South Central LAMP

Our recent visit to Sally Ride Elementary School in South Los Angeles was such a meaningful experience! Over a dozen parents joined us as we toured TK and Kindergarten classrooms, explored the STEAM lab, and learned more about the school’s ESL and parenting programs available to families.

What stood out most was the incredible engagement from our parents. They asked thoughtful questions about class sizes, communication with teachers, school safety, extracurricular opportunities, and how students are supported academically. Their curiosity and advocacy were truly inspiring.

We couldn’t be prouder of our families—and a big thank you to the school staff for the warm welcome and for complimenting how wonderful our little ones were! 💛

This coming Saturday, April 25 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m., join Council District 9 at the South LA Wetlands Park for a special CD 9 Arbor & Earth Day Celebration.

We're excited to invite you to the 3rd Annual EmpowerMind: South Central Wellness Summit - Liberation Through Wellness! This free community event takes place this Saturday, April 25th from 11am-3pm at Augustus Hawkins Nature Park (5790 Compton Ave, Los Angeles)!

The summit will include free refreshments, grocery distribution, wellness resources, workshops, music, raffles, and more. It's a wonderful opportunity to connect, learn, and access supportive resources.

Attendees are encouraged to register to receive free food: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/empowermind-the-south-central-wellness-summit-liberation-through-wellness-tickets-1982027793485?aff=ebdssbdestsearch .

Walk ups are able to attend. Onsite registration will be available. (While supplies last).

The EmpowerMIND: South Central Wellness Summit: Liberation Through Wellness is a call to return to ourselves. Rooted in an ancestral perspective, this gathering honors the wisdom, resilience, and healing practices of Black and Brown Indigenous traditions that have sustained our communities for generations. Through participation, people will gain insight into various strategies and learn about tangible resources that can support their wellness journey.

Every year, our theme reflects the moment we are living, an increase in immigration raids, slashing of social services and programs that black, brown, and indigenous communities rely on, the erasure of history, etc. This year's theme is Liberation Through Wellness. It signifies the attainment of self-determination, equitable rights, and the removal of systemic or internal barriers, allowing for the realization of one's full potential.

The Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, in collaboration with Central City Neighborhood Partners, and Council District 1, are hosting a pop-up food distribution at the MC Francis Community Garden - 2909 Francis Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90005 - tomorrow, Tuesday, April 7 at 10:00 am. More details on the attached flyers!

Ready, set, go! 🐣✨

This year’s Easter Egg Hunt at South Central LAMP was full of excitement and joy. The Easter Bunny delivered over 1,000 eggs—and a big thank you to Board Members Cecilia Estrada and Mary Dolmage for helping make the magic happen!

Our amazing staff, interns, and volunteers guided each group of children through the playground and grassy areas as they eagerly searched for hidden treasures. The laughter, smiles, and excitement as they discovered each egg filled with treats made the day truly special.

We loved every moment and can’t wait to welcome our adorable egg hunters back after spring break! 💛

The Community Investment for Families Department in partnership with LAVITA is hosting a free tax workshop on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 specifically designed for families with young children. The workshop will review the state and federal tax credits available to individuals and families with children and provide information on where and how to file securely. The session will also include resources for individuals who own their own child care business.

See below and the attached flyers for workshop details.

Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2026
English Session: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Spanish Session: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Registration: No registration required. Join via this Zoom link below.

Please reach out to Rachel Bocarsly ([email protected]) with any questions.
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Buenos días,

Estamos a solo una semana de nuestro taller gratuito de impuestos para familias el martes 31 de marzo. Con el costo de la vida subiendo continuamente, es más importante que nunca que las familias tengan acceso a todos los créditos fiscales estatales y federales disponibles. Este taller destaca específicamente los beneficios fiscales para las familias con niños pequeños y ofrece recursos para los proveedores de cuidado infantil.

Si aún no ha tenido la oportunidad de compartir los detalles del taller con su comunidad, le pido que lo haga hoy mismo. A continuación, incluyo los detalles del taller y adjunto los folletos en inglés y en español. También he incluido un ejemplo de lenguaje debajo de mi firma para promocionar la oportunidad en sus listas de distribución, boletines informativos o a través de publicaciones en redes sociales (¡no olvide adjuntar los folletos!).

¿Qué?: Taller gratuito sobre créditos de impuestos para familias con niños
Cuándo: Martes, 31 de marzo de 2026 (5:00 PM en inglés | 6:00 PM en español)
Dónde: https://zoom.us/j/97649043116 (no requiere inscripción)
¡Gracias por ayudarnos a difundir este mensaje!

Cálidamente,

Rachel

Last Saturday, we were proud to welcome students from Mount Saint Mary’s University for their 18th Annual President’s Invitation to Serve—a special day dedicated to giving back and uplifting the community. The day holds a strong emphasis on social and ethical values, as well as honors the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet’s mission to ‘serve the dear neighbor.’

Seven incredible MSMU students spent the morning at South Central LAMP refreshing our mural and cleaning our interior walkways, all under the hot sun. Their hard work and positive energy made a meaningful difference on our campus.

We are so grateful for their time, dedication, and commitment to service—thank you, MSMU! 💙

Forty juniors from St. Mary’s Academy volunteered at South Central LAMP last Friday – and these Belles truly embodied the mission of their founders – the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. Karen Chambers, Dean of Mission and Student Life shared, “it is an important part of the Sister’s mission to ‘serve the dear neighbor without distinction.’ The students were reminded that they’re following in the footsteps of their founders who, back in 1650 France, took the revolutionary stance of asking their neighbors what they needed instead of making assumptions.” The students arrived at SC LAMP and were happy to serve in whatever ways we need most.

Incredibly gracious and efficient, they went above and beyond in helping us clean the living spaces of our community, including our windows, doors, play areas, and classrooms. They also creatively decorated our classroom doors on this first day of spring!

We thank every one of these young women who came to help us today on their Junior Service Day. We want to also extend special gratitude to all the teachers present, including Christina Yamasaki, a member of the SC LAMP Board of Trustees!

Querida comunidad,

Este año, nuestra querida maestra y coordinadora de ESL, Sr. Cathy Garcia, RSHM, se jubila de South Central LAMP… aunque mejor no usemos mucho esa palabra con ella porque se enoja 😉.

Sr. Cathy ha sido una parte muy importante de la historia de South Central LAMP y en nuestras vidas. Durante 19 años ha acompañado, enseñado y apoyado a muchas de nuestras estudiantes, familias y el personal. Aunque nos entristece que ya no estará con nosotros todos los días, sabemos que seguirá conectada con South Central LAMP de una manera u otra.

Queremos invitarlos a celebrar con nosotros sus 19 años en South Central LAMP.
Cuando: Jueves 18 de Junio 2026

Hora: 11am – 12:30 pm

Debido al espacio limitado, esta celebración sera para estudiantes adultas actualmente asistiendo y exalumnas del programa y personal que a convivido con ella. Agradecemos mucho su comprensión.

Si están interesados en asistir, por favor llamen a la oficina de South Central LAMP al (323) 234- 1471 Lunes a Viernes entre 8:30am – 4:00pm y hablen con Luz para confirmar su asistencia (RSVP). Ultimo día para confirmar su asistencia es el 1 de Mayo, 2026. South Central LAMP proveerá comida, pero necesitamos saber cuántas personas asistirán para poder organizarnos.

También estamos coordinando la celebración y nos encantaría ver su asistencia.
Si alguien desea ayudar, tenemos tres comités:

1. Decoraciones
2. Preparación del espacio (set up)
3. Limpieza después de la celebración (clean up)

Por último, si están interesados en darle un regalito a Sr. Cathy, les pedimos que en lugar de un regalo, consideren hacer una donación a la beca que estamos creando en su honor: la beca “She Se Puede.”
Los fondos recaudados ayudarán a apoyar a futuras estudiantes de nuestro programa.

Esperamos poder celebrar juntos a una persona tan especial para nuestra comunidad.

Con cariño,
South Central LAMP ✨

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Dear Community,

This year, our beloved teacher and ESL coordinator, Sr. Cathy Garcia, RSHM, is retiring from South Central LAMP… although it's best not to use that word too much with her because she doesn’t like it 😉.

Sr. Cathy has been a very important part of South Central LAMP's history and our lives. For 19 years, she has accompanied, taught, and supported many of our students, families, and staff. Although we are sad that she will no longer be with us every day, we know that she will remain connected to South Central LAMP in one way or another.

We would like to invite you to celebrate her 19 years at South Central LAMP with us!

When: Thursday, June 18, 2026
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Due to limited space, this celebration will be for current adult students and alumnae of the program and any staff that worked with her. Thank you very much for your understanding.

If you are interested in attending, please call the South Central LAMP office at (323) 234-1471, Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and speak with Luz to RSVP. The last day to RSVP is May 1, 2026. South Central LAMP will provide food, but we need to know how many people will be attending so we can make arrangements.

We are also coordinating the celebration and would love your support!
If anyone would like to help, we have three committees:

1. Decorations
2. Setup
3. Cleanup

Finally, if you are interested in giving Ms. Cathy a small gift, we ask that instead of a present, you consider making a donation to the scholarship we are creating in her honor: the "She Se Puede" (She can do it) scholarship.

The funds raised will help support future students in our program.
We hope to celebrate together, someone so special to our community.

With love,
South Central LAMP ✨

Yesterday South Central LAMP celebrated an incredibly inspiring International Women’s Day! Guest speaker, Nora Perez, VP of Community Development from Enterprise Bank and Trust spoke on her personal story to the women attending SC LAMP. She shared her journey of navigating early motherhood, supporting a family during a military deployment, and building a career in the finance industry as a woman of color. Her story highlighted the pressures many women face when balancing family expectations with career aspirations. While answering questions from the mothers in our program, she emphasized that she could not have done what she did without the support from the women who surrounded her. These women in her life were who she most relied on for strength, guidance, and a helping hand.

The mothers in turn, shared their own life experiences, and what SC LAMP has done for them in their lives as a community they learn and rely on during their own challenging moments. By the conclusion of the program, everyone read and posted their own testimonies they shared on a beautiful canvas, symbolizing the shared bond they have woven together through SC LAMP - like branches of a flowering tree.