As Los Angeles-area communities grapple with wildfire aftermath, a grassroots healing initiative brings survivors together around dinner tables rather than therapy couches.
The Hope & Healing Supper Club, scheduled for Thursday, September 25 at 5 p.m., represents growing recognition that disaster recovery requires rebuilding social fabric that trauma tears apart.
The timing is critical. Project HOPE reports reaching over 17,000 fire-affected community members as of May, highlighting massive ongoing mental health needs across the region.
The Pasadena Village–sponsored event connects to broader efforts by mental health professionals like Stacie Yeldell, whose credentials as a Board Certified Music Therapist and Accredited Vocal Psychotherapist (MA, MT-BC, AVPT) represent specialized expertise now deployed in wildfire recovery.
Unlike traditional therapy sessions, the supper club model recognizes that healing often happens in community settings where shared meals create natural opportunities for connection and mutual support.
The approach reflects growing understanding among mental health professionals that disaster recovery requires both clinical intervention and community-based healing spaces where survivors can process experiences alongside neighbors who understand their trauma firsthand.
Those interested in attending can contact Kieran Highsmith at kieran@pasadenavillage.org or call 626-765-6037.
Hope & Healing Supper Club will run on Thursday, September 25, 2025, at 5:00-7:00 p.m. Pasadena Village Office, 236 W. Mountain St. Suite 113, Pasadena. For more information, call (626) 765-6037 or visit https://www.pasadenavillage.org/events/3744-hope–healing-supper-club. Ticket prices: Free.
