Leadership Pasadena Honors Community Changemakers as Fire Survivors Continue Their Fight to Rebuild

What began as a group chat among pickleball players became a lifeline on the night of the Eaton Fire, and eventually grew into the nation’s largest disaster survivor network.

For Joy Chen, executive director of the Eaton Fire Survivors Network, that unlikely transformation illustrates how ordinary people can become extraordinary advocates when their communities face catastrophe.

Chen recounted that journey Friday afternoon as she accepted the Claire and Bill Bogaard Community Leadership Award at Leadership Pasadena’s 2026 Impact Awards, where five individuals and organizations were honored for their contributions to the community.

“I never planned to become a citizen advocate,” Chen told the gathering. “This all started with pickleball.”

At 6:24 p.m. on Jan. 7, 2025, someone in her Altadena Town and Country Club pickleball chat reported a fire on the mountain. With official evacuation warnings absent, members began contacting neighbors, tracking the flames and helping one another escape.

By morning, their community had been devastated.

“I changed the title of our pickleball WhatsApp and it became our Fire Survivors Network,” Chen recalled. “And somehow I was still in charge.”

Today, the network connects more than 10,000 Eaton and Palisades fire survivors and allies, helping families navigate insurance claims, access resources and advocate for recovery.

Chen said the organization has helped unlock more than $100 million in delayed insurance payments, money she emphasized was already owed to survivors.

“Without accountability, recovery will be reserved for the wealthy,” she warned.

She also announced plans to release a national insurance survey on Jan. 7, 2027, the fire’s second anniversary. Developed with UCLA researchers, the survey includes responses from more than 2,000 survivors and will rank insurers according to their performance following the Los Angeles fires.

The afternoon’s other honorees reflected the breadth of community service.

Entrepreneur Kay Smith-Biesman was recognized for creating opportunities for local businesses and transforming her cafe into a relief center after the Eaton Fire.

Janie Heinrich, founder of Mobility Dog and former chair of Pasadena’s ADA Commission, was honored for advocating for accessibility, disability inclusion and emergency preparedness. Commissioner Carlos Benavides accepted the award on her behalf.

The Pasadena Community Job Center received recognition for more than 25 years of supporting immigrant workers through employment assistance, food distribution and advocacy. Executive director José Madera accepted the honor alongside colleagues.

Pasadena’s Outreach Response Team, known as PORT, was recognized for connecting unhoused residents with health care, housing assistance and other services through coordinated outreach.

Congresswoman Judy Chu praised the honorees, emphasizing that leadership begins with recognizing a need and taking action.

Mayor Victor Gordo celebrated Leadership Pasadena’s more than 25 years of developing civic leaders.

But Chen’s keynote brought the afternoon back to the unfinished work of rebuilding.

“This award may have my name on it,” she said, “but it belongs to thousands of survivors and allies who chose community over isolation and action over despair.”

For families still waiting to return home, she made clear, the work is far from finished.