Julio Olivares wasn’t expecting hikers to stop and thank him as he helped restore the fire-damaged Altadena Crest Trail with a crew from the LA Conservation Corps.

But they did.

“That made me proud,” he said. “It felt good to brighten someone's day.”

That sense of pride stuck with 20-year-old Olivares, who joined the Corps after graduating high school last year. The nonprofit provides paid work experience and training for young adults, helping build pathways into careers like disaster recovery, environmental work and wildland firefighting — efforts Edison International Foundation is helping support with over $135,000 in funding this year.

“The LA Conservation Corps helps youth build skills, confidence and a sense of purpose while supporting community resilience,” said Aja Clarke, Edison International director of Corporate Relations and Philanthropy. “We’re proud to be part of that effort and the opportunities it creates for young people and communities alike.”

Olivares wanted to help support his family financially after high school, and he liked the idea of working outdoors at the Corps. During early projects he removed litter from Boyle Heights streets and planted trees in South Los Angeles before getting assigned to trail work on a 5.5-mile path damaged by the Eaton Fire.

“I hadn’t done any kind of trail work before, so at first I was a little uncertain,” he said. “But once I got the hang of it, it became my favorite thing to do. I started waking up early, prepping tools and setting goals for how much trail I wanted to clear each day.”

Work on the Altadena Crest Trail is part of the Corps’ broader response to the January 2025 wildfires, which includes distributing food and supplies, helping protect watersheds from ash and debris runoff, and restoring damaged parks, trails and habitats.

“Stepping up in the wake of disasters is what we do best,” said Bo Savage, deputy director of conservation programs for the Corps. “We hope that by helping to rehabilitate this iconic trail, we can also help restore some sense of normalcy for a community that’s been through so much.”

That's a reminder Olivares got each time he drove past burned homes on his way to the trail. It reinforced the value of community connection, something he developed while helping his parents with their ice cream truck business in East LA.

“I didn’t even realize that I’ve been building relationships since I was a kid helping work the truck’s window, driving around neighborhoods and schools, talking to customers and seeing familiar faces,” he said. “I helped my dad run the truck when my mom got sick last year. I was always trying to help them as best as I could.”

Through his work with the Corps, Olivares can keep supporting his family and local communities while also building a future for himself. Within a year, he earned a chainsaw certification, gained landscape maintenance skills and completed an 8-week wildland firefighter training program — a field he’s interested in exploring further.

“I wasn’t expecting to enjoy outdoor conservation work as much as I do, and if it weren’t for the Corps, I might never have found out,” Olivares said.

For more information on Edison International’s commitment to giving back, visit edison.com/community.