economic Opportunity and the LA County Economic Development Corporation, wildfire impacts remain highly localized but economically interconnected, with severe job and business losses in burn areas continuing to shape recovery across the region.

An estimated half of Altadena’s businesses were destroyed in the fire. Many of the commercial losses were concentrated along Lake Avenue, one of the community’s main corridors. Businesses that survived have contended with sharply reduced customer counts as displaced residents have been slow to return. As of early April, the county reported that approximately 1,025 homes were under construction in the burn area, with roughly 2,000 building permits issued — but only about half of the more than 6,000 households that lost homes had applied to rebuild, according to Barger’s office.

Participating businesses that enroll through the Recover Local Business Registry gain access to visibility in the directory, direct consumer spending through the gift card program, marketing support, and connections to additional county resources, according to the Department of Economic Opportunity.

Eligible small businesses in designated fire zones — including Altadena, North Pasadena, Sierra Madre, and other impacted areas — can apply to join the directory at ShopLocal.LA. Residents can purchase gift cards and view participating businesses at the same site.