Anniversaries of disasters are more than dates; they are milestones of memory, resilience and healing. As we mark one year since the LA fires, we reflect on the ongoing journey of recovery led by our grantee partners. While many continue to spotlight the lessons learned, and those still painfully unlearned, those most directly impacted mark the milestone in deeply personal and powerful ways, and learning from these communities can help advance understanding of how funders can support healing in the aftermath of a disaster.

Catastrophic events leave dates etched into collective memory, but for survivors, they are lived experiences. These anniversaries can stir vulnerability, grief and even dread. Yet commemoration can also be a path to healing, closure and renewed commitment to change. 

As our grantee partners working on recovery from the January 2025 fires in the Los Angeles area reflect on the past year, I wanted to share some of their remarks with you. 

Connection Is Key

Access to expertise and resources matters, but so does human connection in terms of how funders can support healing for these communities.

Kathryn Kiefer of CORE shared: “At the HUB, residents can access legal support, financial assistance and simply be together. They are not alone; they are the community, and the community is with them.”

Dignity Through Choice

Providing resources that allow families and nonprofits to make their own decisions is critical.  

Charisse Bremond Weaver, president and CEO of Brotherhood Crusade, explained: “The Brotherhood Crusade Wildfire Fund has been a game changer, supporting so many families with monetary assistance so they can decide their priorities after losing everything in the fires.” 

Building Inclusion and Belonging

Recovery is strongest when community members participate in rebuilding their neighborhoods.  

Ishell Linares of National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) noted: “Ensuring that workers who will be rebuilding fire-impacted communities have the knowledge, tools and protections to stay safe is a core priority of NDLON’s disaster response work. Over four weeks, day laborers and volunteers removed more than 3,100 tons of debris from neighborhoods across Pasadena and Altadena—demonstrating the essential role of immigrant workers in community recovery.”

Read the full article about helping communities heal from disasters by Cari Cullen at Center for Disaster Philanthropy.