As the year draws toward its close and we enter a season of gathering and reflection, I find myself thinking about the small but meaningful moments that define Pasadena Village. This is the time of year when the days grow shorter, and yet our community seems to shine more brightly—through the warmth of a shared meal, the laughter during a program, or the simple comfort of knowing that we show up for one another.

With December upon us, we arrive at both the final month of the calendar year and the midpoint of our fiscal year. This year has been unlike any other. We began in January under extraordinary circumstances with a record-setting fire that devastated our broader community. The scope of loss across the region was immense, and much of it was beyond what the Village alone could address. And yet - within the areas where we could respond - we stepped forward with care, coordination, and deep compassion.

In the earliest days of the fire, our members checked on one another, offering connection and reassurance when it was needed most. Our staff worked swiftly to make contact with every member. To our relief, we did not lose a single member to the fire; however, the impact was still profound: 22 of our members lost their homes entirely, and nearly 90 more were displaced for varying periods, facing remediation, insurance challenges, and uncertainty. Fifty-one percent of our Village was homeless for some period of time.

In response, Pasadena Village created a Fire Relief Fund from scratch - something we had never needed to do before. Donors from across the country contributed more than $80,000. And because our community has cultivated strong philanthropic relationships over many years, those who knew our work and trusted our mission responded quickly. Foundations and partners offered support not only because of the immediate need, but because they recognized the Village’s thoughtful, steady, and neighborly response at a moment of crisis.

That recognition mattered. It led to additional donations, and ultimately, more than $500,000 was entrusted to us to support relief efforts. With these resources, we provided:

Clean air filters and immediate essentials for those who had lost everything

Financial assistance in the form of gift cards for basic needs during displacement

Help locating temporary housing

Support groups where older adults could share, process, and heal together

Educational resources to navigate remediation, insurance, and rebuilding

Gatherings, concerts, and moments of connection - because healing also happens in community

All funds entrusted to us for emergency relief have been used this year, consistent with donor intent.

As we turn now into 2026, we enter a new and equally important phase: recovery. Relief was about responding quickly to stabilize immediate needs. Recovery requires something different - time, patience, planning, and sustained support.

This next phase includes:

Helping older adults rebuild routines and confidence

Offering ongoing navigation support with insurance, repairs, and relocation

Maintaining peer support groups and healing spaces

Facilitating reconnection to social life, learning, and purpose

Strengthening our community’s systems so we are even more resilient in the future

These efforts are quieter, longer-term, and deeply personal. And we will need continued community support to meet them well. At our fiscal midpoint, we now have the opportunity to reflect and to look forward with intention. Over the last six months, new members have stepped into leadership; long-time members have deepened their engagement; and committees have worked in ways that have strengthened our shared life. We have grown in ways both visible and quiet - and every step forward demonstrates that our resilience is real and our community spirit is strong.

In the months ahead, let us continue to ask: What brings us together? What helps us thrive? What do we want our Village to feel like for every member - new and long standing alike? These questions guide our actions, our programming, and the way we support one another day to day.

I invite each of you to take part in shaping our next steps - whether by joining a conversation, attending something new, offering a skill, or simply reaching out to someone you haven’t seen in a while. Every act of participation, large or small, strengthens our Village. This season reminds us to look gently at where we have been and generously toward what we can yet create.

I am deeply grateful for each of you and deeply optimistic about the months ahead. May the coming days be full of connection.

Warmly,

Dick Myers

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