Free Community Farmers’ Market Launches Today For Altadena Fire Victims

A new free weekly Community Farmers’ Market is opening in Altadena to provide essential nutrition to residents affected by the devastating Eaton Wildfire. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Food for Health program established the market to address food insecurity among those who lost homes, jobs, and stability in January’s wildfires. 

“When the Eaton and Palisades Fires first broke out, AHF’s Food for Health program was there the very next day, providing free hot meals to evacuees at the Pasadena Convention Center and to first responders on the front lines in the Palisades. Over several weeks, Food for Health provided more than 75,000 free hot meals to individuals affected by or fighting the fires, including 60,000 hot meals to evacuees at the Convention Center,” said Carlos Marroquin, National Director for Food for Health Programs. 

The grand opening is scheduled for Friday, March 7, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Fairoaks Burger, located at 2560 Fair Oaks Avenue in Altadena.

Following the launch, the market will operate weekly on Saturdays during the same hours. The initiative aims to serve up to 300 people weekly, providing fresh fruit and vegetables sourced directly from farms, along with other healthy staples. 

Fairoaks Burger survived the fire but requires substantial remediation. The restaurant’s owners, sisters Janet and Christy Lee, offered their parking lot for the community service after their parents, who originally owned the establishment for nearly 40 years, lost their nearby home to the same fire that damaged their family business. 

“Fairoaks Burger is woman-owned and has been integrally woven into the fabric of the Altadena community since our parents took over the restaurant almost 40 years ago,” said Janet and Christy Lee. “Our customers are our friends and neighbors who have all been impacted by the fires. They think of our parents as their family members. We aim to return that care and affection by remaining a pillar of the community during this long and arduous rebuilding process, with the end goal of preserving the uniquely diverse character of Altadena. Hosting a farmers’ market for our friends and neighbors is one small step of reclaiming normalcy from loss.” 

The market’s opening will also feature AHF’s Out of the Closet program distributing free clothing to fire victims. The organization will offer approximately 700 to 800 clothing items for men and women on ten racks. This clothing distribution is expected to continue for several weeks following the launch. 

Out of the Closet has been active throughout the crisis. On January 8th, their staff delivered 100 new pillows and blankets to the Pasadena Convention Center for evacuees, along with 16 boxes of clothing containing approximately 1,400 items during the critical first hours after the fire. Founded in 1990, Out of the Closet operates 25 stores in nine states, with 96 cents of every dollar spent going toward patient care. 

The initiative addresses a critical need created when the Eaton Fire destroyed significant local food resources. The established Altadena farmers’ market, which had operated since 2012 on Wednesday afternoons in Loma Alta Park, was completely destroyed. This represented a dual loss — both for local farms and vendors who lost business and for residents who relied on the market for fresh produce. 

Even more devastating was the destruction of the Altadena Community Garden, which had been operating since the mid-1970s. Located on the site of a former military academy adjacent to Loma Alta Park, it featured dozens of plots rented by residents for generations, spread over 2.5 acres. As a self-supported nonprofit receiving no county funding, the garden’s loss has significantly impacted the community’s ability to feed itself and fight food insecurity. 

Since January 7th, Food for Health provided more than 20,000 free hot meals to fire evacuees at the Pasadena Convention Center and first responders fighting the Palisades fire. The new farmers’ market represents an evolution in their response as immediate emergency needs transition toward ongoing recovery support. 

This initiative joins other relief efforts in the area. World Central Kitchen has served over 850,000 meals since January 8th and currently operates distribution points at the Sierra Madre YMCA and Gordy’s Garage Parking Lot in Altadena, providing hot meals and fresh produce multiple days per week. 

Beyond emergency response, Food for Health operates marketplaces offering fresh groceries at affordable prices, accepting EBT to make healthy food more accessible. They also run Heroes’ Pantries in San Diego and Los Angeles, providing fresh produce to veterans and their families, with each pantry serving approximately 200 families weekly.