Testimonials:

The second San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity rebuild in Altadena belongs to Helen, a lifelong resident who has called this community home for more than 60 years. Altadena isn’t just where Helen lives — it’s where she raised her children, volunteered her time, built lifelong relationships, and created a home filled with memories, gardens, and love. 

When the Eaton Fire disrupted life for so many families, Helen and her loved ones were forced to leave the home that had anchored four generations. Like many fire survivors, the road forward felt uncertain, until SGV Habitat  entered the picture. 

“I was so excited,” Helen shared when she learned her home would be rebuilt. “My granddaughter got in touch with Habitat, and I was lucky to be one of the first homes selected. We couldn’t even sleep that first night — we were just so overwhelmed.” 

Growing up, Helen admired the work of Habitat for Humanity from afar.
“I used to see pictures of President Carter working with Habitat, and I admired him so much. I never imagined I would be a recipient of Habitat myself.” 

For Helen, the rebuilding process has been about more than construction, it’s been about hope, community, and resilience. Watching volunteers come together on her property left a lasting impression. 

“When my son told me there were at least 70 people here, I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “Seeing volunteers, trade techs, and students all working together — knowing this is part of their learning too — it made me so happy. It’s hard to believe how much people care.” 

After more than a year away, Helen is already dreaming about the simple joys of being home again. 

“I’m most looking forward to sitting in my living room and looking at the mountains,” she said. “I had a garden, nectarines, apricots, mangoes, oranges, blueberries. We even had neighborhood peacocks. I can’t wait to be back working in my garden.” 

Through it all, Helen and her family have leaned on one another, living together across four generations while waiting to return home. 

“We’ve been living together, and it’s actually been wonderful,” Helen shared. “We support each other, we get along, and we haven’t had a single argument. If we had to go through something like this, this was the best way, surrounded by family and love.” 

Helen also credits the SGV Habitat team for making a difficult journey feel manageable. 

“You can’t beat this staff,” she said. “They make you feel at home. They make you feel like they’re truly working for you. I can’t even begin to thank Habitat for what they’re doing for us.” 

As framing begins and volunteers continue to show up, Helen’s rebuild stands as a powerful reminder of what’s possible when a community comes together. For Helen, home isn’t just a place, it’s comfort, safety, love, and the promise of waking up once again to the mountains she’s cherished for decades. 

“It just means home,” she said. “I’ll be home.” 

When Jessica was seven years old instead of playing with barbies, she took interest in sketching homes. Years before, she volunteered on build sites with Habitat for Humanity, but Jessica never foresaw that she would be receiving support from the organization.  

When the Eaton Fire took place in early January, there was so much uncertainty in the air. Jessica didn’t know whether her home of 15 years would still be standing after the devastating fire. To her surprise, her Altadena home was still standing tall, but soot and smoke damage was left behind.  

Now Jessica found herself asking, What’s next? With the family temporarily staying at her daughter’s apartment and her granddaughter’s birthday just two weeks away, she wasn’t sure how they would celebrate. 

“I was in a daze when the fires first happened,” Jessica said. “But I’m a mother and grandmother, and my family looks to me when a crisis strikes.”   

Jessica couldn’t waste time; she needed to figure out next steps.  

Jessica’s House during the remediation process

That is when she headed to the disaster recovery center, and San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity had a booth there. She left with some cleaning supplies, and the idea to fill out the remediation application through SGV Habitat. Jessica went home to clean her house thoroughly, but soot kept appearing all over the home.  

The damage left by the fire was beyond anything that could be resolved by cleaning alone. After this devastation hit, Jessica was looking for a sign of hope. That is when a call from SGV Habitat came through, and they told her she was qualified for home remediation.  

“I got rejected from so many other organizations, but SGV Habitat didn’t turn me away,” she said.  

Now, the burden she was carrying didn’t seem as heavy anymore.  

Jessica’s house after remediation, ready for the Holidays.

When Jessica was finally able to return home, she felt the difference right away. The new insulation made her house noticeably more comfortable, and she was so thankful that SGV Habitat took care of the painting job. Her worries about coming home were immediately put at ease.  

“The fact that SGV Habitat was able to provide everything I needed, made me feel comfortable enough to come home,” Jessica said. 

Jessica and her family spent Thanksgiving at home this year! Thanks to SGV Habitat and GER3 & partners.  

Daniela and her husband Reynaldo first heard of SGV Habitat when Daniela drove by a sign nearly 10 years ago. Each time she passed the banner, she wondered what it meant. It wasn’t until she visited the website that she realized Habitat’s mission aligned with her family’s needs. 

In 2023, Daniela applied for the program, and much to her surprise, her family was approved. Now, their 18-year-old daughter Marianna and 22-year-old son Alejandro are looking forward to having a home where they can celebrate the holidays together. 

“I’m looking forward to decorating for the holidays because we never got to do that before,” Marianna said. 

Currently, the family lives in a cramped space with no room to host loved ones. Daniela was devastated that there was never enough room for her mother or her other son to stay with them. But that will soon change as they approach their move-in date at the end of the year. Marianna is already showing her mom pictures of what color she wants to paint her walls and where her vanity will go. 

Their children are overjoyed that their parents will finally have a place to call their own. Alejandro believes his hardworking parents deserve nothing less.

“In today’s economy, it’s difficult to afford a home, even if you work multiple jobs and long hours,” Alejandro said. “This is an opportunity for them to see the fruit of their labor.” 

For Reynaldo and Daniela, the homeownership program has been life-changing—a chance for low-income families to achieve affordable homeownership. They had searched for properties nearby, but everything was far out of their price range. The only housing they could find that was even somewhat affordable was in Riverside or San Bernardino. They are deeply grateful that they can stay close to their jobs without leaving Los Angeles County. 

“I hope more people will apply once the program opens,” Daniela said. “I tell families to keep trying, because you could qualify too.” 

Soon, Reynaldo and Daniela’s dream of homeownership will be a reality. And in the process, they’re setting an example for their children—that one day, they can achieve the same dream. 

Sonia and her two kids, 18-year-old Ashley and 16-year-old Jacob, will soon be moving into their Angeleno home. The family is sighing with relief as they look forward to finally calling this place their own, a dream years in the making. 

Sonia first heard about Habitat’s homeownership program from a co-worker, whose sister, also a single mother, had gone through it. Hearing how transformative the process was convinced Sonia to apply in 2021. 

The pandemic, however, slowed everything down. “The only thing that delayed us was COVID,” Sonia recalled, “but the SGV Habitat team didn’t give up on us.” 

That commitment filled Sonia with gratitude. She and her children know they wouldn’t be here without the tireless dedication of Habitat volunteers and staff who helped them push through the rough patches. 

To qualify, Sonia’s family completed 350 hours of sweat equity. Sonia enjoyed greeting customers and sharing Habitat’s mission at the Duarte ReStore. Even more meaningful was the time she, Ashley, and Jacob spent building their own home together.

“Being here, boots on the ground helping to build our home, has made me very happy,” Sonia said. “It feels good knowing that we did our part in putting this project together.” 

On September 13, Sonia’s family met the other families who will share the fourplex. The gathering was warm and welcoming, united by a shared mission: building homes for families in need. 

With the dedication quickly approaching, Sonia and her children can hardly wait. Jacob teases his mom, saying he loves sharing a room with her, but admits he’s more than ready for his own space. For Sonia, the moment means finally being able to take a deep breath, knowing the home will truly be theirs. 

“The homeownership program means a fresh start for my family,” Sonia said. “It’s finally an opportunity for me and my kids to live the way we deserve to live.” 

For the past 12 years Norma, a single mother with two kids – Kayla (18) and Chris (12)- has been trying to find a way to change the living situation for her family. Their neighborhood was plagued with gang violence, drug trafficking and shootings and she knew she wanted a better future for her kids. The building itself had broken and damaged appliances, holes in the doors and walls and no help or maintenance from the building owners. These issues only continued to get worse as Norma searched for new housing opportunities.  

“The most important thing for me is my children and their safety. They are my world and I want to be able to provide my children a place they could feel safe and be able to call home.” 

After years of searching and putting in over 250 hours of “sweat equity” volunteer time with SGV Habitat, Norma and her kids are just moments away from having the keys to a home of their own. Soon Kayla, Chris and Norma will move into their newly renovated house in El Sereno. 

“With this opportunity my children will be able to strive for more, such as with their education, being able to be active, and I will not have to struggle with having to worry about my children’s safety, said Norma.” 

Her kids are also ecstatic about the new home and their new rooms with Kayla saying “I think it will be nice to have my own personal space, since I’ve had to share a room for the past 18 years. So I’m pretty glad that I get my own space and my own privacy.” She looks forward to decorating. Chris also likes the benefits of the new home saying “my friends live around here, and my school is close to here.” And when asked about having his own room he laughed and simply said “more sleep.”  

As Norma stood with her son and daughter in their soon to be home she had tears of joys as she said: 

“Its just been a blessing, and I want to thank the volunteers for all the hours and the effort, it means a lot to us. If it wasn’t for SGV Habitat, and the volunteers, I wouldn’t have this right now. I wouldn’t have a place for my kids.” 

“This here is the dream”…said Tammy during the dedication event. “…Now I can hang up pictures and there is no landlord to tell me, you can’t put a nail there.”
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“This house has changed everything for us,” said Sandra. “I can provide for my family and we finally feel secure.”
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