'The little things matter:' Group collecting special holiday ornaments for Eaton Fire victims

ALTADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- As people look ahead to Hanukkah and Christmas, many are thinking about the Altadena community.

Many residents lost everything in the Eaton Fire, so a local group is giving back by offering a small but special holiday gift: ornaments.

"Everybody thinks they're getting money from their insurance to cover everything, but you cannot replace the emotional items, the things that their kids did," said Mariela Amaya, a sales associate at the Heatherbloom boutique in San Marino, which is collecting ornaments for the group Ornaments For Altadena.

The effort was started by a group of fire survivors to collect different ornaments and other holiday items like menorahs.

"They love giving," said Heatherbloom owner Michelle Round, who said she's been seeing plenty of people stopping by to donate. "It means a lot for them to give. We had a woman drop off ornaments, an entire bin of ornaments, from her recently deceased mother, and it meant a lot for her to give them to Altadena."

Some Altadena residents were seen looking through the donations, trying to keep their family traditions going.

"It's been heartwarming to see people see an ornament that they had or something that reminded them of some ornament that they'd lost," said Round.

Donors are encouraged to write a personal note to go with any new, vintage, or handcrafted items. One person donated a chair ornament, saying it had been passed down from multiple fire victims.

Others donated tree lights or remote timers.

Residents like Robin Banks, who donated special glass ornaments, hopes the effort spreads a little bit of joy for a much different holiday season.

"Whatever it is, the little things matter," she said.

To learn more, visit the Ornaments for Altadena's Instagram page.