Community events, giveaways hope to help Eaton Fire victims rebuild

PASADENA, Calif. - At the "Rebuild with Resilience" resource fair in Pasadena on Saturday, hundreds of victims of the Eaton Fire gathered for food, donated clothing and to utilize recovery services.

Saturday's event was held at Saint Philip the Apostle School, and featured booths giving out food, panels with mental health specialists, and clothing donations.

What they're saying:

"Everyone came together," said Galilea. "Even those that didn't lose their homes, and those from other cities came and helped us. Just a lot of help that I honestly wouldn't have ever expected."

"Sometimes that's just the most that you need is just emotional support, for someone to be there and listen to you," said Amanda Acosta, whose home was destroyed in the fire.

The event even featured some starpower.

Actress Mandy Moore, who herself is a victim of the fire, was part of a panel, and actor John Stamos led the discussion. Stamos' wife, Caitlin, grew up in Altadena, and has been committed to giving back to the community since the fires started. 

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Dig deeper:

FOX 11 joined Caitlin McHugh-Stamos and her nonprofit Civic Soul earlier in the week. She and her organization partnered with One Love Initiative, a nonprofit that gives refurbished laptops, desktops and tablets to people who need them. On Tuesday, dozens of fire survivors lined up to get devices.

Jose Velasquez called the event "a great step [toward] helping us get back our business, which we lost in the fire."

The owner of HMC Services, an Altadena tax service, lost their home and business in the Eaton Fire. But thanks to the donated electronics, in a temporary unit illuminated by flashlights, they were able to get to work helping others.

Big picture view:

The Eaton Fire burned more than 14,000 acres in January, destroying nearly 9,500 structures and killing 17 people. 

The community continues the process of rebuilding after the fire. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the community has completed the first phase of debris removal in the fire area, but the road to recovery is still long. This week's community events hope to help that process along for some of the victims.