First-of-Its-Kind Job Fair for Los Angeles County Fire Survivors Coming to Pasadena on Saturday

A first-of-its-kind job fair aimed at Los Angeles County fire survivors will be held Saturday, July 19, at PazNaz Church, 3700 East Sierra Madre Boulevard, offering hundreds of residents a pathway toward employment and recovery.

Global Empowerment Mission, in collaboration with the California Office of Emergency Services, the County of Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, will host the “Hire a Survivor” Job Fair from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a speaking portion scheduled at noon, according to Hollywood Patch.

Organizers expect more than 1,500 fire-affected families to attend.

The fair will be held in tandem with a large-scale Recovery Pop-Up, providing survivors direct access to vital services, giveaways, and long-term support. Attendees will receive resume help, job coaching, free food, and family-friendly entertainment, including a Kids Zone.

Survivors must present two forms of identification verifying residence in the impacted fire zone, according to PazNaz Church.

Dozens of employers will conduct on-the-spot hiring, including participants from Los Angeles County’s Fire Recovery and Resilience Workforce Program—a $14.2 million federally funded initiative offering three- to five-month paid work experiences at a minimum of $20 per hour with benefits, according to sources.

Eligibility includes those who lost work due to the January wildfires or have been unemployed for more than four weeks. The County’s Youth@Work Program will also be present, offering paid work experience to youth aged 14 to 24.

“This initiative shines a light on fire survivors and calls on all of us to take part in their journey forward,” Global Empowerment Mission founder Michael Capponi said in a press release cited by Hollywood Patch. “Hire a survivor, because it’s more than just a job. It’s a direct investment in healing and rebuilding our communities. Steady employment creates the foundation for long-term housing stability and personal recovery.”

The event comes two weeks after the six-month anniversary of the January wildfires, which Governor Gavin Newsom called “the fastest wildfire cleanup in U.S. history,” noting that nearly 10,000 homes were cleared months ahead of schedule.

“Now we turn the page to rebuilding,” Newsom said in a statement from the California Governor’s Office.

“Eaton Fire survivors deserve every bit of support to help get them back on their feet,” Kathryn Barger, chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, said in the same Hollywood Patch report. “I am proud to support this job fair which brings together state, county, and nonprofit partners locally. I wholeheartedly support providing a comprehensive approach to helping fire survivors in their job search. Finding and securing work is a key step in their recovery journey.”

Global Empowerment Mission said it has distributed over $9 million in critical aid since January and continues to operate recovery hubs in Downtown Los Angeles and San Pedro.

For more call (626) 351-9631 or visit https://www.paznaz.org/.