Friday, July 25, 2025

Altadena Rotary Announces Quarterly Fire Recovery Grants to Boost Community Rebuilding Efforts

The Rotary Club of Altadena has announced the recipients of its second-quarter Altadena Rotary Fire Recovery Grants, reinforcing its commitment to helping the community rebuild after the devastating Eaton Fire.

Managed through the Restore Altadena initiative, the grant program offers awards ranging from $500 to $5,000, exclusively to 501(c) nonprofit organizations or to efforts sponsored by them.

All funded projects must be executed within the unincorporated Altadena area and demonstrate both tangible impact and community need. While matching funds are encouraged, they are not required, and grants may also support components of broader efforts.

Applications are evaluated quarterly, with upcoming deadlines on September 30 and December 31. The application is available through the Rotary’s official website, and donors can support the effort through the dedicated platform at givebutter.com/EatonFireARC..

The latest slate of awards backs a cross-section of recovery efforts—from mental health programming and digital literacy workshops to musical instrument replacement, gardening education and direct financial relief to displaced families. The funded organizations range from local arts collectives and historical preservation groups to meal delivery services and youth engagement programs.

Among those awarded is the Altadena Historical Society, which will republish two books documenting the region’s heritage: “Altadena: Between Wilderness and City” and “The Golden Years.” The Institute for Education, Research and Scholarships will host teen resilience workshops and senior tech skill-building to reconnect vulnerable groups with support. Meanwhile, Children of One Planet will offer beat-making, dance and ukulele lessons at Loma Alta Park to help younger Altadenans reconnect through creativity.

In a bid to address critical material losses, groups such as Altadena Musicians and Altadena Photographers Recovery LLC will use funding to replace equipment and collections destroyed in the blaze. Refuge Christian Center will launch “InstaTools,” a community equipment loan program offering landscaping and building tools to affected families.

This quarter’s grants also back Altadena NAACP’s academic enrichment program for high school students, Sisterhood Fatherless Daughters’ special event for single mothers, and Home of Kings and Queens’ initiative to deliver $1,000 in direct relief to 100 impacted residents.

As the community charts its recovery, the Altadena Rotary Fire Recovery Grants continue to serve as a vital link between grassroots service and sustained resilience.