The Altadena Library Foundation hosted its annual Taste of ‘Dena event on Saturday October 4. It was an evening of community, food, poetry, music & togetherness, featuring special guest and poet Arielle Estoria as well as the Allan Wasserman Jazz Ensemble. We awarded and celebrated community leaders Victoria Knapp and Modesta Nava for their unwavering dedication to Altadena, especially in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire. Additionally, we hosted Congresswoman Chu, Senator Pérez, and Assemblymember Harabedian. Pérez and Harabedian presented the Altadena Library District with 3.6 million dollars as part of the state budget allocation. It was a TASTEful evening…to say the least!

While normally a fundraiser, this year’s event was about inviting displaced Altadenans back to enjoy an evening of community. And it was a success–it was a sold out event hosting over 300 community members. We were even able to raise around $3500. However, it stands in stark contrast to last year, as Taste of ‘Dena 2024 raised just over $50,000. We still must raise money to continue to support the Altadena Library District and all their amazing programming, which is directly supporting fire victims. The library serves as a beacon of hope and a place of respite in our community and its functions are especially vital to our recovery process. If you would like to donate, please click the button below!