This is how we recover from disasters, including moral ones (final story)
Whether physical fires or the burning down of our democracy, we know how to heal
This is our eigth and final story in our Week of Citizening.
Today’s focus: There is a model for how we rebuild and heal after the human-made disaster being inflicted on the USA right now. Welcome to Dena Heals
Check out today’s story in this Instagram Reel or the LinkedIn version.
This is the final story in our Week of Citizening.
Over the past 7 days, we’ve shared libraries as civic powerhouses, mutual aid in Mississippi, democracy at work, school boards that actually work, and more. Today’s story brings it all home.
Literally.
Because this one is about fire. Real fire. The kind that devours homes and hillsides and lives. But it’s also about what happens after the fire. What we do with the ashes.
This is the story of Dena Heals—a mutual aid marketplace and wellness center born in the wake of the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California.
It’s a living model of how to respond to crisis—not with despair, but with community care, Indigenous wisdom, and collective healing.
“In the shadow of the most devastating fire in Los Angeles, something magical happened…”
— Mike de la Rocha, storyteller & organizer
Dena Heals has supported over 3,500 people from more than 500 families in just a few months. And they’re just getting started.
This story reflects all the pillars of How To Citizen:
🌱 Show up and participate
⚡ Understand power
❤️ Invest in relationships
🤝 Commit to the collective
And it embodies something we need to remember right now:
“When all the ordinary divides and patterns are shattered, people step up…
That purposefulness and connectedness brings joy even amidst death, chaos, fear and loss.”
— Rebecca Solnit, A Paradise Built In Hell
We citizen. Because that’s who we are. Especially in the fire.
💬 Who else is demonstrating how we turn from crisis to collective care?
Visit stories.howtocitizen.com, join our list, and let us know you have a story to share. You can also comment on this post, reply or tag us on IG/LinkedIn. These stories are everywhere — and we need them more than ever.
🎥 Video produced by Revolve Impact. This story series is a collaborative effort of Shira Abramowitz, Jon Alexander, Elizabeth Stewart, and Baratunde Thurston.
Let’s citizen!
Here’s a link to all our stories so far:
Our kickoff launch post featuring Baratunde and Jon Alexander.
1st story: libraries as civic powerhouses
2nd story: on “participatory layoffs”
3rd story: overcoming divisions on a school board
4th story: best way to help? start with listening.
6th story: everyday people taking over the political process in West Virginia
7th story: bringing joy and embodiment to gatherings in a fractured time (Maine)
We’ve reactivated the How To Citizen podcast feed with these stories, so check Apple Podcasts or your own podcast player if you prefer audio.
Step one is put out the fires. . .
Wow, this story was a bit emotional for me. Especially that line… “Our future depends on how we care for each other.”
Which made me wonder… so how *do* we care for each other?
What *is* possible when we lead with love, care, and collective action in our local community?
Thank you for this moving series of stories rooted in positive action and a groundswell of good energy ❤️