Helping Community Rebuild, One Connection at a Time
Less than a month ago, we launched the Department of Angels. Our mission is clear: we stand with communities impacted by the 2025 Los Angeles megafires and help provide the resources, expert-informed solutions, and project management support they need to rebuild—on their terms. Since then, our small but growing team has been on the ground listening and learning, connecting survivors to critical resources, and laying the foundation for long-term resilience. Here is an update on our progress so far:
Surveying Fire-Impacted Communities
To ensure we deliver responsive support, one of our first priorities was to better understand the most pressing needs of fire-impacted communities. As we continue holding listening sessions with community members and organizations to deepen our understanding of issues on the ground, we also launched a survey in partnership with Embold Research. This survey helped us gather insights from individuals in impacted areas and across LA County. The results underscore the scale of devastation of the fires on communities and families, the scope of the needs, and the demand for deeper community support. Key findings include:
Nine in 10 pre-fire residents of Altadena and Pacific Palisades, and 3 in 10 residents of Pasadena and Malibu, are still unable to live in their homes.
Displaced residents need cash assistance, housing support, cleanup & remediation, insurance navigation, and mental health resources.
Most people who lost their homes want to rebuild, but financial and logistical hurdles make their ability to do so uncertain.
All Angelenos prioritize air and water quality in recovery, while concerns about local leadership and affordable housing differ across neighborhoods.
In all areas, residents want trusted community organizations to help them navigate complex service processes, provide direct cash and housing assistance, and advocate for stronger state and federal support.
Across LA County, Angelenos want to ensure that rebuilding prioritizes fire resilience. Those from Altadena and Pacific Palisades also want to ensure that rebuilding restores their communities’ character.
Angelenos overwhelmingly support policies that would streamline the rebuilding process and to create more housing across the county.
This data reinforces what we have seen and heard firsthand: too many of our community members are still not stably housed post-fire, and the need for immediate assistance remains. It also mirrors what we’ve heard from fire survivors firsthand—the path to recovery is long, complex, and personal. Educated by these insights, we remain committed to ensuring that residents have the resources, advocacy, and support they need to rebuild on their own terms.
Please find the full results here.
Building Community Infrastructure
Consistent with our commitment to empower grassroots organizing, we have been actively working to support block captains and community organizing groups from Altadena and Palisades. Last week, we convened a cross section of community leaders and fire recovery experts in person at the California Community Foundation to share learnings and refine priorities (the image below is a rendering by the graphic recorder who helped document the session). Through these discussions, we learned that community groups need support, resources and staffing to sustain and scale up their organizing, communications and advocacy efforts. Responding to the need, we have begun to provide support and resources to help these community groups sustain their organizing for the long haul. One of those tools is an online community for block captains and other community organizing groups to share resources and coordinate their efforts.
Additionally, we hosted a Q&A for block captains and other community leaders to discuss recently released wildfire health data from the Los Angeles Fire Human Exposure and Long-Term Health (HEALTH) Study. This ten-year study is evaluating which pollutants are present, at what levels, and where, and assessing the respiratory, neurological, cardiovascular, reproductive, and immune system impacts of the wildfires. Preliminary findings regarding indoor and outdoor air quality in Palisades and Altadena suggest that, while residents should err on the side of caution, “localized air pollution PM measurements in [both areas] are generally within EPA limits, are consistent with regional air quality monitors, and are considered typical for the region.” Please find the results from the first study findings published here.
The graphic record of our first in-person convening of block captains, other community leaders, and fire recovery experts.
Finance & Insurance Solutions Working Group
As our engagement surfaces common issues, we will be hosting guided discussions to inform community members, and identify potential solutions. We are kicking this off with a dedicated community-focused Finance & Insurance Solutions Working Group, which consistently comes up as a top priority. This expert group will help residents with immediate challenges managing these complex issues, and will develop and advocate for other concrete solutions to ensure fair and accessible financial recovery for all impacted.
Looking Ahead
We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered to support, inform, or join our effort. We will continue to provide updates as we make progress. Our work is just beginning, as we continue listening to and learning from the communities we support. We welcome your ideas and input on how we can continue to best serve the community, and the Los Angeles megafire recovery through our work at the Department of Angels.
If you’d like to get involved or stay informed, please fill out our volunteer intake form or sign up for news and updates here. Together, we can help Los Angeles not only rebuild, but emerge stronger, more connected, and more resilient.
– The Department of Angels
info@deptofangels.org
