When the smoke from the Eaton Fire cleared, 90 families in Pastor Jon DeCuir’s 700-plus-member Victory Bible Church were among those affected—many of whom lost everything. In the two months since, DeCuir and his church, located just two blocks south of the massive 14,000-acre burn area, have become a vital hub of assistance—not just for his congregation but for the surrounding community.
With support from individual donors, corporations, and foundations like the California Community Foundation, the Pasadena Community Foundation and Change Reaction, as well as fellow church congregations nationwide, DeCuir has distributed over $1 million in aid to more than 700 individuals impacted by the wildfire. This aid has included direct cash assistance, food, clothing, and temporary housing and includes monetary donations to fellow pastors in the area who lost their homes.
Victory Bible Church—one of many African American churches working to serve affected families—also became ground zero for relief efforts organized by the National NAACP, President Derrick Johnson, and other key organizations. Yet, despite the outpouring of financial support from major foundations, DeCuir remains concerned about how recovery funds are being allocated and who is setting the criteria for the disbursements.
“There’s money coming into the city, but many of the foundations are holding it for long-term recovery,” DeCuir explained. “The issue is that some people need help now. Churches that were fiscally prepared have received some funding, but not all churches have the capacity or infrastructure. Some are holding onto funds for long-term recovery, while others haven’t even figured out how to effectively distribute it. Our church has already given out over a million dollars. When we receive funds, we distribute them based on real-time data.”
The church’s database extends far beyond its membership, including an estimated 700 additional individuals who signed up for assistance through their website following the wildfire that destroyed 9,418 structures—homes, businesses, and buildings—across Altadena, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre.
“The biggest need is stability,” DeCuir emphasized. “Between 1,500 and 1,700 people are still living in hotels. People are looking for long-term, permanent housing. Another huge issue is our elderly community—a lot of our seniors are overwhelmed by the paperwork, deadlines, and bureaucracy. It’s just a lot.”
To address this, Victory Bible Church has recruited younger volunteers to assist seniors in navigating the recovery process.
“Our seniors sit with someone two decades younger who helps them upload documents and complete forms—it’s the only way they can get through it.”
Victory Bible Church had the infrastructure in place to mobilize quickly, but the overwhelming demand has stretched resources thin. At one point, the church remained open daily until 10 PM to provide services.
Of the 90 church families impacted, DeCuir estimates that only about 20 are in a stable situation, while the remaining 70 remain in limbo.
“A lot of them are bouncing around,” he said. “I’ve got people in Palmdale, Lancaster, San Bernardino, Long Beach, and Compton. I know where they are because either I placed them there or they’re in our database, but they’re spread so far apart that some aren’t getting the help they need.”
To ensure continued support, Victory Bible Church has established its own outreach system for both members and others in their database.
“We have a call center that checks in on folks—‘Where are you now? What do you need?’” DeCuir explained. “We also started a Signal group to communicate directly with those affected. We post updates, resources, and reminders about important deadlines to make sure no one falls through the cracks.”
Dr. Nana, Afoh-Manin, an emergency physician and Impact Strategist for the Hold Dena Initiative an impact strategist for Hold Dena—a coalition of clergy leaders, community members, and nonprofits dedicated to protecting, restoring, and rebuilding Altadena— echoed DeCuir’s sentiment.
“The only thing that matters is connecting people who have lost so much to a trusted network,” she said. “People are already tethered to their churches and their community organizations. And the best way to support them is to deploy the resources and infrastructure they are asking for now.”
For DeCuir, an Altadena native, the ultimate goal is to ensure that those impacted are made whole again. But he recognizes that it’s a heavy lift—one that churches like Victory Bible and others in the area cannot carry alone.
To that end, he is hosting the inaugural Ashes to Anthems Benefit Concert & Resource Fair on Saturday, April 26, at Memorial Park in Altadena. The event, the first concert of its kind in Altadena, will be headlined by Grammy Award-winning musician Andra Day and will unite artists, community leaders, and supporters nationwide to raise $10 million for the Legacy Land Project and the HOLD Dena Initiative—long-term efforts focused on restoring, rebuilding, and preserving Altadena’s generational legacy.
Andra Day, an L.A. native and dedicated advocate for community resilience, stressed the importance of sustained support.
“I believe that service is the height of who we are as human beings. My church, Victory Bible Church, lost over 42 members’ homes in the fire. We want to shed light on the fact that when the publicity fades, people are still dealing with the aftermath. This is a long-term commitment to help families rebuild so that Altadena keeps its historical legacy.”
Funds raised from the event will directly support families and businesses impacted by the wildfire, with a goal of $350,000 in rebuilding seed money for each household. The focus will be on land restoration, rebuilding community spaces, providing financial and housing assistance to displaced families, and preserving the cultural history of Altadena’s neighborhoods.
Said DeCuir: “Ashes to Anthems is about more than recovery—it’s about renewal. It’s about holding families who lost everything up and holding the community together so that they don’t just rebuild, but thrive. It’s a commitment to protecting a legacy, restoring what was lost, and catalyzing collective impact to ensure equity and transparency in support of the families while ensuring that the heartbeat of this historic community never fades.”