The center is staffed by veterans who have been active in the burn zone
The American Legion Post 283 has opened a disaster recovery center in Pacific Palisades, providing aid and support to displaced residents.
Located at 15247 La Cruz Ave., the center offers free insurance and legal advice, assistance from FEMA, the SBA, and the Red Cross, as well as mental health support, clergy services, and essential supplies such as food, water, and protective equipment.
The recovery center is staffed by veterans who have been active in the burn zone since the fires began. Among those impacted are members of the American Legion Family, including Tom Doran, Diane Elder, and Rivers Jacques Jr., who each lost their homes in the fires but remain committed to helping their community rebuild.
Doran, a Squadron 283 executive committee member, had hoped to defend his home from the flames. “I planned on fighting to save my house,” he said in a post by 283, recalling a firefighter’s warning that if he left, the house would burn. But when the water pressure failed, he was forced to evacuate. He returned at 2:30 a.m. to find his home engulfed in flames.
Elder, a member of Unit 283, was at a medical appointment when the fires reached her Pacific Palisades home. “It burned to the ground,” she said in the post. With communication lines down, she was unable to reach her husband for three days.
Jacques, the first vice commander of Post 280, was asleep when fire alerts began. By the time he stepped outside, his home in Altadena was already in danger. “I was thinking it would blow over,” he said. “And then we found out our house had been leveled.”
