Sunday, March 29, 2026

Fire-Displaced Altadena Church Hosts Free Job, Health and Housing Event in Pasadena

[photo credit: Lift International]

LIFT International partners with California Community Foundation and Altadena CDC to connect residents with recovery services

A church that lost its own building in the Eaton Fire is hosting a free event today connecting Altadena and Pasadena residents with employment opportunities, financial services, health screenings and homeowner support.

LIFT International Church, in partnership with the California Community Foundation and the Altadena CDC, will hold “H2O: Help for Overcoming Obstacles” at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1757 N. Lake Ave., beginning at 11 a.m. The event comes more than 14 months after the Eaton Fire destroyed more than 9,000 structures and displaced thousands of residents — the vast majority of whom, according to Los Angeles County officials, have not yet returned home.

The event will include a live symposium, counseling and consultations, and access to community service providers, according to organizers. Services are expected to address employment, financial assistance, health needs and homeowner support.

LIFT International was founded in Altadena in 2000 by Drs. Anthony and Micheline McFarland. The church’s Altadena building was destroyed in the fire, and the McFarlands lost their home on Altadena Drive as well. Despite those losses, the church opened crisis centers within 48 hours of the fire and has since helped more than 5,000 people with financial assistance ranging from $500 to $2,500, according to the Los Angeles Sentinel, with funding from the California Community Foundation and the Black Freedom Fund.

“We’ve always been advocates for our community prior to this fire, and even prior to the pandemic,” McFarland said in a January interview with the Sentinel. “When the fire hit, we knew how to turn on a dime — we just went into action.”

The church now operates from the Westminster Presbyterian campus at Lake Avenue and Woodbury Road, the same location hosting today’s event. The California Community Foundation, a Los Angeles-based philanthropic organization founded in 1915, has been active in Eaton Fire recovery efforts. The Altadena CDC was formed to ensure an equitable, community-driven rebuilding process.

Pastor McFarland also serves on the executive board of the Altadena CDC.

The event is free. Registration is available at liftaltadena.org. For more information, contact LIFT International Church at (626) 797-6056.

“This is where God planted me and these are the people that He assigned me to,” McFarland said. “This is our home. I love the people here.”