14-year-old continues supporting wildfire survivors through "Altadena Girls" nonprofit

Hundreds of teenage girls got the back-to-school shopping experience of a lifetime through an event sponsored by Altadena Girls, a Pasadena nonprofit supporting girls impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires.

Melanie Bran, a 15-year-old whose family lost their home in the Eaton Fire, was able to browse through the racks for new clothes for the upcoming school year.

"When I came back to the house and I saw that it was in ashes, it honestly broke my heart," Bran said.

As she heads back to the classroom this year, Bran will be outfitted with new clothes, makeup and shoes and it's all thanks to soon-to-be 15-year-old Avery Colvert. She started "Altadena Girls" in January to help her peers in the wake of the Eaton Fire.

Since then, the nonprofit said it's distributed more than one million items to those impacted.  

"I'm very grateful for Avery because, honestly, it's amazing how a young woman thinks about other young women in this type of way," Bran said.

Colvert said that her life has completely changed in the past eight months, but she's grateful she's been able to help so many girls and families.

Even though Colvert is back in school, she's still very hands-on because the community is still recovering.

"We are not fully back yet, there's still so much rebuilding and healing that has to happen and there's still so much loss and people forget that because the news headlines go away," Colvert said.

The next phase for her nonprofit is a permanent space in Old Town Pasadena with a music and yoga studio, along with a "Sliving" lounge funded by media personality and businesswoman Paris Hilton, a big supporter of Altadena Girls.

"I can't believe an idea I had in January is turning into something this big," Colvert said.

It's under construction and is set to open in the fall, but until then, Colvert said her mission remains the same: to make teenage girls feel seen, heard and respected.

"Not only for girls in Altadena but for girls all over the world, being a girl is something that you should love," she said. "I want every other girl to feel that as well and that's the joy I feel with Altadena Girls."