CalHHS Secretary Kim Johnson’s Visit to Pasadena Senior Center Highlights Recovery Efforts for Older Adults

On January 16, 2025, Aging & Disabilities Department (AD) executives Victoria Jump and Anna Avdalyan welcomed California Health & Human Services (CalHHS) Secretary Kim Johnson to the Pasadena Senior Center, an alternate site serving older adults after the Altadena Senior Center was destroyed in the Eaton Fire. Joined by leadership from the YWCA of San Gabriel Valley and the Pasadena Senior Center, Secretary Johnson engaged in a productive discussion about the critical needs of older adults impacted by the fire, particularly in areas such as nutrition, mental health support, and emergency coordination.

In her online journal reflecting on her visit, Secretary Johnson expressed her gratitude for the community’s resilience and highlighted the importance of services for older adults during times of crisis. “During a disaster, like the recent fires in Los Angeles, these services become even more critical. Community members are displaced, survivors find themselves in need of new resources that they haven’t previously accessed, and the need to leverage all local, state, and federal resources becomes even more essential,” she wrote. Johnson praised the Pasadena Senior Center for its role in providing meals and services to displaced older adults, emphasizing how critical these partnerships are in supporting recovery efforts.

The Secretary’s visit underscored the commitment to ensuring that older adults receive the relief and resources they need to recover from the devastating fires. With the Altadena Senior Center gone, efforts have been mobilized to strengthen support for older adults in the region through meal distribution and community engagement.

As the recovery process continues, the collaboration between local, state, and federal agencies remains essential in addressing the ongoing needs of older adults, and the department is working to ensure that the community’s resilience is met with the resources it deserves.