Red Cross Helps Altadena Teacher Rebuild After Wildfires

June 12, 2025

Aurora Barbosa Flores, right, lost her Altadena home during the LA Fires—consuming everything she owned. In the days that followed, she faced overwhelming uncertainty—but the Red Cross came through with vital support, helping her take the first steps toward rebuilding. Photos by Mimi Teller/American Red Cross.

By Emily Hache/American Red Cross

When the wildfires swept through Altadena, California in January 2025, Aurora Barbosa Flores was forced to flee her home. A high school math teacher of 26 years, Aurora, along with several neighbors, evacuated to her parents’ house in Glendale. From there, she watched in disbelief as the path of the fire inched closer to her cul-de-sac. Days later, she borrowed a friend’s e-bike and navigated blocked roads and debris to find out if her house had survived. She recalls the devastation she found there: “All the houses were gone—just chimneys, burned cars and trees, and fallen power lines.” The home she shared with a close friend now stood in ashes.

In the weeks that followed, Aurora threw herself into the logistics of recovery: contacting her insurance company, applying for FEMA aid and lining up an architect to begin the process of rebuilding. Underneath the busyness was exhaustion and grief—and yet, help came, in generous and surprising ways. Returning to school the Monday after the fires, Aurora was met with an outpouring of support from her students. “My students showed up with bags of clothes. I was taken aback because I didn't realize that they even knew [she had lost her home].”

Support also came through her role as faculty advisor to the school’s American Red Cross Youth Club, which hosts preparedness presentations, organizes blood drives and promotes community service. Suddenly, Aurora found herself on the receiving end of the very organization she had helped promote.

“As a teacher, we're always asked to be advisors for this club and that club. The kids do these presentations for other students and I'm just sitting in the back. Now I'm the one waiting in line and needing the help.”

Through a neighborhood group of fire survivors, Aurora learned that the Red Cross was offering direct financial assistance to those affected. Unsure of what to expect, she took a day off work to come to the Pasadena Bridge Assistance Center. When Aurora arrived, she wasn’t expecting to walk out with a financial lifeline in hand.

“I didn’t know I was going to get the money today,” she said, visibly moved. “I thought maybe eventually, but not like this—not right now.” That unexpected support came as a genuine surprise and a powerful emotional uplift. “It lifts my spirit,” she said. “We look for those moments of progress and positivity because we can’t be in the pit all the time. Today is a good day.”

In her words, receiving financial assistance wasn’t just about dollars. It was about momentum. Aurora had just signed a contract with an architect earlier that week, solidifying her intention to rebuild. The Red Cross funds arrived at exactly the right moment.

“When I met with the architect he said, ‘You need to get a land survey and a soils test.’ I don’t know how much those cost, but now I have a way to start,” she explained. “Maybe this assistance will pay for the surveyor. Maybe it will pay for the soil engineer. These are costs we must take on even before construction begins.”

Aurora received financial help from the Red Cross that brought more than relief—it brought hope. The support arrived just as she began the rebuilding process, allowing her to cover critical early costs. “This changes everything,” she shared."

“When the [Red Cross volunteer] kept saying, ‘You’re going to get the money,’ I just sat up a little taller,” Aurora said. “I didn’t feel so gloomy anymore. I feel good. I feel grateful. And I appreciate everyone—the church that hosted us, the Red Cross staff and volunteers. You never know who’s going to help you in life. This is one of those moments.”

For Aurora, the experience has reshaped her understanding of what it means to serve—and be served. She plans to use her story to enrich her work with the Red Cross Club next year. “My experience is going to help me be more of a partner with them, not just on the sidelines.”

As she headed back to Altadena, where she and her friend have chosen to stay rooted in their fire-affected community, she reflected on how much this support meant.

“This is going to be a memorable day,” she said. “It’s a step forward.”

In the face of devastation, Aurora’s resilience—and the community that rose to support her—reflect the very heart of recovery. Thanks to her students, her neighbors and the Red Cross, she’s already taking the first steps home.

To learn more about Red Cross wildfire recovery efforts visit: rdcrss.org/3SMyRkY.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.