Vincent Bugarin had a lot on his mind as he stood in a line that snaked down a residential block in East Hollywood. His family had lost everything in the Eaton Fire when it ravaged Altadena. The flames stole their home, along with a pickup truck, bicycles and sports jerseys his father had left him when he died in 2022. “A lot of people tell me it’s just material things,” said Bugarin, 19, who is now staying with family in Glendale. But “it’s really your heart,” he said. “It’s hard to soak in.” On Wednesday, though, things were different. Bugarin was one of roughly 200 visitors that day to Altadena Teen Boys Fire Recovery, a six-day donation drive that became a way station in central Los Angeles for boys and their families displaced by the Eaton Fire. Inside, after passing through red velvet curtains in the lobby, he joined other young men and their families walking around piles of donated shoes, hoodies and sunglasses, many still shrink-wrapped. Full-size face wash, shampoo and shaving supplies lined the bar. Out back, football games aired on large TVs, and tables were strewn with comic books, board games, toys and brand-new footballs and basketballs. The highlight for many shoppers was a station where volunteers set up custom skateboards, donated by Golf Wang, a streetwear brand. Shoppers at the donation drive were able to pick through a selection of brand new toys and games. (Alex Welsh for NBC News) Immanuel Shorter, 18, a student at Pasadena City College, was one of the organizers. While volunteering at a girls donation drive, he teamed up with people to launch a boys version too. Though Shorter’s house was intact, many of his friends in Altadena, including Bugarin, whom he knew from John Muir High School, weren’t so lucky. He hoped to help them replace lost items, he said, but also to give them a chance to gather and relax after the fires. “It’s been really hard to just have a regular conversation with people,” said Shorter, as he floated around taking photos. “You’re still human and you still want to be treated like one — you don’t want to be treated like a lost puppy all the time.” Immanuel “Manny” Shorter, who helped plan the Altadena Teen Boys Fire Recovery event, said volunteering wasn’t new to him, but now “the gravity is definitely different.” (Alex Welsh for NBC News) The drive took place at Chain House, an event space connected to a trendy concept restaurant that is often booked up and usually attracts celebrities and influencers. But for nearly a week, it was only open to families with a driver’s license or a school ID showing that they lived or went to school in Altadena or Pasadena. Bugarin first came for supplies on Saturday, and returned on Wednesday to get a haircut. When it was over, he got up from a director’s chair and admired it in the mirror. After thanking the barber who buzzed down the back and sides, he gave a dap to Shorter. Brand-new clothing filled racks at the Altadena Teen Boys donation drive. (Alex Welsh for NBC News) Meanwhile, his 15-year-old cousin waited to meet Travis Barker, the Blink-182 drummer and record producer. Barker had dropped in to talk to Grayson Roberts, a 10-year-old Altadena boy who is blind and lost his instruments, Braille books and Legos when his house burned. Barker taught him how to twirl drumsticks and gave Grayson a drum pad. Meanwhile, his older brother, Gavin, picked up styling tips from the barber who trimmed his hair. “Having another male to talk to is pretty cool,” said Gavin, 16. “It’s enjoyable. You know, you get to express your feelings. It’s nice to have the right people in your life to keep you stable.” Travis Barker, drummer for Blink-182, chats with Grayson Roberts, 10, who was displaced by the Eaton Fire. (Alex Welsh for NBC News) The unprecedented wildfires sent thousands of families fleeing for temporary shelter with little to no belongings after entire communities within Los Angeles County were reduced to rubble. The Eaton Fire, which burned over 14,000 acres and destroyed over 9,400 structures, devastated Altadena, a middle-class town in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains on the northeast side of the county. It’s known for its diversity and a relatively low poverty rate. While the Eaton Fire is mostly contained, many residents whose houses weren’t destroyed in Altadena remain unable to return to them due to evacuation orders. And throughout the Los Angeles area, authorities are advising people to wear face masks due to toxins in the air from the fires, as new blazes erupted this week. A barber at the Altadena Teen Boys Fire Recovery event cuts the hair of a boy whose family was displaced by the Eaton Fire. (Alex Welsh for NBC News) In the wake of the destruction, dozens of donation drives popped uparound Los Angeles, organized by nonprofit organizations, companies and community activists. Shorter liked the idea of a drive focused on boys, in particular, because he worried that many would otherwise hesitate to grab things they need, prioritizing supplies for their mother or younger siblings first. “When something like this happens, for boys my age, you want to be strong for your family,” Shorter said. A volunteer hauls clothes hangers through the donation drive, held at Chain House in central Los Angeles. (Alex Welsh for NBC News) Each day, new businesses offered to help. Monty’s Good Burger, a local plant-based fast food chain, set up a food truck outside on the last day. Levi’s offered custom chain stitching on jackets. Volunteers handed out canned cold-brew coffee by the case to shoppers as they left. In the final hour of shopping on Wednesday afternoon, Grant Babbitt, 40, watched through sunglasses as his oldest son Avary, 11, received an impromptu skating lesson from the woman who had put their skateboards together. He said he hoped this experience would stick in his son’s head more than the terror of the evacuation two weeks earlier, and the uncertainty about where they go next. Avary Babbitt and his father, Grant, each picked up newly constructed skateboards at the donation drive. (Alex Welsh for NBC News) “The thing that’s been really difficult is the father part of it all,” Babbitt said. “Like, my job is to protect everyone and provide for them, so I feel like I protected them in the sense that we got out of there. Now, the next step of what we do is a really big challenge. It’s a really tough spot to be in, and I’ve come across it with a lot of other dads.” Bugarin said he’s motivated by his own father’s memory to stay strong for his mother and sister. “Thinking about my dad is what really keeps me going,” he said. “I know he wouldn’t want me to just give up.” This article originally appeared on NBCNews.com. Read more from NBC News: California wildfires: What we know about L.A.-area fires, what caused them, who is affected and more What we know about the victims killed in the California wildfires Here’s where insurance companies see the most risk for disasters