Support the McRae Family

The Eaton Wildfire has impacted the community of Altadena/Pasadena, CA detrimentally. This GoFundMe serves to provide supplemental and ongoing assistance for several family members who have been displaced by the fires including my mother Doña Grant. The McRae family is very grateful and appreciative of everyone’s help and generosity throughout this journey. We greatly appreciate everyone’s immediate financial support through other apps, providing meals, clothing, pet supplies and other items. My mother Doña Grant will receive the funds to support herself and our family members. Thank you everyone. Please note that the goal number may be updated as we continue to learn more news about the family’s immediate and long-term needs.

Please read our story below.

Pasadena and Altadena, California, are more than just places on a map—they are where my roots run deep. I was born and raised in Altadena, surrounded by the love of beautiful parents and a village of people who helped shape me into who I am today. Altadena was the community that raised me to appreciate the beauty in nature, to love my neighbors, and to understand the power of coming together as a collective. It was here that I learned how to face my fears, try new things, and stand up for what is right. It was our Pasadena and Altadena community that supported me hosting and joined the protest for justice, standing together in the fight against police brutality.

This is the community that made me who I am. The spirit of Altadena shaped my values and my sense of responsibility to others. The memories of iconic places like hiking at Eaton Canyon, ordering a chicken and fries box or breakfast burrito from Everest, getting a slurpee at 7/11 owned by the Tadesse’s, standing in the line to wait for crispy fries and a patty melt from Connell’s, breakfast with my dad at the Altadena Country Club and Golf course, walking from my mom’s (Doña Grant) shop-Kristen Laurenz-to Jack in the Box or the Post Office, and so many more memories. To Los Angeles, the city that allowed me to sharpen and share my talents. To Malibu/PCH, where we drove with the windows down and enjoyed the beach air.

Today, my heart aches as my childhood hometown has been devastated by fire. The very place that shaped me is now in ruins—my childhood home is no longer standing, and many of the homes and businesses that once filled our streets with life and love have been completely wiped out. My family, friends, and neighbors have lost everything.

While many of us were fortunate enough to make it out safely, there are others who weren’t as lucky. Some have lost their homes, their businesses, and their sense of security. We are grateful for the gift of life itself and for the opportunity to hold our loved ones close. We continue to pray for our city, for healing, and for the strength to rebuild. We also send our deepest thanks to the firefighters—from LA to San Diego to Las Vegas—whose tireless, heroic efforts have saved lives and helped protect our community.

Thank you to everyone for your generous donations, heartfelt messages, and ongoing support and prayers.

— Clarke McRae, Altadena Native

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