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Thousands of people are reeling from one of the deadliest wildfires in California history, including YES! Senior Editor Sonali Kolhatkar who is based in North Pasadena, close to where the Eaton Fire blazed. Members of the tight-knit communities of Altadena and North Pasadena as well as others from the greater Los Angeles region are helping people pick up the pieces. 

In a series of in-person interviews, Kolhatkar spoke with several community members involved in mutual aid efforts. They include four young Black women who set up a donation site on the front lawn of a home, and two young Latinx men who drove to Pasadena from Santa Monica to volunteer to clean debris and fallen branches from streets and people’s homes in an effort by the immigrant-led Pasadena Community Job Center. 

Independent book store owners Desiree Sayarath of Dym Books and Boba, and Nikki High of Octavia Bookshelf have turned their stores into mutual aid centers in the wake of the disaster. And Perry Bennett, the proprietor of Perry’s Joint, a local beloved Black-owned institution in North Pasadena is also leading community aid efforts. 

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