Volunteer Program Launches to Help Altadena Businesses Recover From Fire

The Altadena Chamber of Commerce has launched a new volunteer-driven program aimed at helping local businesses rebuild after the devastating Eaton Fire. Announced on Tuesday, April 7, 2025, the “Back in Business” initiative will coordinate relocation efforts, connect business owners with resources, and work to restore the area’s economic vitality.

“Businesses are an essential part of a community,” says Delgado, an urban planner with disaster recovery experience. “Their return—through compassion, commitment, and cooperation— is at the very core of successful rebuilding.”

The program focuses on two main components: outreach volunteers and space identification. Trained local volunteers will contact affected businesses to assess their needs through structured questionnaires, listen and respond to needs of business owners coping with disaster-related trauma, build lasting relationships among neighbors aimed at reconnecting businesses with their client base, and connect them with pro bono assistance from legal, real estate, and architectural experts. Meanwhile, a team of commercial realtors and planners will develop a database of available properties, identify underutilized spaces, and explore financial incentives to make leasing more accessible.

Back in Business emerged as a grassroots effort led by Pasadena Planning Commissioner Julianna Delgado through the backing of Councilmember Rick Cole. The initiative responds directly to the mass disruption caused by the Eaton Fire and builds on previous outreach efforts from Pasadena’s North Lake Specific Plan Area Update.

The program fills a critical gap created by stretched County and Chamber personnel by mobilizing community members eager to help. Volunteers offer personalized support to both for-profit and nonprofit businesses that have lost facilities, customers, or even homes.

Back in Business relies on a select working group of professionals—including local attorneys, planners, architects, and real estate experts with close ties to Altadena. The initiative has formed partnerships with several organizations including the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity, Pasadena’s Department of Economic Development, the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, neighborhood associations, and local service and professional organizations. Plans are also underway to establish a Mercado-type community gathering space for micro-businesses and pop-up enterprises.

The initiative is part of the broader Eaton Fire Collaborative and encourages residents to volunteer, offer relocation assistance, and share resources to strengthen Altadena’s business recovery.

For more information, contact Julianna Delgado, Ph.D., FAICP, “Back in Business” Program Director, at julianna.delgado@sbcglobal.net or call (626) 354-8797, or Judy Matthews, President, Altadena Chamber of Commerce, at https://www.altadenachamber.org or call (626) 794-3988.