Samsung Electronics America and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles mobilized over 200 volunteers on September 24, 2026, for the ReBUILD LA Community Build event in the Pacific Palisades and Malibu. The initiative delivers essential appliances, smart electronics, and hands-on white-glove setup to families recovering from the devastating January 2025 metropolitan area wildfires.
Restoring Infrastructure and Everyday Essentials in Burned Neighborhoods
Rebuilding a home after a natural disaster involves far more than timber, drywall, and structural framing. For homeowners like Theodore Ang in the Pacific Palisades, high-heat smoke and active flames rendered legacy home appliances completely unusable. Through the ongoing collaboration with Habitat LA, Ang received a suite of modern Samsung hardware designed to restore domestic continuity. His replacement setup includes a Bespoke AI refrigerator, a dedicated washer and dryer pair, OLED 4K displays, and a Galaxy Z Fold 8.
Hardware replacement without operational support often introduces friction for displaced residents. Samsung Care technical experts stepped in to handle physical installation, configuration, and product registration. This service model addresses a critical logistical bottleneck during post-disaster recovery: reducing cognitive and mechanical friction so homeowners can focus on long-term stability.
Star-Studded Community Builds and Broad Corporate Mobilization
The late September 2026 four-day community build drew more than 500 total participants to the Pacific Palisades and Malibu sites. High-profile figures, including actors Joshua Jackson, Bellamy Young, and Betzaida Landin, alongside television personality Melissa Rivers and Sugar Ray Leonard, donned hard hats to help frame new residential structures.
Corporate leadership from major entertainment entities such as Paramount, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. Discovery also joined the physical labor force. According to local project disclosures, nearly 1,000 homes remain under active construction following the 2025 blazes, which scorched over 23,000 acres and destroyed nearly 7,000 individual structures across Los Angeles.
“For families impacted by the wildfires, rebuilding is a long journey, and returning home is about so much more than repairing walls and roofs,” said Erin Rank, President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, highlighting how collaborative interventions restore basic human routines.
Scaling the Relief Pipeline Beyond Hardware Donations
The recent community build expands upon a broader philanthropic commitment initiated in February 2025, when Samsung pledged a $1 million product donation targeted at Los Angeles wildfire relief. That initial capital and equipment distribution was routed through Habitat LA, Team Rubicon, and the Los Angeles Unified School District Education Foundation.
Eligible low-income, uninsured, and underinsured households are systematically identified by Habitat LA to receive specific inventory tailored to household needs. The most frequently deployed hardware units in this phase include the Bespoke AI Side-by-Side Refrigerator, the Bespoke Slide-in Induction Range, Smart Front Load Washers and Dryers, and Free Standing Gas Ranges.
“Our partnership with Habitat LA is about helping families navigate some of the practical challenges that come with returning home and rebuilding after a disaster,” stated Jasper Morse, Director of Customer Care at Samsung Electronics America. By pairing advanced home infrastructure with dedicated technical deployment teams, the initiative aims to clear immediate physical hurdles for families returning to the burn zones.
