Support Paul and Alma's Journey

Team fundraiser

Jimmy Sudekum and Alma Cielo are organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Paul and Alma Livingstone.

Donation protected

Paul and Alma, both educators, musicians, and lifelong residents of Altadena, lost their home in the devastating Eaton Fire. They managed to evacuate safely, along with their pets and several of their most precious musical instruments, but everything else is gone.

It's impossible to express what this place meant for so many of us. Their home acted as a community center, a sanctuary for those in need, a place of profound worship, music learning, and so much more.

For four years, it was my home, too. While I began simply as one of Paul's many students, his family became my own. I watched firsthand as they selflessly provided shelter to unhoused people in the community; as they welcomed musicians from around the world, feeding and caring for them while asking for nothing in return; as they held and wiped the tears of dear friends who desperately needed the love they give so freely.

Paul and Alma live to serve others. Now they need us.

This is all that remains of their home. While their fire insurance will cover some of the costs of rebuilding and recovery, insurance often does not cover the full extent of what is lost, including personal and professional items critical to their lives and work.

Furniture, appliances, recording equipment, instruments, clothing—virtually every material thing they had was lost to the fire. This fundraiser is intended to help bridge the gaps in what insurance may not fully address.

Every penny of your contribution, no matter how small, will go toward weathering this transition and covering what won't be included in their insurance. This includes:

replacing urgent necessities (clothing, toiletries, etc.)
purchasing essential home goods (furniture, kitchenware, etc.)
equipping the recording and art studios that they rely on for their creative professions
offsetting their modest living expenses (gas, food, housing, etc.)
possibly using surplus funds to donate to local relief efforts and directly support neighbors who have also lost their homes

If you can't support financially, we'd be deeply grateful if you shared this campaign on social media.

Paul and Alma, along with the countless others whose lives they've changed for the better, thank you for your generosity and kindness. From the bottom of our hearts, we love you.

Paul is a renowned sitarist, teacher, and the founder of the Soul Force Project, a nonprofit grounded in Altadena. Alma is a multidimensional performer, visual artist, and ceramics teacher at Norma Combs Elementary School in Pasadena.

This campaign is ran by Jimmy Sudekum, a student of Paul's for the last 9 years, and now a very close friend to the Livingstone family. I will personally ensure that every dollar raised is spent on the specific items outlined above and will provide updates to donors throughout the recovery process.

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