When the Eaton Fire swept through Altadena, the Quiroz family lost everything.
Unable to provide shelter for their six young children, Jessica and Furmencio Quiroz turned to 211 LA, which immediately placed them in temporary housing through a partnership with Airbnb.
Initially designed for short-term housing, their stay was extended once it became clear they could not return home. Over time, 211 LA provided the family with care coordination, including helping them secure cash assistance, school supplies, food vouchers and clothes. The Quiroz family is now working to rebuild their home and return to Altadena.
211 LA Executive Director Maribel Marin said the experience shows that “the reality of recovery for families is a long journey, and it requires flexible resources and trusted partnerships, but above all, sustained care.”
“If we had left them after that first Airbnb extended stay and said, ‘OK, well, good luck’, they wouldn’t have received the long-term care and benefits that we get from having our other partners,” Marin said.
In the aftermath of the catastrophic 2025 wildfires, 211 LA emerged as a critical player on the frontlines of disaster response, guiding over 54,000 displaced households through loss and uncertainty. As wildfires forced mass evacuations and upended lives across Los Angeles County, 211 LA fielded tens of thousands of calls and texts, offering immediate assistance and long-term care coordination.
211 LA’s role last year extended beyond emergency shelter and crisis response. The group provided multilingual updates on changing evacuation zones, air quality, and available shelters, with special outreach for older adults, people with disabilities, and medically fragile residents affected by power outages. Partnerships with utilities and community agencies ensured that no resident was left behind.
In the chaotic days after the fires erupted, California Community Foundation made its largest single emergency grant to 211 LA from its Wildfire Recovery Fund.
“211 LA was at the center of the response—the front door to recovery,” said Miguel A. Santana, CCF President and CEO. “Providing real-time, multilingual information and referrals across housing, food, health care, and financial assistance, they made a complex system navigable, at a moment when people had no margin for confusion.”
The unprecedented scale of the 2025 wildfires brought hard lessons, spurring 211 LA to reimagine its approach to disaster recovery.
Marin recently announced the launch of the Crisis Care Plan Alliance, a coalition uniting public agencies, nonprofits, businesses, and philanthropy. Founding members include Airbnb.org, Falck, and Belmont Village Senior Living – partners who expand countywide readiness and recovery capabilities.
