Local Heroes Celebration Honors an Unprecedented Year

On November 18, nearly 250 local nonprofit leaders, community partners, and donors joined for the Pasadena Community Foundation’s (PCF) 26th Annual Local Heroes Celebration. The event honored the work of more than 120 nonprofits funded by PCF in 2025. View event program.

In a typical year, the Local Heroes Celebration shines a light on the remarkable work that PCF’s nonprofit and community partners do to meet the needs of Greater Pasadena residents. But this year’s event carried greater weight. In the aftermath of January’s devastating Eaton Fire, the event became a heartwarming celebration of collective strength, uplifting the impact that our nonprofit partners made in meeting the urgent needs of fire survivors. Their efforts embody the resilience and compassion that define Greater Pasadena.

Nearly 250 guests joined PCF at the Brookside Golf Club for the 26th Annual Local Heroes Celebration

In the months since the fire, PCF has directed its funding to nonprofits that are helping fire-affected residents rebuild and recover. To date, PCF and the Altadena Builds Back Foundation (ABBF) have granted more than $20 million to organizations supporting the needs of fire survivors, from housing and food security to mental health support, child care, and more. As the event kicked off, PCF Board Chair Maggie Sabbag told the assembled audience

“We have witnessed extraordinary resilience. Neighbors opened their doors, strangers became friends, and the strength of Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre was showcased in countless acts of kindness and courage.”

Partners shared how PCF funding has helped them advance their missions and how they have stepped up to meet the needs of fire-affected residents.

Beacon Housing’s Palin Ngaotheppitak told the audience about her organization’s work to provide stable, affordable homes for Eaton Fire survivors and how funding from PCF and ABBF is helping her organization to preserve affordable rental housing in Altadena. Families Forward Learning Center’s Elva Sandoval and Linda Lopez Perera shared how local children have been impacted by the fire and how PCF’s grants have helped the organization support their young clients’ mental health, well-being, and school readiness.

Brandon Lamar and Christy Zamani representing the Eaton Fire Collaborative.

Christy Zamani and Brandon Lamar of the Eaton Fire Collaborative spoke passionately about their efforts to bring together community groups, local nonprofits, city, county, and state officials to help fire survivors get resources, information, and recovery assistance. “We found shelter, offered immediate support, and created space to listen and care,” Zamani said. “It was a year defined by WE before ME. And through it all, our relationship with PCF transformed from a formal process into a true partnership.”

San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity is rebuilding Ken and Carol Wood’s home – the first of 22 funded by the Altadena Builds Back Foundation.

ABBF Board Member Mark Mariscal and Project Director Candice Kim used the occasion to announce ABBF’s largest grant yet and the largest grant ever to be made under the PCF umbrella: $5.85 million to rebuild 14 affordable housing units for low-income renters in Altadena. They also celebrated the progress made through the $4.55 million grant to San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity. The organization is nearing completion on the first home supported by the grant, and the Wood family, who will soon be moving in, was in attendance. “These residents have lived in their homes for decades,” Mariscal said. “They represent multigenerational families or seniors on fixed incomes. Amid the grief and uncertainty from this disaster, this project has truly been a bright spot.”

As the event ended and attendees gathered to share stories and greet old friends, the room was filled with a tangible sense of hope and promise and an understanding that recovery will demand much more from all. For many in the Greater Pasadena area — and at the event — the road to recovery from the Eaton Fire is just beginning. The compassion and dedication of local donors, nonprofits, and community leaders will help them complete the journey, and PCF and ABBF will be there every step of the way.

Palin Ngaotheppitak, Kelsey Szamat, Jasmin Shupper, and Megan Katerjian.