FREE Stuff for Survivors!
Sep 5 2025
Dear friends,
This weekend marks the eight-month anniversary of the fire. For all of us, those early hours will forever be seared into memory — evacuating families, forming bucket brigades, scrambling for our lives.
Out of that devastation, we’ve built something powerful together: the Eaton Fire Survivors Network is now more than 8,000 survivors and allies strong. We’re already being called the nation’s largest survivor community, and we continue to grow rapidly.
This is thanks to all of us, and the breathtaking generosity and courage of survivors and local donors reaching out to help one another inside our Discord. Every day, people are sharing vital resources, lifting each other up, and showing what recovery looks like when survivors lead.
Here’s just some of what’s happening right now:
• Free Pasadena Pops symphony tickets – tomorrow night at the Arboretum!
• Free family weekend getaways in Big Bear – a $3,000 value!
• Up to $1.5 million in SBA loans — You could still get up to $1.5 million in SBA funding – AND you can use this to cover the gap between what insurance is paying you and your actual rebuilding or remediation costs!
Learn how next Thursday, Sept 11, when the SBA's Corey Williams joins us for a special webinar.
Here’s the best part: you don’t have to wait for our weekly newsletter. You can grab these opportunities — and so much more — every single day, for free, inside our Discord.
Better than tickets or weekends away is what happens when you wake up with your own customized guide to recovery. See how Ellen uses her “Discord routine” each morning to protect her family and move her recovery forward, step by step.
Curious about the team behind EFSN and the 3-pillar strategy guiding us forward? We just launched our new About Us page: https://www.efsurvivors.net/about-us
And tonight — don’t miss our EFSN First Friday Community Dinner, 6–8 PM at T. Boyle’s Tavern in Pasadena. Bring your kids, bring your friends. There’s nothing like breaking bread together in person. I can’t wait to see you there. RSVP here
Eight months in, we’re proving what’s possible when survivors lead — recovery that’s faster, stronger, and rooted in community.
Around the Discord
🥳 Wins & Good News Channel
Recovery is tough. This channel is our space to share the bright spots — victories, milestones, and moments of hope — so we can celebrate progress together. (Mod: Morgan Z)
Survivors in the Spotlight
Altadena resident Kelly Etter, a total-loss survivor and certified Pilates instructor, shared her story with CBS Evening News — from losing everything in the Eaton Fire to finding healing by rebuilding her business and her life.
🎥 Watch her story:
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/california-wildfire-survivor-rebuilds-life-through-pilates/
Kelly is part of the EFSN Survivor Media Corps (SMC), a team of survivors trained to speak to media with clarity and impact. We work directly with journalists to show what recovery really looks like on the ground.
When survivors tell our stories, something powerful happens:
We accelerate healing—for ourselves and for our community.
And we spark empathy in the public—creating momentum for change.
Already, SMC voices have helped shape 350+ news stories nationwide.
Are you a survivor with a story to tell?
Join the Survivor Media Corps: https://www.efsurvivors.net/survivor-media-corps
Journalists: Need a source fast?
Use our rapid response form: https://www.efsurvivors.net/media-contact
Free Stuff for Survivors
Pasadena Pops Symphony Tickets at the Arboretum Tomorrow!
Up to 300 first-come, first-served General Admission- Lawn tickets will be available. Tickets will be emailed by 9/5/2025
Michael Feinstein, Soloist | Larry Blank, Conductor
Michael Feinstein puts down the baton and picks up the mic to take you on an insider’s journey through the Great American Songbook — from Gershwin to Billy Joel. Enjoy classics like “I Got Rhythm,” “New York State of Mind,” and a special tribute to Alan Bergman with “The Way We Were.”
📅 Date: Saturday, September 6, 2025
🕰 Time: [Event time not listed—do you want me to add a placeholder?]
📍 Location: LA County Arboretum
✅ Fill out the form now—tickets will be emailed by 9/5/25
For more information, please visit the Pasadena Symphony and POPS.
Free Family Weekend Getaway at Camp Woodcraft (Big Bear)
A relaxing, fun-filled family weekend — a $250 per person value (up to 12 people) — free for fire-impacted families thanks to generous donors.
• Cozy bunk cabins
• All meals included
• Activities: archery, climbing, campfires
• A chance to recharge in nature, together
✅ [Register with code lastrong]
Spots limited — about 40 families total.
Upcoming Events
Using Your SBA Loan
Thursday, September 11 | 7–8 PM PT | Virtual on Zoom
Many survivors think SBA caps out at $500K — but that’s not the whole story.
✅ Up to $1.5M in total SBA support is possible.
✅ Options include home repair, refinance at 2.563%, and mitigation funding for fire-hardening and safer rebuilding.
👉 Join our upcoming webinar to learn how to:
• Go beyond the $500K cap
• Refinance an existing mortgage through SBA
• Fund mitigation projects that protect your home long-term
The EFSN Zoom facility seats 1,000 people. Invite survivor friends + networks.
All are welcome.
⏰ What? You’re not in our Discord yet?
Enter your email address here and we’ll send you your invite right away. Join thousands of neighbors already sharing resources to recover faster and stronger.
