February 14, 2026
A Year After the Fire, Older Adults Are Still Struggling to Rebuild — And Community Matters More Than Ever By Akila Gibbs
February 14, 2026
Special to Pasadena Now
Word Count: 663
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A Year After the Fire, Older Adults Are Still Struggling to Rebuild — And Community Matters More Than Ever
By Akila Gibbs
One year after the Eaton Fire, the visible scars across Altadena have begun to fade, but for many older adults, the disaster is still unfolding. Cleanup is complete and rebuilding has started, yet the emotional and practical realities of recovery remain overwhelming. For some seniors, the fire feels like it happened yesterday.
At the Pasadena Senior Center, we see this every day. Even now, twelve months later, we continue to meet older adults who have been quietly living in crisis, unsure where to turn or how to navigate the long road back to stability. Over the past year, we have supported hundreds of fire survivors, and the need remains immense.
For 65 years, the Pasadena Senior Center has been a place where older adults find connection, purpose, and belonging. That sense of community became even more vital during and after the fire, when we opened our doors to survivors and offered a steady, familiar home in the midst of chaos. Throughout the year, we continued to host dozens of events; concerts, workshops, cultural celebrations, and wellness programs, that gave displaced Altadena residents a place to reconnect and feel grounded again. These gatherings were more than social activities. They have been lifelines.
Among the many stories we have encountered is a couple in their late 80s who came to us after the fire left them shaken and displaced. The husband was injured during the evacuation, their home was damaged, and the trauma of the experience left them so overwhelmed that, even a full year later, they have not been able to begin the insurance claims process. They simply feel lost in a system never designed with older adults in mind. Another older adult we met recently has been living without a refrigerator for an entire year because she lost hers in the fire and has been unable to replace it. These are not isolated situations. They reflect the reality for many older adults still coping with trauma, displacement, and uncertainty.
Older adults were among the most vulnerable during the fire, and they remain among the most vulnerable now. Many faced frightening or failed evacuations. The loss of the Altadena Senior Center eliminated a vital hub that once anchored nearly a thousand older adults. Insurance delays continue to stall rebuilding. Digital barriers make online recovery systems nearly impossible to navigate. Displacement has scattered long‑standing peer networks, increasing isolation. Health and mobility limitations make the demands of rebuilding exhausting. And the emotional toll: grief, anxiety, and the loss of home and routine, continues to weigh heavily.
To meet these needs, the Pasadena Senior Center has expanded its mental‑health support, including an in‑house licensed clinical social worker who provides trauma‑informed counseling for older adults still processing the fear and upheaval of the past year. We have also created special gatherings where Altadena residents can come together, share a meal, and reunite with neighbors, family, and friends. These moments of reconnection offer something essential: a renewed sense of belonging.
Throughout the past year, the Center has provided one‑on‑one navigation for insurance and FEMA claims, hosted weekly recovery clinics, delivered meals and wellness checks to displaced seniors, offered peer support groups, expanded social‑connection programs, and advocated for age‑friendly recovery policies. Our role has been simple but essential: to walk alongside older adults every step of the way, ensuring they are not forgotten in the long, uneven process of rebuilding.
A year later, Altadena residents are resilient but not fully recovered. Older adults continue to face a stacked set of challenges, from stalled insurance claims to isolation and the loss of community anchors. The Pasadena Senior Center will continue to walk beside every senior still working to rebuild their life. The fire may be a year behind us, but for many older adults, recovery is only just beginning.
Akila Gibbs is the executive director at the Pasadena Senior Center.