Subject: Joy. Connection. And a Championship-Level Pickleball Day.
Feb 27, 2026
Dear friends,
It's time we had some fun.
Some joy. Some sunshine. Some real, in-person connection.
So I am thrilled to share updated details for a day designed for exactly that, with a location closer to Eaton, Palisades, and Malibu survivors.
Rally for Recovery: A Community Pickleball Day
Saturday, May 30
3 to 8 PM
iPickle Arcadia
Details and Express Interest:
https://www.efsurvivors.net/rally-for-recovery
This will be a very L.A. kind of day.
On Center Court: survivors, pro athletes, business leaders, celebrities, and elected officials. Circles that rarely meet, coming together in one joyful place.
I'm thrilled to announce that Center Court will be presided over by Sam Laganà, legendary stadium voice of the Los Angeles Rams, bringing SoFi-level energy to every rally and turning every whiff into a highlight-reel moment.
Here's the beautiful part.
These fires cut across every circle. And so does pickleball.
Sam is a pickleball addict. He's also a Palisades survivor. A friend of Glen Friedman of The Change Reaction. And I am a friend of Glen.
That is how the Voice of the Rams ended up at our day.
This is how L.A. works, and how EFSN grows.
We're more than 10,000 survivors and allies strong, and we have relationships everywhere.
We are seeking pro athletes and celebrities who love pickleball to join Sam on Center Court.
If you know someone, please hook us up!
We're also seeking corporate sponsors at every level. Sports brands. Financial institutions. Retailers. Builders. Companies that care about survivors and want to stand visibly with a community in motion.
This event is for us.
To keep survivors visible in Year Two. To remind the world recovery is not over. To gather not in loss, but in joy, connection, and hope.
No pickleball experience required. You don't even have to play. Just come to connect.
Use the Express Interest form to sponsor, or introduce us to pro athletes, celebrities, or companies who should be part of our day: https://www.efsurvivors.net/rally-for-recovery
Let's play. And let's show the world what recovery looks like when a city shows up for its own.
Four Bills, One Goal
Reform California's Insurance System
Eaton and Palisades survivors face two systemic insurance failures blocking recovery.
First, we cannot reliably buy or keep homeowners insurance. Families investing tens of thousands to make homes fire-safe are still denied coverage or abruptly nonrenewed. FAIR Plan enrollment has surged fivefold in six years, with the sharpest spike in the past two.
Second, even when we have insurance, we can't reliably access the benefits we paid for. Seventy percent of insured Los Angeles fire survivors are struggling to access benefits we paid for in full.
This isn't just frustrating. It determines whether our communities recover.
Insurers still owe L.A. fire survivors tens of billions in delayed and underpaid claims. That money is the difference between rebuilding and displacement.
And without reliable access to insurance, we cannot secure mortgages. Without mortgages, rebuilding stalls and home values erode.
To fix both failures, EFSN and Consumer Watchdog are sponsoring four bills authored by Senators Sasha Renée Pérez (Altadena) and Ben Allen (Palisades).
Early momentum can be crucial to getting these bills passed.
Add your name: fixinsurance.org
Lots of news unfolding this week around our recovery.
Official Investigation Coming on Our Insurance Complaints?
Further thanks to Senators Allen and Pérez, who are formally demanding a Senate investigation into the California Department of Insurance's handling of complaints from survivors struggling to collect from State Farm.
LA Times coverage by Paige St. John: https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2026-02-20/senators-investigate-insurance-department-complaints
The senators' call follows last week's front-page investigation revealing mass premature closure of complaint files, along with internal emails showing how the department retaliated against an enforcement official who described State Farm's conduct as “shoddy and shameful.”
The article highlights smoke-damage survivor Ani Orinakyan, who was recently told her insurer would stop paying her living expenses in two weeks.
Her complaint to the Department of Insurance, filed three months ago, resulted only in an acknowledgement letter.
“Our only choice is going back to a toxic house and risk our health and lives,” she said. “It's not fair that we are facing homelessness.”
The senators' request now sits with Senate Insurance Committee Chair Steve Padilla. He can call an informational hearing, initiate a formal Senate investigation with subpoena power, or take no action.
If you'd like to share your views, you can call his office at 916-651-4018.
UCLA: Most Eaton-Area Rental Housing Shows No Rebuilding Progress
This heartbreaking Fox 11 report by Rachel Aragon features Eaton Fire survivors Rose Robinson and Gil Barel: https://www.foxla.com/news/eaton-fire-altadena-study-shows-no-signs-of-rebuilding
It's based on new research from UCLA researcher Gabriella Carmona and team which finds that:
74% of destroyed Eaton Fire rental units show no rebuilding permits, sales, or active listings.
Nearly 7 in 10 severely fire-damaged homes show no progress toward rebuilding, with Black and Asian homeowners most likely to remain stalled.
UCLA policy brief:
https://latino.ucla.edu/press/new-ucla-research-finds-most-fire-impacted-rental-housing-in-altadena-shows-no-signs-of-rebuilding-one-year-after-the-eaton-fire/
From the press release:
“Before the fire, tenant households had substantially lower incomes, higher poverty rates, and significantly higher rent burdens. Without targeted policy intervention, displaced tenants may face long-term or permanent displacement from the community.”
This is precisely why more than 1,000 of you have signed on, alongside over 250 Southern California nonprofits, to call for urgent housing relief from Edison.
Outlined here: https://edisonrelief.org
The proposal would advance up to $200,000 per displaced household to stabilize families and prevent homelessness.
Black Altadena Leaders Call on Edison to Prevent Housing Instability
Outside a hall where Edison CEO Pedro Pizarro was celebrating Black History Month, Black community leaders peacefully called for immediate housing stabilization.
LA Times coverage by Melody Petersen:
“Black Altadena residents protested Edison's compensation plan, demanding up to $200,000 in emergency housing aid. Many survivors refuse the company's voluntary compensation program because it requires waiving lawsuit rights. A criminal investigation into Edison is underway.”
At its core, this is about preventing housing instability in a historic community.
Essential Tax Info for Survivors – Webinar 2 Live Q&A
Were you one of the 1,000 survivors who joined our first tax webinar with CPA John Trapani and left with more questions? One of the 700 who could not get in due to room capacity?
Or someone who heard how incredibly useful it was and wanted in?
Good news. John is back.
Tax deadlines are fast-approaching. Small errors now can cost thousands later.
Webinar 2 will be a focused live Q&A. It will build directly on Webinar 1. Please watch, or rewatch, Webinar 1 before attending so you can make the most of this time.
We'll organize the Q&A into three key areas:
Renters
Partial Loss (including smoke damage)
Total Loss
Co-hosted by Public Counsel and the Eaton Fire Survivors Network.
Register now for Webinar 2: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88595697319?pwd=eDrqL6zfbY518M8Y0XvxQ8JlXtVzqK.1
Watch Webinar 1 and review the slides and transcript: https://www.efsurvivors.net/expert-resources
Practical Resources for Survivors
Thank you again, Glen Friedman The Change Reaction, for this practical two-page Fire Survivor Rebuild Checklist for homeowners:
We've also created a permanent Resources page on the EFSN website so you can easily find important resources. It includes links to mortgage grants covering up to six months of payments and rent relief of up to $15,000.
Explore and bookmark it here: https://www.efsurvivors.net/resources
Upcoming Events
Survivor Advocacy Summit 2026
Saturday, February 28 | Online
10 AM to 1 PM PT: National advocacy skills building
1 PM to 2 PM PT: California advocacy priorities and statewide planning
Chris Kocher (EWS), Carmen Balber (Consumer Watchdog), and I will host the CA section, so ya know it'll be fun and informative. We'll break down what's happening on insurance reform and what each of us can do.
Registration link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfzVl8ESKVqZt942R5_DvVzxVezFsoBLph1pQd1kSsC-qgtqA/viewform?usp=dialog
Foothill Catalog Open House
Sunday, March 8 | 1-4p
The Collaboratory, 540 West Woodbury Road, Altadena
Check out the 35+ preapproved designs, meet the team and get your questions answered.
English signup:
https://www.foothillcatalog.org/upcoming-events/foothill-catalog-open-house-sunday-pastries-design
State of the Rebuild: Fundraiser and Panels on Los Angeles Wildfire Recovery
Thursday, March 19 | 4:30 to 8 PM
American Institute of Architects Los Angeles
4450 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles
This event is especially for architectural design and building professionals. I'll dust off my urban planning master degree and look forward to speaking on a policy panel led by Liam Dillon of Politico.
And a sincere thank you to the organizers for making this a fundraiser for the Eaton Fire Survivors Network.
Tickets here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/annual-gala-2307
That's it for today.
We're shifting our newsletter to Tuesdays. We will see you March 10.
And now, please:
Think about your network.
Who loves L.A.?
Which companies care about survivors?
Which celebrities play pickleball?
Please put your notes, ideas, and possible connections into the Express Interest form so we can track and follow up: efsurvivors.net/rally-for-recovery
Let's go build a community in motion.
A very L.A. kind of day where Los Angeles shows up for its own.
Hugs,
Joy
The Eaton Fire Survivors Network (EFSN) is the nation's largest survivor recovery hub, connecting more than 10,000 Eaton, Palisades, and Malibu fire survivors and allies. Through survivor leadership and coordination, we work to remove barriers and unlock resources so that recovery is accessible to everyone. Learn more: efsurvivors.net.
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