Urgent Eaton Fire Assistance for a Neighbor in Need!

Help! Asking on a neighbor's urgent behalf...

A clerk from a neighborhood store contacted me in great distress. This person's Altadena apartment survived but the neighborhood store is closed, so this person has fallen behind on rent to the tune of about $2,000 and they now have very limited access to food. Due to their immigration status, this person hasn't been able to access support resources and they are very, very afraid to seek help.

I believe this person is feeling completely unforeseeable desperation and though I've got my own poverty song to sing, I can definitely float this person a hundred bucks. Can others help too?

And, additionally, can anyone HELP-HELP them? Like direct them to actual services and knowledgeable people who can guide them in handling this insane time? Please feel free to share useful info in comments.

I don't know this person well, but they have always been in my opinion an ideal community member—the friendliest version of "eyes on the street" that Jane Jacobs credited with bringing neighborhood strength.

They noticed us walking the dog; they noticed when the dog slowed down; they noticed when we had to carry the dog the last leg home. They doted on that dog and they doted on us when they noticed us walking with no dog at all. In my loneliest season of excruciating loss, they made me feel connected to the world and to the community.

While I don't have the funds to bail out this person, I am afforded a voice in this cultural climate that this person simply isn't. So I'm posting this on their behalf. Please help.

They love the neighborhood and they've already been out there looking for work, walking dogs, and offering help to others.

They said: "Tell everyone I love Altadena and make sure they know I'll be back on my feet again and that I just appreciate any help right now."

And we appreciate you, dear neighbor. Yes, we do.

To prevent fundraising fraud, Go Fund Me suggests including the following sort of information: My name is Merrill Feitell. I lived in a part of Altadena completely destroyed by the Eaton Fire in January 2025 and the beneficiary of this fundraiser was a clerk at a nearby business. This money is for this person specifically. The beneficiary will link their own banking info so the money will go directly to them (excluding GoFundMe fees). If they are unable to link that account, I will help them but this is THEIR money, completely separate from my own GoFundMe.