A Letter from our Executive Director |
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Happy Mother’s Day and Feliz Dia de las Madres, to those of you who celebrate both holidays. I hope you felt the love on either day or both days! Keeping with the theme, it was only fitting for us to celebrate the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary (RSHM), one of the eight congregations that founded South Central LAMP, a few weeks ago at our Donor Recognition Reception.
Our event highlighted the many ways our donors and the founding congregations, including the RSHM, have contributed to South Central LAMP’s journey of maturity. Turning 30 was an incredible accomplishment, as the agency has gone through a lot of ups and downs. We are thankful to those who believe we should exist, and because of your contributions, we are able to better the lives of those we serve and addresses the inequities in our society.
At the reception many of us shared how it takes a village to manifest our mission, and sometimes it’s years before we see the results in the investments we have made in those we serve. Our work is about planting seeds, knowing it will be years before we see them completely develop and blossom.
In the last month, I’ve been able to see more and more of these seeds we planted blossoming, through visits from our past participants. Many of the mothers who pop in share all about the various accomplishments they’ve had since leaving the program. One of the sources of greatest pride is obtaining employment to contribute financially to the household.
The mothers never forget us during their journey. They are grateful to us for seeing their potential before they saw it in themselves. Which parallels South Central LAMP’s journey too.
Our invite last fall for our 30 year anniversary was titled, Thriving at Thirty, like the mothers who have gone through our program years ago, we too are in a different phase of the journey. It feels like we have completed that chapter of trying to “survive” and are now entering the “thriving” phase. It’s an exciting phase to be in, and this stage also needs the passion that our founders had 30 years ago. It needs to have people who can see the potential of what South Central LAMP can do, given the right support.
So, along with celebrating the donors at our reception, we also had a call to action! Join us, partner with us, join a committee, join the board, volunteer with us, introduce us to people who are interested in the work we do, and in being part of the next chapter of our journey.
To all reading this, I extend an invitation to be part of the work we do. I feel this Chinese proverb says it best: “the best time to plant a tree (invest in our future) was 20 years ago. The second best time is now." Join us today in making the next phase of South Central LAMP not only successful, but miraculous!
Diana Z. Pinto
Executive Director
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Honoring the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary at our
Donor Recognition Reception
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On May 16, South Central LAMP held a Donor Recognition Reception at Polsinelli in Century City, and had the privilege of honoring the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary for their extraordinary 30-year dedication as one of the eight founding orders of our agency. The evening was a testament to their unwavering commitment and the impactful difference they have made in our community. Click below to read more...
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Members of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary accepting their award in honor of their 30 year dedication and
landmark gift to South Central LAMP, with SC LAMP Board Chair, Dan Bir and Executive Director, Diana Pinto.
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South Central LAMP's Board of Trustees from L-R: Kayla Yokoyama Dodge, Marge Graf, Mary Dolmage,
Sr. Mary Genino, RSHM, Maria Elena Perales, Mary Mansell, Mary Fitzpatrick - Vice Chair, Cecilia Estrada - Secretary, and Dan Bir - Chair. (Not pictured: Sr. Lisa Megaffin, SND, Sr. Maureen O'Connor, CSJ, Terri Ruiz - Treasurer, and Mary Walden).
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Thank You to Girl Scout Troop 3361! |
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We are so incredibly thankful for St. Philip the Apostle Girl Scout Troop 3361 who completed their Silver Award projects at South Central LAMP earlier this month! The Troop raised funds to provide and install our playground with privacy screening, a new shade structure for the children’s garden, as well as a new music wall.
The troop also refreshed our garden by weeding, providing fresh flowers, and gardening tools. The colorful music wall incorporated new and recycled instruments.
The children of South Central LAMP are so excited to play and make music during their morning playtime! We are so grateful to Troop 3361 (and their families) for all their hard work in making our space safe and engaging for our students!
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Adult Education Program Update |
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In May, the mothers of our Family Literacy Program showed their gratitude to our dedicated teachers and staff by holding a heartfelt (and yummy) luncheon for Teacher Appreciation Day.
For Mother's Day, we celebrated the incredible women in our program with a delightful painting session, fostering creativity and community spirit. A big thank you and shout out to Skillful & Soulful Press for their generous support, which helps us continue to provide enriching and empowering experiences for everyone involved.
Jessie Hernandez
Adult Education and Program Manager
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Early Childhood Education Program Update |
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The ECE Program also wants to give a shout out to Sandra and Rey Gonzalez from Skillful & Soulful Press for coming and speaking to our students in our After School EXPL Program about traveling the world. Also, a huge thank you to Rey for helping our students with painting the globe with his expertise!
Lastly, a big thank you to all our teachers, but especially our After School EXPL teachers: Brandon, Cesar, and Maria for all of their guidance in homework help, coding and STEAM activities with our older students this school year!
Ilce Moreno
Site Supervisor &
Expanded Learning Program Coordinator
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Please Note: Our NEW Mailing Address
As of July 1, 2023, when mailing to the South Central LAMP,
please address your letter to:
South Central LAMP
P.O. Box 11336
Los Angeles, CA 90011
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Stay Connected with South Central LAMP!
For more information on ways to support South Central LAMP, please contact our Development Director, Nicole Burcham, at nburcham@southcentrallamp.org,
visit our website, or follow us on social media to learn more about our programs.
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