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July Community Newsletter


We’ve been gradually moving into our neighborhood hub and thanks to our community, our new home is lively. We've been busy with programming and hope you will join us.


In this NELA neighborhood issue:

  • Save the date for Rooted 2024

  • Mercado NELA Comparte memories

  • Learn more about Community Housing

  • Meet our summer fellows

  • A note from our Executive Director: On self-compassion

  • Calendar of events


Save the date for Rooted 2024!

Join us for Rooted - LA Más’ highly anticipated annual fundraiser on Thursday, October 17th from 6PM to 9PM.


Prepare for a welcoming evening filled with:

🍽️ Delicious Food
🎶 Live Music
🤝🏽 Great Company


Want to make an even bigger impact?

  • Sponsor Rooted 2024! Explore our sponsorship package and get in touch with Ronnie at ronnie@mas.la for more details.

  • Join our host committee. Help plan this special event by contacting Natalie Donlin-Zappella at natalie@gpla.com.


Don't miss out on this evening of celebration, connection, and community building. Mark your calendars and get ready to root for Northeast LA!


“The funds I make directly support me to help pay my rent to continue to live in NELA.” - Mercado community vendor

Mercado NELA Comparte was a vibrant celebration of community economies, where resource sharing and local spending are embraced as daily practices. With over 125 community members and allies in attendance, we rejoiced in the rich culture, knowledge, and talents that make our neighborhood unique. Together, we made a significant investment in our local economy!


Heartfelt thanks to:

  • Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez for your unwavering support in making this event a reality.

  • Our amazing partners for offering free resources such as legal advice, fresh produce, new bikes, native plants, business services, printmaking, art activities, and more.

  • Our community for bringing this event to life, shaping the vision and ensuring the resources and offerings reflect our community’s needs.  

  • Poco Pocho for filling the air with lively cumbia beats and getting everyone dancing!


Highlights of the event:

  • Resource exchange: Our resource exchange continues to thrive, so bring goods the next time you visit our space. A huge thank you to everyone who has contributed!

  • Our local entrepreneurs: From delicious pupusas and tacos dorados to refreshing raspados and agua fresca, our working class vendors kept everyone nourished and cool. Handmade sweets, jewelry, flowers, and furniture showcased the immense talents of our neighbors. We invite you to continue supporting our community-serving entrepreneurs.


We heard you loud and clear – the desire for more frequent Mercados is strong. So, instead of an annual event, we're excited to announce that Mercado NELA Comparte will now be held quarterly!


Save the date:

🗓️ Next Mercado: Friday, December 6th
🕔 Time: 5-8 PM


Stay tuned for more details and mark your calendars – we can't wait to see you there!


📸 Photos from the event can be viewed here.

Our vision for community housing is clear - housing that is affordable, stable, and cared for by the people who live there. In our Northeast LA Community Housing Alliance (NELACHA) meetings, we've heard from neighbors and promotoras that we need more casual spaces and gatherings to chat about this vision.


Come hang out with us at our space on Wednesdays from 4-7pm for fun and informative events:


🎨 Aug 21 | Lawn Sign Pickup Live Screen Printing with Sol Tolteca

Pick up a lawn sign to show everyone in NELA that you support Community Housing.


🪧Sept 11 | Live Screen Printing with Sol Tolteca

Bring your own shirts, tote bags, or other textile item and get custom Community Housing graphics printed on them.


💬 Sept 25 | Chat with Community Realtors

Meet community realtors Rio Oxas and Sammy Lyon to learn about the benefits of selling locally.


We'd love to see you at these events and have you join our efforts to create a community-driven approach to housing. Your participation can help turn this vision into reality!


We’re thrilled to announce that our team is stronger than ever this summer, thanks to the incredible expertise of three new fellows! A big shout out to the Local Initiative Support Corporation LA and Harvard’s Community Service Fellowship for making this possible.


🌟 Meet Our Fellows:

  • Claire Bernson & Jordan Gonzales: Both proud residents of Northeast LA and AmeriCorps housing fellows. They are dedicated to advancing our Community Housing initiatives.

  • Michaela Gwiazda: Supported by Harvard’s Community Service Fellowship, Michaela brings her urban planning and design skills to enhance all our programs and transform our new space into a welcoming home.


When you join us at the next LA Más event, don’t forget to say hello to these fantastic individuals who are making a significant impact on our work and community!


Recently, I had the privilege of participating in a mindful self-compassion retreat with fellow non-profit leaders, generously hosted by the Big Bear Retreat Center, and I want to share some insights and commitments I left the retreat with.

Most people who work in the non-profit and community space are deeply committed to their work. It’s second nature to keep giving, producing, and showing up. However, it’s often at the expense of yourself. Burnout is real and sadly happens too often. After over a decade of being at LA Más, I’m still working on how to combat my own internal grind mentality of doing everything and doing it all well. This retreat, which I was so privileged to be able to attend, reminded me that I can be the best version of myself with greater self-compassion - and that it allows me to show up with greater compassion for others.


Our team is great at holding each other accountable to our well-being - to give ourselves space, grace, and time to center our personal needs despite the constant call to work. This often means slowing down, doing less, and really prioritizing our time - which can be hard for people who love the work, especially when the work is personal - as Betty beautifully shares in this interview.

To support our well-being, our team will be out of the office from July 31 to August 9. We encourage you to prioritize your well-being during this time as well. Remember, taking care of ourselves enables us to better serve our community.


Let’s all take a moment to slow down and practice self and community-compassion. We look forward to reconnecting with you after our break.


🫶🏽 Helen