Higgins Family Needs Your Help Post-Fire

Hi Everybody,

this is Elisabeth Higgins O'Connor

I've created this fundraiser on behalf of my awesome brother, Christopher Higgins, and his beautiful wife, Heidi.

The Higgins Family lost their home and everything in it in the Eaton Fire in Pasadena on January 8, 2025.

They were forced to evacuate their home at 3 a.m. on January 8 with just the clothes on their backs, a duvet, and their 2 cars.

That's it.

A few hours later that same morning, at our parents' house, they watched their little house burn down live on KTLA news on TV. https://ktla.com/news/california/eaton-fire-reaches-pasadena-homes-burn-on-live-tv/

Their neighborhood is a humble working-class area of small homes in an area that has NEVER been considered a fire-prone zone.

They had no "Go Bag" as people who live in more rural, hilly, fire-prone areas have at the ready. They probably thought that they'd go home in a few hours when given the 'all clear'.

They are safe and staying with our mom and dad. But, they have a long road of recovery and re-establishing so much.

Chris and Heidi were born and raised in the SGV and had made their home in Pasadena for 13 years. They love and are embedded in their neighborhood, the Pasadena/Altadena community, and the broader community in LA. All of these parts of their lives have been devastated.

They have lost the beautiful home they created together, including many irreplaceable photographs, pieces of art, furniture, and objects that hold meaning in their lives. Chris has lost a very deep music collection that he has been curating since the 1970s.

These two are true-blue, hardcore Angelenos and they have devoted their lives to immersing themselves in the countless cultural events; an almost infinite amount of diverse musical events; the Dodgers!; summers at the Hollywood Bowl; bodysurfing at Zuma, and hiking to secret swimming holes in the sage-scented, rugged natural beauty that we have in L.A. County, the Southland, and the San Gabriel Mountains.

They live very simply, are vegans, and don't have big incomes by any measure. They both work for Jacob Maarse, the florist; Heidi as a designer and Chris as a delivery driver.

While some things may be irreplaceable, the community they are part of is strong and asking how to support them. Together, we can help them rebuild their lives going forward.

If you are able, please contribute any amount that feels right to you to help the Higgins family recover. The donations will go directly to help them cover huge immediate expenses, including clothing, personal items, food, and securing housing.

With so much loss in the LA community, I am grateful for countless people coming together to help. Thank you for your support of Chris and Heidi Higgins in rebuilding their lives.

With Love, Light & Gratitude,

Elisabeth