Journal Entry #21 - The First Welcome Home
Last Friday, we had the privilege of celebrating the first “Welcome Home” alongside the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity team and many dedicated partners, as the Wood Family prepares to return to Altadena - where three generations have called home for the past 41 years before the Eaton Fire.
The First Lewis, March 2026
Reaching this milestone brings up many feelings - mostly gratitude - that we tried to capture in some short remarks shared during the Dedication Ceremony, so we’d like to share them here too.
Wood Family Home Dedication Ceremony - Foothill Catalog Remarks
March 27th, 2026
Thank you all for being here today - and congratulations to the Wood Family and the SGV Habitat team on this incredible milestone.
My name is Cynthia. I’m a local architect, resident, and co-founder of the Foothill Catalog Foundation, a nonprofit formed after the Eaton Fire with the goal of reimagining a Sears Catalog designed for Altadena - the Foothill Catalog. Just over one year after the organization’s inception, we are now standing in the midst of the first Catalog home: the Lewis!
As I reflected on what I wanted to say today, the strongest feeling that came to mind was gratitude.
Many of you know our story - how the Foothill Catalog began as a conversation on an air mattress in a friend’s living room while we were evacuated from our own home just over a mile from here. We knew this effort would require a lot of work - but also a lot of belief, and not just from us.
The San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity team was one of the first who truly believed in us and this idea. We walked into their Monrovia office back in February of 2025 with a stack of old catalog books. What followed were months of collaboration on the design of what would become the first three Foothill Catalog homes - including the Lewis - and a continued partnership and friendship we have come to cherish.
There are also so many community partners here today who have supported not only the construction of this home, but the broader efforts of SGV Habitat, the Foothill Catalog, and many other local initiatives. Our County and State officials worked alongside us to help develop a new path to permitting - the Pre-Approved Standard Plan Program - allowing this model to succeed. The Lewis is the first pre-approved single-family home in Los Angeles County history. Since then, the Foothill Catalog has grown to over 30 pre-approved plans and counting, allowing us to serve hundreds of families with a range of needs.
I am filled with gratitude for everyone here today, and continually in awe of what collaboration and partnership can make possible. This Lewis and the Wood Family home represents many firsts - but also the first of many. We are committed to continue working to ensure all Altadenans have equitable access to a path home after the Eaton Fire.
Finally, my deepest gratitude to the Wood Family - thank you for allowing us to walk this path with you. Your resilience and commitment to this community is inspiring to us all. Your home is filled with so much love - down to the notes written on every stud - and I hope you feel that every day as you take in your beautiful mountain views.
To close, we wanted to present a small housewarming gift to the Wood Family on behalf of the Foothill Catalog Foundation. One of my favorite movies of all time is Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life. That movie is about a lot of great things, but I think one of them is the importance of home, and the human right to beautiful and affordable housing. So I’ll quote the movie here -
Bread (from Seed Bakery on Washington Blvd) that this house may never know hunger
Salt (from Ferrazzani’s Market on Lincoln Ave) that life may always have flavor and
Wine (from West Altadena Wine on Lincoln Ave) that joy & prosperity may reign forever
Welcome home!
The Wood Family, Brian Wong (SVG Habitat), Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (CA State Senate), Supervisor Kathryn Barger (LA County Board of Supervisors), Dee Dee Myers (CA Governor’s Office)
Interior Staging by Teresa Fuller & Team - sourced from the SVG Habitat ReStore
First Look!
Until Next Time,
The Foothill Catalog
Team FCF on Pine