Altadena Cars and Coffee meetup helps Eaton Fire survivors find healing
ALTADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- One year after the Eaton Fire, recovery in Altadena has taken many forms. For some, healing begins with something as simple as cars, coffee and conversation.
Behind every greeting at Altadena Cars and Coffee is a deeper understanding.
The weekly event has become a form of therapy for residents.
Dave Stone, founder of Altadena Cars and Coffee and creator of the Instagram page “Not EV Altadena,” started the gathering after walking through the fire-ravaged community.
“You notice two things: cars and chimneys, but in particular it was the cars for me,” Stone said. “It really wrecked me and broke my heart, and so I thought, what could I do to help people? And, that’s how this started.”
The Instagram page was inspired by charred cars tagged with the words “not EV.” Stone estimates about 5,000 cars were lost in the Eaton Fire. Twice a week, he posts stories about the vehicles and the people behind them who are working to rebuild.
Hipolito Cisneros and his wife lost their home, all of their possessions, their home-based business and his beloved 1972 Datsun 510 in the fire.
Having his car’s story told by Stone has meant everything for Cisneros.
“I don’t want my car to die,” he said. “Just by his little story and the way he narrates it, it still keeps my car alive no matter what.”
Through the stories of every car, Stone has formed a bond with thousands of Altadena families, bringing them hope on their road to recovery.
“His stories help people connect and hear that other people are going through the same horrors and maybe reach out to those people and say hey, you know what, let’s talk about it,” said Cisneros’ wife, Elizabeth.
Stone says the goal is to show progress and resilience.
“You want to see people coming back, you want to see these rebuilds, I want to be able to tell the world that this is happening,” he said.
On top of sharing stories of the residents and their cars, Stone also helps families in their efforts to raise money to hopefully put toward a new car.
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