The 2018 wildfires in Butte County, California, destroyed homes, displaced families, and left entire communities searching for stability.

While at Fannie Mae, I had the opportunity to produce a story about Olive Ranch, an 81-unit affordable housing development in Oroville created to support residents displaced by those fires.

The experience was a reminder that some of the most important storytelling work is not just about documenting hardship. It is about documenting models that work. Systems, partnerships, and relief efforts that can help people recover when they need it most.

I spent time with residents, developers, and property managers who helped bring the project to life. The story was never just about housing units or program details. It was about what happens when organizations move beyond conversation and create real pathways back to stability.

Olive Ranch exists because stakeholders recognized that disaster recovery is not only about rebuilding structures. It is about rebuilding lives, restoring dignity, and creating systems that allow people to move forward.

Telling that story was a reminder that production can do more than communicate impact. It can help people see what effective relief and recovery can actually look like in practice.

Next to the people I worked with at Fannie Mae, this project was one of the highlights of my time there.

You can watch the full project Here on Fannie Mae's LinkedIn