ALTADENA, Calif. — As Altadena looks to rebuild, residents with homes that survived the Eaton Fire still don’t have access to clean drinking water. One humanitarian organization called CORE or Community Organized Relief Effort, is working to fix that.
As he says it, Rey Xochitiotzi has been in the “trenches” since he was 18 years old, born in Mexico, but raised here in the U.S. with a unique exposure to asbestos removal from his dad, who taught him the industry at a young age.
“You see your mom and dad struggling to pay the rent, and you choose school or work, and I chose half and half,” Xochitiotzi said.
It paid off. Now, he is the owner of his own asbestos, lead and mold abatement company called American Plus Inc. serving the entire state of California.
He says it was an honor to be requested in Altadena as part of this debris removal and reservoir clearing on Calaveras Street.
It’s a partnership organized by global crisis response nonprofit CORE, founded by Sean Penn and Ann Lee in the wake of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
With a “do not drink, do not boil” order still in place for Altadena, CORE LA’s Fire Disaster Response Lead Tracy Reigns says this is one step of many.
“So right now getting drinking water back is a critically important, but also being prepared for what comes next,” Reigns said. “There’s lots of things — infrastructure, power, helping people navigate all the different resources to be able to get restarted on their lives, to get their homes clean, that still exists. To start the rebuilding process, there’s so much that happens.”
Reigns says they’re here to bridge that gap.
“The recovery effort goes on for years and so with support from donors like Stephen Cloobeck and guidance from Supervisor Kathryn Barger, we have identified places that need the next phase to get us going and get on their feet,” she said.
Reigns noted that there are about 10 to 15 reservoirs around Altadena. They are managed by Rubio Cañon Land and Water Association that provides drinking water and water for firefighting.
Xochitiotzi says these reservoirs weren’t spared when the Eaton Fire ripped through this area.
“There was roofing. That’s roofing material. It was tested for asbestos. It came back negative, but still we have to clean it up," he said. "We’re saving the columns so everything can be reused.”
When he started American Plus Inc. many years ago, this is the work Xochitiotzi had in mind.
“I want to be part of it. I want to build it back and I do want to be part of a team that builds it back. That’s what I love to do, you know, help people,” he said.
For more information about CORE's work, click here.
