After the Fire USA

ICYMI: Season 2?? of IEM's #DisasterSmiths launched last week with a new episode focusing on wildfire recovery and rebuilding. ??? “When the Smoke Clears — Resilience and Recovery in the Face of Fire” Tune in to hear from After the Fire USA's CEO, Jennifer Gray Thompson, MPA as she discusses the recovery processes in communities affected by the 2025 California and 2023 Maui wildfires. In this episode, Jennifer also highlights the mental health impacts families and individuals face during and after wildfire incidents. If you or someone you know was affected by the wildfires, here are some helpful mental health resources: ? Disaster Distress Helpline: https://lnkd.in/ewwhzJn3 ? Recovering Emotionally After a Disaster: https://lnkd.in/gfMJgtFn ? Coping with Disaster: https://lnkd.in/e37H2D7E ?? Check out the latest episode and subscribe: https://lnkd.in/eQPA2wvq #TeamIEM #Wildfires #CAWildfires #MauiWildfires #Resilience #Recovery #Podcast

Our final day of the delegation was spent on the west side in meetings at the SnapChat offices (gratitude for the generosity here) with several stakeholders We met with the wonderful faith based communities of the Palisades and listened to leaders. Leading in a disaster while also undergoing it is particularly challenging. Many thanks to Kehillat Israel for bringing us together once again. We also met with philanthropy. Like Altadena and Pasadena in the Eaton Fire, the Palisades is a deeply beloved place full of a wide range of amazing human beings. Many thanks to Emily Kane Miller for her expertise and for guiding the following meeting with Palisades block captains. We met with the activated block captains from the west side. Our main message is to coordinate and map it so no one is left behind. Like Eaton, the people of the Palisades are deeply committed to their community and finding their way through the fog of fire. Coordination is key for ensuring the recovery is powered by the people first. Our final meeting was with key staffers from state lawmakers Sen. Ben Allen and Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin. We love working with them. Many thanks to the Department of Angels for being the conduit of support for the fire survivors and community at large. We are fully committed to supporting their model because it is rooted in people power. We will be back in a few weeks. We listened and from there, we design the next delegation. We are grateful for the financial support to provide a robust level of service for these sister fires. Mahalo to the delegation, our hosts, and especially to the fire survivors for allowing us into this sacred space and time. #LAFires #communitymatters #BlockCaptains #pacificpalisades #megafire #afterthefire Jeff Okrepkie Natalie Minuzzo Jennifer Gray Thompson, MPA Reina Pomeroy, MSW, PCC Nicole Huguenin Paul Lowenthal Melissa Baurer Margaret Van Vliet Valerie Brown Adrienne Heinz, PhD SBP After the Fire USA

We finished Tuesday at Dodger Stadium lot at an event for our friends and partners at the First Responder's Children's Foundation, a national non-profit dedicated to the mental health of the families of first responders as well as those who come running when we need them. Thank you for having us ans partnering with Good360, Disney, ServePro, and much more to make this happen. #EatonFire #pacificpalisades #LAFireRelief #firstresponderwellness Good360 After the Fire USA The Walt Disney Company Nike Jennifer Gray Thompson, MPA Jeff Okrepkie Natalie Minuzzo Valerie Brown Melissa Baurer Reina Pomeroy, MSW, PCC Adrienne Heinz, PhD Margaret Van Vliet

We had the pleasure of meeting several leaders, including block captains, from the Eaton Fire on Tuesday. We enjoyed the Elks Club meeting and then meeting the amazing Heavenly from My Tribe Rise. Immediate needs and response from trusted community leaders is key. We love to witness it is action. At lunch, we met yet another fire survivor who needed some FEMA assistance. Two of our delegation immediately jumped on it and his appeal was filed in under 30 minutes. Great food at Abu Kabab in Altadena, BTW. Wow. Humanity. It's a beautiful thing every single time. We are very heartened to witness so much directed love for community. The passion and talent is palpable. (Please tag yourselves!) Melissa Baurer Margaret Van Vliet Jennifer Gray Thompson, MPA Jeff Okrepkie Nicole Huguenin Natalie Minuzzo Reina Pomeroy, MSW, PCC Good360 After the Fire USA Adrienne Heinz, PhD Valerie Brown @ #LAFires #Eaton #Altadena #community #megafire #afterthefireusa

Our first meeting today was with the remarkable women of the Essie Justice Group, a nonprofit based in Pasadena. Essie is a "loving and powerful community of women with incarcerated loved ones" who have deep ties into the Eaton Fire affected community of Pasadena and Altadena. We sat together for two hours and talked story, listened, learned, and made plans for how After The Fire USA and our network can be of service. A big part of our work is to listen and serve the community in front of us. We appreciate the time afforded to our delegation from the women at Essie. Please support them if you can: https://lnkd.in/gjqnty4 #megafire #afterthefire #EatonFire #megafire #communityfirst Jeff Okrepkie Jennifer Gray Thompson, MPA Valerie Brown Natalie Minuzzo Melissa Baurer Good360 After the Fire USA Essie Justice Group Adrienne Heinz, PhD Reina Pomeroy, MSW, PCC

Our first meeting today was with the remarkable women of the Essie Justice Group, a nonprofit based in Pasadena. Essie is a "loving and powerful community of women with incarcerated loved ones" who have deep ties into the Eaton Fire affected community of Pasadena and Altadena. We sat together for two hours and talked story, listened, learned, and made plans for how After The Fire USA and our network can be of service. A big part of our work is to listen and serve the community in front of us. We appreciate the time afforded to our delegation from the women at Essie. Please support them if you can: https://lnkd.in/gjqnty4 #megafire #afterthefire #EatonFire #megafire #communityfirst Jeff Okrepkie Jennifer Gray Thompson, MPA Valerie Brown Natalie Minuzzo Melissa Baurer Good360 After the Fire USA Essie Justice Group Adrienne Heinz, PhD Reina Pomeroy, MSW, PCC

Delegation Day One Part Two: Palisades Fire We spent the 2nd part of the day seeing the Palisades Fire in Malibu and Pacific Palisades, stopping on PCH to listen to law enforcement and then up the hill to the origin with LAFD. We got to stop into the Third Space by Malibu Boys and Girls Club again. The Nanonest is home and providing a private space for mental health. Kasey and her team do great work. We love them. We so appreciate the kindness and dedication of many folks today. They shared their grief, respect for the loss, appreciation for many stepping up to be here for the people of Los Angeles. It's not easy to allow people into view your pain. And it's even harder to serve as a first responder while also undergoing the loss. Many thanks to the LAFP who kindly drove our large delegation, who answered all of our questions, and who show up every day. This work is hard. And it is worth it. Worst club. Best people. Good360 Nike The Walt Disney Company After the Fire USA SBP Serve Pro Jennifer Gray Thompson, MPA Valerie Brown Natalie Minuzzo Jeff Okrepkie Madison Joy Pennie MPH Nicole Huguenin #megafire #Malibu #pacificpalisades #PCH #firstresponders #afterthefireusa

We are on the ground with a delegation from After The Fire USA, our second one. Today, we are fortunate to be joined by the amazing folks from many organizations. Our partners and friends from Good360, Disney+, Nike, PostFireLA, Serve Pro, and more. Los Angeles Fire Department is walking either us through the Eaton Fire before we head over to the Pacific Palisades Fire. Megafire response, recovery, rebuilding, and reimagining communities after disaster is by nature and necessity a collaborative group effect. No heroes. No saviors. When disaster strikes, we reach for each other. We show up together. And we walk home alongside our new members of the worst club with the best humans. Good360 Jennifer Gray Thompson, MPA Valerie Brown Madison Joy Pennie MPH Good360 Natalie Minuzzo Nicole Huguenin #megafire #afterthefire #Altadena #EatonFire

Most of us need some good news right now. We need tools and ways to make it through climate disasters, which can and does apply to all kinds of disasters. Many thanks to the wonderful people at BBC Worldwide News for including After the Fire USA, Brad Sherwood and our CEO Jennifer Gray Thompson, MPA on what happened and how community is more than a word. It is an action word (as is love), a salve, a solution. ***** How can we protect our mental health from climate change related trauma? Can family, friends and community help to boost recovery and resilience in places hit by extreme weather? Graihagh Jackson finds out about a local support network called "After The Fire", set up following the wildfires which swept through Northern California in 2017. And she hears how the Manobo tribe in the Philippines are protecting their community from flooding and typhoons. Plus, we hear some top tips about mental health first aid, and how to build psychological resilience, from Jyoti Mishra, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of California and Dr. John Jamir Benzon R. Aruta, Associate Professor at the de La Salle University in the Philippines. #climate #megafire #afterthefireusa https://lnkd.in/eW4BJaTe

There's so much we love about this article. The reporter really really captured what we do, why we do it, how we do it, and the impact on the ground. We are so proud to see Brad Sherwood highlighted alongside Jennifer Gray Thompson, MPA + Jenn Kaaoush + Casey Taylor and more. This means everything: "After the Fire USA were the first people that made me feel at all better about any kind of future that we might have, because they’ve been through it,” said Rabbi Amy Bernstein, who lost her home in the Palisades Fire alongside hundreds of other families in her congregation. “Truly, it’s the first time that I felt any kind of hope that we will come through this as a community.” ???????? Altadena Town Council Vice Chair Nic Arnzen had connected with After the Fire USA earlier in January at a webinar for reeling Altadena residents. His council census tract, including the mountain area of Altadena, suffered some of the worst destruction, with total destruction across up to 80% of the area. His family was among the 5,000 of the tract’s 5,500 residents whose homes were destroyed. Arnzen had already led tours of the Altadena burn zone for others — politicians, journalists, bureaucrats — but the experience with the delegation of fire survivors was different. “Seeing in their eyes, ‘I know what you’re going through’ — there was a kinship that can only be forged through these terrible fires that was palpable,” Arnzen said. Thank you to reporter Emily Wilder and everyone who allowed us into their space. #megafire #LAFires #afterthefire Chris Smith Natalie Minuzzo Madison Joy Pennie MPH County of Maui Paul Lowenthal Fannie Mae Sidra Goldwater Good360 Valerie Brown SBP Airlink, Inc. https://lnkd.in/gukwCVCN