The Brotherhood Crusade Leads Massive Fundraising Effort For Altadena Wildfire Victims

As firefighters worked around the clock to contain the Eaton Fire in January, one community organization was already preparing for the recovery ahead. The Brotherhood Crusade acted swiftly to assist their neighbors in Altadena and Pasadena, wasting no time to organize aid and resources for those affected by the wildfires.

“We have deep roots in the Altadena-Pasadena area,” the organization’s President and CEO, Charisse Bremond Weaver, told NewsOne. “(These are) communities that we’ve worked with for years.” In partnership with Urban One Cares, they established the Brotherhood Crusade Wildfire Relief Fund to provide direct relief to the Eaton Fire victims.

57 years of service

The Brotherhood Crusade has a long history in Los Angeles. Founded in 1968 by community activist Walter Bremond and members of the Los Angeles Black Congress, the vision was to improve the quality of life for the people of South LA, ensuring equitable access to resources, opportunities, and support services.

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Now at the helm of this storied organization, Bremond Weaver upholds the service legacy built by her father and her predecessor, now board chair, Danny Bakewell Sr. Today, the Brotherhood Crusade’s impact reaches beyond its Slauson Avenue headquarters. It serves the broader LA community—offering a robust range of programming and resources in youth development, athletics, the arts, and more.

Bremond Weaver is passionate about working to “invest and ensure that we’re developing great leaders who one day will be leading this amazing city as folks poured into me.”

Brotherhood Crusade Wildfire Relief Fund

In times of crisis, the service organization plays a vital role in offering relief to those in need. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brotherhood Crusade “provided over $1.2 million in monetary support for community members who had to leave their jobs due to the pandemic,” said Bremond Weaver.

Now, as families in Altadena and Pasadena navigate the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, the need for direct relief is more critical than ever. In January, a partnership formed seemingly overnight between the Brotherhood Crusade and Urban One Cares, the philanthropic arm of Urban One. Cathy Hughes, Urban One’s founder, and BHC board chair Bakewell quickly developed a plan. “As the fires were happening, they got on a call and said, ‘We have to be responsible for our families in Altadena and Pasadena,’” said Bremond Weaver.

As it did during the global pandemic, the Brotherhood Crusade has focused on providing direct funding to impacted residents. “You pivot in crisis situations,” said Bremond Weaver. “Our day-to-day work is still happening. But when your community needs you, you have to find a way to step up.”

An act of love

The profound loss that this community has endured is difficult to grasp. The Eaton Fire claimed 17 lives and thousands of homes, businesses, houses of worship, schools, and historic buildings.

The Brotherhood Crusade Wildfire Relief Fund is doing its part to ease the recovery process by addressing the residents’ needs—both immediate and longer-term. “It was important to provide monetary support,” said Bremond Weaver, who acknowledged the huge cost to families displaced by the fires, “having to pay a house note and looking for temporary housing until their house is complete.”

Distributing funds to families provides immediate, tangible relief. It’s a direct way to support short-term survival while laying the groundwork for the rebuilding process. Ultimately, it is an act of love, she said. “You take care of people the way you would want to be taken care of if something like this happened to you.”

Since January, the Wildfire Relief Fund has raised over $500,000 in funding and distributed over $90,000 to support impacted families. “Our goal is to raise millions, so that over the next three to five years we will be able to provide weekly checks to families,” said Bremond Weaver. “We know that every bit of financial support is needed.”

Apply for aid

If you or someone you know was impacted by the Eaton Fire, call the Brotherhood Crusade at (323) 846-1649 to receive an application. The application will soon be available on the organization’s website, so stay tuned for that.

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Others can donate. Bremond Weaver emphasized the importance of every donor, no matter the size of their contribution. “Folks donating anywhere from $10 to $5,000—every donor is special because people give what they can,” she said. “You are making a choice to give to an institution that you trust and believe in, and you also know that we are accountable to the community we serve.”

LA through and through

Bremond Weaver is “LA through and through”—born and raised in the city, now working closely with the community. “I grew up in the city of LA,” she said. “My mom was an educator, my father was a philanthropist—in a time where folks were like, ‘Huh? What does your dad do?’ (Laughs) He helps people, literally.”

Growing up in South LA, Bremond Weaver has fond memories of Altadena. It was where she enjoyed plenty of good times, parties, and get-togethers in a vibrant community where “your neighbors knew each other.” “I’ve known friends who grew up in the area all of my life—and as you get older, your circle becomes wider,” she said. “If you grew up in the city, you know someone who has been impacted by the fires.”

Altadena and Pasadena

There’s pride here, hard earned by a community that thrived in the face of systemic racism. Even in Altadena and Pasadena, where African Americans sought an escape from the Jim Crow South during the Great Migration, these families still faced housing discrimination that limited where they could reside.

Still, Altadena in particular became “this safe haven of Black folks who said, we’ll create our own community,” said Bremond Weaver. Over time, Altadena became a symbol of Black prosperity—home to artists, activists, educators, and business owners. “That is the beauty of the Altadena community. (There are) so many positive Black role models, people who have built their generational homes and handed those homes down to their children and their grandchildren.”

Love for LA

Now 20 years at the helm of the Brotherhood Crusade, Bremond Weaver says, the work continues. “I love my city. To be able to serve others, I honestly believe I have the best job on Earth. Even during difficult times, my joy is that I get to help people.”

Having witnessed LA’s ever-changing landscape over the years, she carries on her father’s legacy with a deep sense of responsibility. “I’m very proud of being a Black institution, an institution that will continue to grow because of the community. We are here because the community says, ‘We trust you.’”

SEE ALSO:

Documentary Follows Altadena Family Who Lost Generational Home In LA Wildfires

Altadena Not For Sale: Preserving Black Homeownership After The Eaton Fire

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