Support the McRae Family

Eaton fires impacted the community of Altadena/Pasadena, Ca. Please read my story below. This GoFundMe is created as a continued funding space for my family. Please note that the goal number will be updated as we continue to learn more news in support of assisting my family and their immediate and long-term needs.

These funds will be divided between 5 households within my family directly impacted by the loss of their homes. Funds will go towards the following:

A. Immediate relief for my families—shelter, food, clothing, and essentials. And immediate financial relief.

B. Community resources such as counseling, utility assistance, medical assistance, etc. I have two family members who require medical attention daily for disabilities and treatments for health conditions whom have lost their homes.

C. Rebuilding efforts for homes lost in the fire, providing materials and labor for restoration.

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 shop 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.

But even with these blessings, there is still so much work to be done. I’m reaching out to ask for your support as we work to rebuild the lives that have been torn apart. We are raising funds to provide financial relief, resources, and basic necessities for my mother whose business is inoperable, and five family members that have lost their homes. I hope to build a solid team in the future to help us clean and rebuild the community.

Altadena and Pasadena have been home to generations of resilient, hardworking people. And with your help, we can rebuild and restore our community to its full strength. Your contribution won’t just help put out the flames of destruction—it will help reignite the spirit of our people. This is the community that has always had each other’s backs, and now, we need your support more than ever.

Thank you for helping to rebuild what was lost, and for standing with us as we work to restore our homes, our businesses, and the heart of this community. Altadena raised me, and together, we will rise again.

We are known as the City of Roses because the Rose symbolizes the positive aspects like love, beauty, community, and joy. The thorns represent the negative aspects like pain, obstacles, or difficulties. The intertwined nature of it all is the fact that thorns grow on a rose which signifies that these two elements are inseparable and can coexist within the same thing. The City of Roses will remain STRONG.

— Clarke McRae, Altadena Native

#RebuildBlackAltadena #Altadena #Pasadena #LosAngeles #TheCityofRoses #AltadenaStrong #SupportBlackCommunities #RebuildDena #EatonCanyonFire #FireEmergencyRelief