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| Thanks to the LA County Equity Food Grant, Food Justice Collaborative members came together in 2024 to plan how they’d address food injustice in Northeast LA. |
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| This month, we're celebrating what becomes possible when neighbors invest in one another.
From two years of food justice organizing across Northeast LA to a major milestone in our community housing work, we're seeing the impact of collective action, shared resources, and long-term commitment to keeping working-class families rooted.
Thank you for being part of this growing community.
IN THIS ISSUE 🥬 Two Years of the Northeast LA Food Justice Collaborative 🏠 A Major Milestone for Community Housing 📣 We're Hiring 📅 Upcoming Events
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| Food Justice Collaborative groups, NELA Mercadito and Padres Voluntaries de Juntos Family Park, collaborate to distribute food to neighbors in need. |
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| TWO YEARS OF FOOD JUSTICE & MUTUAL AID
Over the last two years, grant funding from the LA Food Equity Fund, with support from Community Partners, helped make it possible for the Northeast LA Food Justice Collaborative (FJC) to come together, build relationships, share resources, and strengthen community-led food systems across Northeast LA. LA Más is proud to be one of 77 organizations selected to anchor this work.
The Collaborative brings together grassroots leaders, mutual aid organizers, and neighbors working to ensure families have access to food, essential resources, and trusted support. Together, these six community groups strengthened food distribution networks through shared infrastructure, supported one another through collective problem-solving, and deepened the relationships that make community care possible.
Together, We Celebrated $80,000 redistributed directly to grassroots groups Supporting more than 2,000 families each month with food and essential resources Recovering food that would otherwise end up in landfills Ensuring culturally relevant food reaches community members Building 12+ new partnerships across Northeast LA
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"We got to learn from each other and become better leaders." - Food Justice Collaborative Leader |
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| As this two-year grant comes to a close, we want to celebrate the impact of this investment and thank every partner, volunteer, and community member who helped make this work possible. |
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| Food Justice Collaborative members reflect on how they’ve collaborated over the last two years. |
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| The Work Continues…
While this grant is ending, the relationships and infrastructure built through the Collaborative remain. LA Más will continue supporting Collaborative members through fiscal sponsorship, resource sharing, and collaborative opportunities as needs arise.
We welcome volunteers to support regular food distributions throughout Northeast LA. Reach out to these groups directly! |
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| | A MILESTONE FOR COMMUNITY HOUSING
We're excited to share a major milestone for our fourth community housing property: Drew Street.
Together, we've raised nearly $500,000 so that LA Más can join Self-Help Ventures Fund as 50/50 equity partners in the acquisition of this 31-unit property. The building is currently in escrow and scheduled to close in late July, preserving homes for more than 77 long-term working-class residents.
In order to unlock $7M+ from the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA), we’re proud to have unlocked low-cost capital in new years. We especially want to thank LA4LA coming back as a supporter and anchoring a program-related investment and the eight community investors who each committed $25,000 for five years. We’re proud to be supported by the Liberated Futures Fund, Genesis LA, as well as generous individual donors. All of their support was essential in helping us move this project forward.
Many of these supporters are new to LA Más and are joining a growing community committed to preserving affordability, stewarding housing for future generations, and keeping neighbors rooted.
More than a fundraising milestone, this reflects growing belief in a different approach to housing—one where residents, neighbors, and community partners work together to take homes off the speculative market and preserve them for the long term.
This is what community investment looks like. |
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| Help Build What's Next
As we continue expanding community-owned and community-stewarded housing across Northeast LA, we need more neighbors, supporters, and advocates to help grow this movement. Help us create more forever homes for our communities!
Whether through donations, investments, volunteerism, or community organizing, every contribution helps create housing that serves people instead of speculation. |
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| Drew residents share their experiences living there with LA Más on inspection day. |
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| La Más team members at the annual Rooted fundraiser. Photo Credit: Javier de Leon |
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| | Deputy Director
We're looking for a Deputy Director to help steward LA Más through its next phase of growth, especially ensuring organizational sustainability and infrastructure.
This leadership role will work closely with our Executive Director to lead fundraising, communications, and strategic initiatives, as well as deepen our impact across housing, economic justice, and community leadership programs.
If you love connecting, collaborating and communicating with others for community-rooted change, please apply! |
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| Director of Community Housing
As our community housing work continues to grow, we're are hiring a Director of Community Housing to lead the technical implementation of our housing work.
This role will oversee asset and property management, support project development and resident engagement, and help advance our vision for community-stewarded housing in Northeast Los Angeles.
If you're passionate about housing justice, anti-displacement work, and community ownership, we'd love to hear from you. |
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| Click below to add to your google calendar
🛍️ Friday, June 19, 6-9pm | Somos NELA Night Market Come support local businesses, grab dinner, and spend time in community. Featuring Northeast LA-raised DJ LX. 🏡 Tuesday, June 23, 6-8pm | NELACHA Community Housing Meeting
Learn about local public funding for affordable housing, how it connects to LA Más’ approach and what it means for NELA.
🥳 Thursday, June 25, 5-8p | Rooted Celebration Our annual fundraiser celebrating housing justice, community economies, and the people making this work possible. Party with a purpose! Get your tickets here.
🛍️ Friday, July 3, 6-9pm | Somos NELA Night Market Join us for another Frogtown First Fridays at Somos NELA! Start your journey with us and see all of the other amazing local shops participating on the map.
🫰🏼Tuesday, July 7, 6-8pm | Community Economies Meeting
It’s almost time for the Somos NELA Summer Block Party. Help us plan how we can continue building a local economy focused on mutual aid, community support and local business.
🛍️ Friday, August 21, 5-9pm | Somos NELA Summer Block Party Back by popular demand, we're closing the street and welcoming 50+ local vendors for an evening of food, music, shopping, and connection. |
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| Community Members enjoy the annual community celebration. Photo Credit: Rudy Melendez |
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| Your support helps keep families rooted in Northeast LA. 🏘️
Make a tax-deductible donation to LA Más and be part of building a future where our neighbors can stay and thrive in the communities they call home.
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| | | LA Más is a community organization building collective power in Northeast Los Angeles to promote neighborhood stability and economic resilience for working class communities of color. |
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