At 14, it can be difficult to comprehend losing everything you own in the blink of an eye. Your entire world is in your bedroom — your clothes, stuffed animals, pictures, school supplies. A ticket stub you saved from your first date, or the posters you hung up on your wall.
For many, your childhood bedroom exists as a treasure chest of memories; in it, a mosaic of all the things that you’ve collected as you’ve grown up.
When the Eaton fire struck, that became the reality for many teens in Altadena.
Donation sites quickly filled up throughout neighboring towns like Pasadena and the rest of Los Angeles County, providing victims of the wildfires basic necessities, like bottled water, food, and clothing.
But some donation sites took it a step further. They weren’t just looking to help their neighbors survive — they were looking to help restore a sense of normalcy for their fellow teens.
A few days after the start of the Eaton Fire, an Instagram page popped up called “Altadena Girls”, whose aim is instead to restore normalcy for teens who lost everything in the fire.
Started by 14 year-old Avery Culvert, who lives in Altadena, and whose middle school burned down in the fire, Altadena Girls is not your typical donation site. They instead collect donations for blow driers and mascara, lip gloss and bras. They’ve even solicited the help of volunteer stylists to help with the “shopping” experience — “to feel good and special, not like grabbing things from a box or bag,” said Culvert.
Now, big names like Ariana Grande and Charli XCX are seeing how they can send over makeup and beauty products to Pasadena to contribute to the Altadena Girls donation center.
“When disaster strikes, people only focus on basic survival needs. But for teenage girls who have lost everything, feeling like ourselves again is also really important for our mental health. Things like basic hygiene products to the makeup we wear everyday help us feel normal in a time when everything else feels chaotic,” Culvert wrote on Instagram.
“I want to help other teen girls in my community rebuilt their sense of identity and self-confidence during this difficult time.”
Now, as the organization grows and donations begin to pile-up, Altadena Girls is expanding and relocating to a bigger location, which is soon to open in Pasadena.
“This is just the beginning,” stated in a post on the Altadena Girls Instagram page.
The organization has inspired the start-up of its partner organization, Altadena Boys, which calls for donations of things like skateboards, gaming consoles, grooming kits, and hoodies.
Altadena Boys’ first “shopping day” came Friday, just a week-and-a-half after the Eaton fire started.
By noon, when the Altadena Boys’ donation site opened for shopping at Chain House East Hollywood, there was already a line down the street.
Each “shopper” received a bag and help from volunteer “personal shoppers” to guide them through the various donations, where they could select new shoes, clothes, hygiene products, toys, sporting equipment, and electronics. Anika Capozza led the volunteers in divvying up responsibilities — some manned different stations of the donation site, while others helped sort through donations.
“I don’t have a lot I can give financially, but I can give my time,” said Morgan Murayama, a volunteer, who found out about the organization through Altadena Girls.
Sophia Clemente, a music student at the University of Southern California, wanted to volunteer after seeing Los Angeles, the city she was born in but moved away from later on, suffer from the wildfires. She’s also witnessed the outpouring of allyship from fellow musicians throughout Los Angeles — a “tight-knit community”, Clemente described — which has been heartening for her to see.
Fellow Altadena teens have rushed in to support Altadena Girls, Altadena Boys, and other relief efforts throughout Los Angeles County. They’ve coalesced in an organization called Students Rebuild Altadena, founded by 14-year-old Devon Berg, who hopes to inspire other students throughout LA to help their neighbors recovering from the wildfires.
“Our mission is to engage, encourage, and enable students across LA to help rebuild Altadena,” said Berg.
Berg, a freshman at John Muir High School, spent his entire life in Altadena, near the Altadena Golf Course. The night of the fire, his house lost power.
Berg and his family were out of the house getting food, when they saw a fire in the canyon dangerously approaching his home. That’s when they decided to quickly return and evacuate. Now, what Berg has left is one suitcase, his wallet, his student ID, and his school backpack. His family has been jumping hotel-to-hotel while seeking long-term housing.
What prompted Berg to start his organization, Students Rebuild Altadena, despite facing tremendous loss and devastation, was a video of a motorcyclist going down Lincoln Avenue. The shops on that street had been burned down in the fire.
“It really made me mad. I wanted to do something about it. So I thought, hey, I could create something where people could come together and help rebuild. I really hate seeing the place I grew up look all trashed and burnt down,” said Berg.
Berg, in addition to the other teens of Students Rebuild Altadena, have mobilized to support relief efforts throughout the city. Some went to the Pasadena Convention Center on Friday to volunteer at a mental health group for those affected by the wildfires. This week, some will participate in a donation drive at a local church. Berg stated he hopes to help with environmental efforts in the future, like replanting trees.
“I hope we inspire other teens to come together to rebuild the city,” Berg said.
Julianna Lozada is a freelance writer.