The teens lined up with their parents at the Boyle Heights warehouse this week in search of something familiar — a Squishmallow stuffed toy, lipstick, a T-shirt, some eye shadow, a cute hair accessory.

A 15-year-old girl whose home burned down in the Eaton Fire evacuated with only a change of clothes, picking up toiletries, socks, underwear, pants and a shirt. A 16-year-old girl, whose family only had time to hold on to their cat before they evacuated and lost their home, searches for something that will make her feel more like herself.

Residents across Los Angeles moved quickly to collect and distribute blankets, clothing, first aid kits and other supplies in response to the devastation caused by the Eaton and Palisade fires. Pasadena resident Avery Colvert, 14, wanted to do something special for the many teenage girls she attended at Eliot Arts Magnet Academy in Altadena Magnet Academy students whose lives were disrupted by the fire.

The eighth-grader posted her creation on Instagram on Friday and designed a handle and logo with the help of her stepfather, Matt Chait, 44, who has a background in design.

Together, they launched the Altadena Girls campaign to collect donations, including beauty and hair products (perfume, makeup, acne patches, straightening tools and diffusers) as well as new clothing. They also seek help from stylists.

“I started this project to help girls who were affected by the Eaton Canyon Fire and lost their homes find their sense of themselves and feel confident again,” Avery said. "They've lost everything, and I want them to feel a sense of normalcy when nothing in their lives is normal."

The campaign quickly gained momentum, with nearly 32,000 followers within days. It also attracted the attention of celebrities like Paris Hilton and Mindy Kaling, who shared the project on social media. Avery was excited to hear the response from well-known brands like Huda Beauty, as well as artists like Charli XCX, who also wanted to participate.

Thirteen-year-old Naohmi Ruiz, who went to school with Avery, lost everything in the fire — her favorite clothes, her children and promotional photos. On Monday, she was at the donation center selecting neatly sorted sweaters, T-shirts and perfumes.

"I wanted to rebuild a new wardrobe," she said.

"While we were heartbroken and sickened when we heard we lost our home, we are trying to get through it and stay positive," she said.

Naomi said being in the driveway with her peers brought them a little joy.

Longtime Altadena resident Elizabeth Gonzalez and her 15-year-old daughter Ananda Shiffman came to the distribution site Sunday afternoon. They also lost their home in the Eaton Fire and evacuated with very little belongings.

"Santa Ana winds come every year. We've had fires before," Gonzalez said. But Tuesday night, "my son called me around 6 p.m. and he said, 'Mom, the mountain is on fire.'" I ran outside and couldn't believe it. It looks like it would be at our house. "

They filled garbage bags with important documents, a change of clothes, pillows and blankets and fled to her mother's home in a nearby neighborhood. Later, when the fire spread there, they fled again.

"Now we're just finding our bearings," Gonzalez said. "I brought my daughter here (today) because I'm glad they have space for the girls."

Ananda's cousin also had to evacuate, but she did not lose her home and grabbed a set of manicure tools as she fled. The girls have been getting their nails done to pass the time.

"I know it seems frivolous and ridiculous, but they're enjoying themselves and finding some sense of normalcy," Gonzalez said.

Aurora Patlan, 16, a student at Blair High School in Pasadena, lost her home west of Lake Avenue. She went to the distribution department looking for clothes and feminine hygiene products.

"A lot of people lost everything in the fire. I didn't expect it to get to our house that night, so I didn't take anything with me. I just took the cat," she said.

She said school administrators and students' parents have also been supportive.

"We're going through this together," added Aurora's mother, Gabriella Flores. Currently, they are living in an Airbnb while she works to find a permanent place to rent.

"I'm just overwhelmed," Flores said. "We need to find relief."

Amor Dionicio, 15, who attends John Muir High School in Pasadena, saw Avery's post on Instagram and asked her Her mother took her to distribute them. Her neighborhood was destroyed, and she and her family are now staying with a family friend.

"A total loss of everything," she said. "It's really hard."

Pasadena resident Jada Tarvin Abu-Bekr works on projects that serve young people in Pasadena and Altadena. The social worker said many of her students had been affected by the Eton fire. She volunteers for part of Altadena Girls' community outreach, which allows her to talk to students and make sure their needs are being met.

“I’m like a connector, a bridge,” she said as she saw familiar faces and hugged each other.

The initiative is valuable for several reasons, she said. It "directly restores people's dignity and humanity, which is so important."

It also helps highlight the needs of Altadena’s diverse and close-knit community.

"When people see Pasadena, they see 'rich Pasadena,' but they don't see Altadena," Abu Baker said. "They don't see the working class, they You don't see people above 210 (freeway). When you go over 210, it's a very different world.

"These are the people who work for your business. These are the people in the school district who work with your kids. ... So, I think there's a lot of important things about this (driving)."

Altadena has long been home to a unique community that includes many black and Latino creatives, artists, and working-class families. More than half the student body at Altadena School of the Arts, where Avery attended, is Latino, according to the Pasadena Education Network.

For Gonzalez, who lost his home, Altadena is a special place in the foothills with a rich history but is now grappling with how to move forward.

“A lot of us don’t know how to deal with this,” she said. “But we are doing our best and taking it one day at a time.

"I knew our community was special, but now I see it all come together. It's incredible."

Sarah Quiñones Wolfson is a freelance journalist based in Los Angeles.