Oct 15. 2026

Earlier this summer, SoCalGas employees joined Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles through ReBUILD LA to help Malibu homeowner Layla Hawkins prepare her property for rebuilding after the Palisades Fire. Just weeks later, volunteers helped take another important step forward.

On Sept. 25, SoCalGas employees joined Habitat LA's Community Build in Pacific Palisades, working alongside fellow volunteers to construct prefabricated walls that will be used in future Habitat homes. Habitat LA shared that the walls built during the event will be incorporated into Hawkins' future home, creating a meaningful connection between the two volunteer efforts.

While employees helped clear brush and prepare Hawkins' property during the earlier volunteer event, this time they helped build prefabricated wall panels that will eventually become part of homes for families rebuilding after the wildfire.

Among the volunteers was Brian Prusnek, SoCalGas director of field operations and a Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles board member, for whom the work remains deeply personal.

"Today, they just look like pieces of wood with nails in them, but tomorrow they're going to be part of a home where a family gathers, creates memories and feels safe," said Prusnek. "Those walls are going to provide comfort and security for people who have lost so much."

The Community Build highlighted the long-term nature of recovery and the role community partnerships play in helping families rebuild.

"Recovery is not a 24-hour story," said Prusnek. "It's a four- or five-year journey. Organizations like Habitat for Humanity, together with volunteers and community partners, make it possible to support families throughout that process."

The event reflects SoCalGas' ongoing commitment to supporting customers and communities recovering from recent wildfires. In addition to volunteer efforts like these, SoCalGas has restored natural gas service to more than 16,000 customers in the Eaton and Palisades fire areas and continues to provide rebuilding resources and enhanced energy-efficiency incentives for eligible customers.

For employees who helped clear Hawkins' property earlier this summer, building walls that could one day be part of her future home served as a powerful reminder that recovery happens one step at a time and that rebuilding a community takes many hands working together.

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