Support Ian's Role in Community Aid and Return to Carpentry

My name is Ian Rosenzweig and I’m starting this GoFundMe a bit late, mainly because I wanted to help make sure the earliest and most immediate rounds of crowdfunding and resources went to all those who lost their homes and are most in need. Unfortunately, I still need to ask for help.

I didn’t lose my home in the fire, but I lost my income and place of work, around $4000 worth of tools, and the Altadena community that I hold so dear. I lived at Zorthian Ranch for several years and helped kickstart some of the first small agricultural projects on the property in this recent era. Brian Carlson, the ranch’s foreman, and I designed a 33’ by 16’ hoophouse from recycled materials back in 2019. This shadehouse/greenhouse helped allow the Ranch’s community to grow small crops year-round in the relentless Altadena sun, throughout the pandemic, and remained in use up until the Eaton Fire. It’s one of my proudest achievements actually, to have helped give folks the tools to grow food for such a special community.

As of late, I had been working on the Ranch, helping volunteer when and where I could, but mainly working for the Zorthian family, remodeling a historic house on the property with Brian. This structure went up in the wildfire, reducing it to a chimney and foundation. My next proudest achievement and my income burnt to the ground overnight. I was there the night of the fire to help evacuate animals and grab several pieces of irreplaceable artwork. I returned the next morning with Moses Hamborg (who has a GoFundMe here https://gofund.me/08c84a3a) to help fight the fire and save one of three structures that didn’t burn overnight. Upon our arrival that morning, the folks still on the ranch were fighting fire solely with dirt because all civilian water and power lines in Altadena had been shut off. We siphoned water from a pool with a garden hose to put out spot fires threatening these remaining structures.

Inside the house that Brian and I were working on, were all of my tools, estimated at $4000 worth. It’s all ash and melted metal now. Because I’m lucky to have a home in the city, I’ve been housing two friends who lost homes in the fire.

I am hoping to crowdsource $7500 to replace my tools so I can get back to work as a carpenter/fabricator ASAP, and to volunteer my building skills in the wake of this fire. I need help with rent and cost of living for the next month or two, since I was basically paycheck to paycheck before this. These funds will allow me to house and feed myself and others, to continue focusing on aiding the communities that were most affected, and to eventually get back to work. Please share or donate if you can. Thank you.