Moments of Remembrance
A digital community altar for Altadena.
Uplifting and Honoring our community through picture and story.
This digital community altar is a living archive of memory for healing and remembrance. Created for Altadena, in response to the Eaton Fire of 2025, We ask all members of our Altadena community to share images of people, animals, homes, landscapes, and moments that were forever changed by loss and forever marked by resilience. Across cultures and throughout history, altars have served as sacred spaces to honor ancestors, mark moments in time, and tend to collective grief and gratitude. They are places where memory is not erased, but carried forward.
In holding these images together, we acknowledge that remembrance itself is an act of love and that honoring the past helps us restore meaning, connection, and hope in the present.
I miss you so much 2780 Olive. Thank you for keeping us safe & holding 29 years of our memories. Wish I could have saved you.
-Marisol Espino
Dena Hot Gurlz at the Loma Alta Park swimming pool during the late 1980s.
-Nashon Dion
Grandpa's Home. Where my daughter grew up in and my son was born in.
-Michelle Alvarenga
My Home 3271 N Raymond Altadena.
Let the rebuilding and recovery begin.
-Joe Baylis
A century of our shared history erased overnight. We will never forget.
-Shawna Dawson
Our grandson with his catbus in the garden at the magical house we lived in and loved for 28 years.
-William Stranger
This is our first look at our first home. The home our girls grew up in. We bought it in 2004. Buried it 1/8/25.
-Jennifer Pinto
Sixteen wonderful years here on North Glenrose.
-Rick Arthur
Dear Nugget, I’m so sorry we didn’t get you out. You deserved better. Thank you for being such a happy companion to Rhodes. We miss you every day.
-Kellye Carroll
I live Olive & Ventura. Lived in Altadena 57 years. Picture is of my kids dogs at the house just kicking it.
-Rupert Garcia
Moved to Altadena in 2011 to care for my twin grandsons who started kindergarten in 2013 at ASL (Aveson) and are now seniors graduating in June from AGLS. The Aveson community was my anchor and neither Aveson school is in Altadena any more.
-Beth Herndobler
Robi Couley narrowly escaped the fire at her back. She survived but is now at home with her Ancestors, I say her name.
-Detra Rose
A simple moment in time, in the living room, the animals napped as I was doing paperwork. We were so comfortable and so oriented there, both inside and outside that room and house, attuned to our world. The room, the house is gone, but the animals and I remain and those times of simple daily comfort remain cherished in my memory and in my being.
-Katy Hertell
Moments of Remembrance
Follow the steps below to submit your contribution to our digital altar.
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Enter your name
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Enter your email
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Attach one image of your choice (loved ones, animals, homes, landscapes, or moments impacted by the Eaton Fire). Please ensure you have permission to share any images that include other people.
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Share your story in no more than 2 sentences. Write from the heart—there is no wrong way to remember.
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Click the “Submit” button
At Hands In The Soil, we build community through culturally relevant programs that address health, environmental, and wellness challenges. Our events create meaningful connections and sustainable solutions—your contribution helps us continue nurturing these vital gatherings that strengthen people and community.
Growing Community Together
