Aveson & the Eaton Fire
Aveson Community Organization is the parent-teacher organization of Aveson Charter Schools, a TK-12 school formerly located in Altadena, CA. With an emphasis on project-based learning, individually-paced small groups, and social-emotional growth, Aveson focuses on meeting each child wherever they are in their individual journey and supporting them as scholars and as whole children. Divided into two campuses that bordered the breathtaking Angeles National Forest, Aveson School of Leaders serves grades TK-5, while Aveson Global Leadership Academy serves grades 6-12. As Aveson's PTO, the ACO usually focuses on supporting the school through campus improvements, special equipment purchases, supplies, and community/fundraising events.
Aveson School of Leaders (formerly Noyes Elementary School) before the Eaton Fire, art by Ashleigh Siegel; the TK classroom at ASL before the fire (photo by Darryl Blood); a new garden under construction at ASL, the day before the fire (photo by Jen Wang).
Right:
Map of the Eaton Fire in Altadena, CA, showing the locations of Aveson School of Leaders and Aveson Global Leadership Academy (graphic by Jen Wang).
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Below right:
The same TK classroom
as above, after the fire
(photos by Jen Wang).
On January 7, 2025, the Eaton Fire began. It would become the second-most destructive wildfire in California (second only to the Camp Fire), killing 18 people and destroying 9,000 buildings. Aveson School of Leaders was completely destroyed, and Aveson Global Leadership Academy was heavily smoke-damaged such that the building would be unsafe to occupy in the coming months. In our community of 500 students and 100 staff, over 70 households lost their homes and over 50 were displaced.
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The day after the fire, Aveson’s administrators contacted the ACO and asked if we could administer a relief fund for our community. Like many PTOs, we have seen parent volunteerism decline since the pandemic, and our board in 2024-2025 was small (Jen Wang, president; Meryl Opsal, communications; Mandi Moss Holmes, projects; Sean Ricketts, treasurer). In past years, the ACO had also partnered with Aveson parent Erin Hearne Williams on Families Helping Families, a mutual aid project she founded, inspired by her work with mutual aid network Miry’s List. Through FHF, Erin has supported Aveson families experiencing serious illness, job loss, and other challenges. After the administration's request, the ACO board met with Erin, who agreed to help us adapt and scale up Families Helping Families to respond to the wildfire. Over the following weeks, we:​​​
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Publicized and administered the Aveson Community Relief Fund, which has distributed $127,000 to over 100 families.
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Created a team of family liaisons, parent volunteers who reached out to small groups of affected families, staying in regular communication and making sure they knew about resources and opportunities.
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Created volunteer teams in the immediate aftermath of the fire that ensured families had food, clothing, emergency housing, and transportation.
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Published regular newsletters helping families manage the overwhelming amount of news and disaster response resources for affected families.
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Served as a point of contact for outside organizations, receiving and distributing donations of gift cards, sneakers, electronics, and other goods.