April 1 marks the start of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). Now more than ever SAAM serves as a call to action. 


Sexual violence leaves deep emotional, physical, and psychological impacts, and too often survivors face stigma, disbelief, or silence instead of support.

This must change.


Believing survivors is not radical, it is necessary.

For 50 years the East Los Angeles Women's Center has stood with Latina survivors — those carrying pain too often unseen, unspoken, and dismissed. We honor their resilience, their courage, and their bravery in speaking their truth, whether quietly or aloud.

Dolores Huerta reminds us it is never too late to speak. 

Her voice, like all survivors' voices, deserve to be heard and believed. We embrace her courage, personal sacrifice and lifelong commitment to advocating for justice and human rights. ELAWC is honored to stand beside her. And in solidarity with all survivors — not just in words, but in action. 

This work must include men — not just as allies, but as active participants in ending sexual violence.

Men have a critical role in challenging harmful norms, holding one another accountable, and helping build cultures rooted in respect, consent, and care.

Ending gender-based violence is not the responsibility of women alone — it is a collective responsibility.
By listening without judgment, advocating accountability, and working to prevent violence, we help create a world where dignity and safety are not the exception, but the norm. Survivors are not defined by what happened to them — they are defined by their strength, their humanity, and their right to heal on their own terms.

We will not stop until dignity is not something survivors have to fight for — but something they are guaranteed.

Join ELAWC as we stand together with survivors — because silence was never our culture, and it never will be again.

ELAWC is kicking off Sexual Assault Awareness Month with Invincible Day: A Day of Strength, A Day for Survivors on April 1. This day is about sending a clear message: you are seen, you are believed, and you are not alone. And this is just the beginning.


To mark the start of SAAM, we’re also hosting “Speak Out / Open Mic Night.” Survivors, allies, and community members are invited to share stories, poetry, reflections, or simply come listen and stand in solidarity. The event will begin at 6 pm, so arrive early at 1431S. Atlantic Blvd. LA 90022. REGISTER here. 


Throughout April, ELAWC will be hosting events across the community — including workshops, live IG chats, Cumbia in the Park, and our signature Red Lips Hoops On social media campaign.

Here's how you can get involved:

👉 Follow @ELAWC on Instagram and Facebook


📣 Share messages of support on your social media using hashtags
#RLHOI #ELAWC #SAAM

💄 Wear your Red Lips, Hoop Earrings and connect with us on social media @elawc to show us your #RLHOI selfie

📥 Download the SAAM Toolkit for additional ways to engage and stand in solidarity with survivors

🌐 Learn more and access resources at www.elawc.org/saam


This April, we aren’t just raising awareness — we’re raising our voices. Join us. Because every voice shared is a step toward healing — and a step toward change.

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Saturday, March 4, for our 8th Annual Resource Fair, commemorating International Women’s Day and National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.


At a time when resources for women’s health and HIV prevention are increasingly limited, this Resource Fair remains a vital space for access to care, information, and screenings.


We are proud to host this event alongside Mujeres de Maiz, and The Goddess Mercado. Together with our community partners and local vendors, we created a welcoming space where women and girls could connect with women entrepreneurs and organizations offering services in health, youth development, employment, legal resources, and immigration support.


We’re grateful to stand alongside the many community-based organizations that continue to provide connection, care, and support beyond this event.

Special thanks to LA County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis for her continued support; to Edwin Millan, AHF Pharmacy & AHF Mobile Testing Services; and Costco Commerce Business Center. Finally, a big thank you to the staff, Promotoras, and volunteers who made this event possible.


Because healing happens in community.

Together, we make healing possible.



Since its inception in 1998, ELAWC’s Promotora Program has grown into a trusted, community-rooted model for culturally responsive outreach — led by women who bring knowledge, compassion, and lived experience to their work.

Promotoras serve as a vital bridge between ELAWC and the communities it serves, connecting families to health and social resources while offering culturally grounded support and helping to break cycles of violence and stigma.

On March 4, more than 150 Promotoras from ELAWC’s eight collectives across greater Los Angeles gathered for the 8th Annual Promotora Conference, marking the beginning of ELAWC’s 50th anniversary year.

ELAWC also welcomed Promotoras from other counties — creating a space for shared learning, reflection, and connection.

Throughout the day, participants explored how to navigate adversity, nurture healthy relationships, and stay rooted in culture and community — not only as advocates, but as individuals.

• A restorative sound bath led by Jennifer Escalera of The Mystic Living School offered space to pause and reset.

• A staff panel traced the promotora movement — from its roots in Latin America to ELAWC’s role in bringing the model to life locally, where it has grown into a network of specialized collectives across Los Angeles, and expanded to communities nationwide through the Instituto de Promotora.
  
• Reflections from ELAWC's co-founder Connie Desisto and former Executive Director Alva Moreno brought our journey to life, from the first crisis hotline calls to the opening of the new office in the City of Commerce.

• In a moving closing activity, participants wrote notes to future Promotoras — sharing lessons, challenges, and words of encouragement for those just beginning this work.

• The day ended in celebration, with a lively performance by La Mala Influencia, bringing music, dancing, and a joyful reminder of cultural roots.

More than a conference, the gathering was a reflection of what sustains this work: connection, care, and community — and the Promotoras who carry it forward every day.

With intention informing each step, ELAWC welcomed 30 domestic violence survivors to a meaningful goal-setting experience. Participants selected and decorated a high-heel shoe — representing the journey ahead — filling each one with their aspirations, goals, and intentions for 2026.


Simple in concept, yet profound in impact, the activity sparked deep reflection and a palpable sense of hope. It was a powerful reminder that healing and vision can come together in even the smallest moments.


These are the moments where healing meets possibility — where survivors begin to imagine what’s next, one step at a time.


Because healing doesn’t always look like a grand gesture. Sometimes, it looks like a decorated shoe, filled with hope and pointed toward the future. 👠✨

Join us for an evening to honor the past and invest in the future.

The mission of the East Los Angeles Women’s Center is to ensure that all women, girls and their families live in a place of safety, health, and personal well-being, free from violence and abuse, with equal access to necessary health services and social support, with an emphasis on Latino communities.