It Takes a Community to Recover

*Note: All quotes translated from Spanish

Felipe standing with his 11-year-old daughter, Kelly.

“She kept asking me, ‘What are we going to do?’”

For Felipe, a devoted father and longtime restaurant worker, that question from Kelly, his 11-year-old daughter, in the aftermath of the January wildfires cut deeper than any financial loss. When fires swept through Pacific Palisades on January 6, they didn’t just consume buildings, they disrupted entire lives. Felipe had worked at Gladstones for nearly four decades, starting as a busboy in 1986 and working his way up to bartender and custodial worker. That morning, he went in to check on a few things, not knowing it would be the last time he’d see Pacific Palisades as it was. 

Felipe remembers watching fire trucks arrive one after another, firefighters working urgently to stop the flames from spreading. But with winds so strong, the fire quickly grew out of control. Because of a serious lung condition, Felipe had to leave the area before the smoke got worse. From home, he watched helplessly as the fire overtook the Pacific Palisades. “We never imagined the fire would be this immense,” he said.

Felipe lost more than his job. He lost a sense of security for himself and his daughter, who lives with him full-time.

“She would ask me, ‘Now what are we going to do, Dad?’” he recalled. “I told her, ‘Have faith.’” 

With no unemployment benefits approved and the restaurant’s reopening delayed indefinitely, Felipe leaned on his community of support: siblings, church members, neighbors, and friends, some of whom he hadn’t heard from in over two decades. After a Los Angeles Times story featured him, a friend he hadn’t seen in 26 years sent him money to help. “This is what you sowed,” the friend told him. The support was life-changing. “People brought us bags of groceries, shampoo, food. Every little bit helps,” Felipe shared. 

Felipe and his daughter Kelly celebrate her 8th birthday with a colorful balloon under a shady tree.

His daughter Kelly, a student at Mark Twain Middle School, has stayed resilient with the help of therapy and family. “Thank God she has psychological support... The therapist is very happy with my daughter,” he said. Their new routine includes therapy, karate classes, and small moments of joy. Felipe had paid for six months of karate just weeks before the fire, a decision he briefly questioned. But knowing it gave his daughter something to look forward to, he stayed committed.

Despite the stress, Felipe’s gratitude is unwavering. When a CISLA Site Coordinator at Mark Twain Middle School heard about his job loss, they stepped in immediately. “They filled out the paperwork for me and gave me a check,” he recalled. “Thank God my whole family has been here working together… we all need each other.”

CISLA, in partnership with local schools, was proud to be part of that circle of support, providing emergency financial aid and connecting families like Felipe’s to critical resources in the wake of disaster.

Still, Felipe knows recovery takes time. Every week, he visits the restaurant to see if anything has changed. “We all thought it would be open in a few weeks. Now, who knows” he said. 

Even so, he remains hopeful. He’s determined to be there for his daughter, to celebrate her quinceañera, and to keep her grounded in love and laughter.

“I have to live for my daughter. She needs me at 100%.” he said. “And thanks to the community, we’re moving forward little by little.”

CISLA is committed to showing up for families like Felipe’s, but we can’t do it alone.

Help us provide emergency assistance, mental health support, and educational stability so students can stay focused on learning, not survival.

Continue giving to our mutual aid fund today. Because when we invest in our families, we invest in our future.