Northeast Valley Pulse: December 2024
Building a Stronger Community, Together with You.
We're Back!
After some time away, we’re thrilled to bring you the latest installment of our newsletter. Our teams have been hard at work making a positive impact in the community, and we couldn’t wait to share their incredible achievements with you. As the year comes to a close, we want to express our deepest gratitude for your unwavering support and dedication to creating a healthier, more equitable San Fernando Valley. Looking ahead to 2025, we’re filled with excitement and determination to continue building lasting change. Thank you for being an integral part of this journey!
Take a moment to dive into this edition and explore the inspiring updates we’ve prepared for you.
Youth Organizing
Meet our New Youth Team!
We’re thrilled to introduce our new Youth Team! This incredible group has been working tirelessly to revitalize and prepare our youth programming for the upcoming year. Join us in giving a warm welcome to Michelle, Alex, and Natalie!
Michelle Rivas
Meet Michelle Rivas, our Director of Youth Programs! A San Fernando Valley native, Michelle brings a social justice perspective to creating culturally relevant programs that connect youth to the outdoors while fostering social-emotional learning and leadership skills. Previously, Michelle worked with Pacoima Beautiful as a community resource navigator during the COVID-19 pandemic and later supported high school students by developing basic needs programs. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, weightlifting, and attending sports events.
Alex Yawata
Next up, we have our new Youth Coordinator, Alex Yawata. Alex was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and completed her undergraduate degree in Urban & Environmental Policy at Occidental College. Her experience includes working in nonprofit organizations that aim to solve youth homelessness and substance abuse in Los Angeles. In her free time, Alexandria enjoys sports photography and recreational soccer.
Natalie Gudiño Quiles
Last, but certainly not least, we have our new Youth Organizer, Natalie Gudiño Quiles. A San Fernando Valley native, Natalie’s upbringing by a nurse and a gardener inspired her love for nourishing people and the environment. Her experiences in the Hispanic community and passion for connection led her to study Hospitality Management and Non-Profit Management at Cal Poly Pomona. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, cooking, dancing, and spending time with loved ones.
YUTEP is Back In Session!
After a brief hiatus, our new Youth Team has relaunched our YUTEP (Youth United Towards Environmental Protection) program. Through YUTEP, young leaders dive into the realities of environmental injustice, exploring its impacts on our communities while learning how to advocate for change through policy and grassroots organizing.
Some of our topics for the month of December include:
- What is Environmental Justice?
- Defining Community and Shared Values
- All About Plastics
YUTEP will not be meeting on 12/25 and 1/1, and will resume on 1/8
January Dates: 1/8, 1/15, 1/22 1/29
For any questions regarding YUTEP, contact Alex Yawata at ayawata@pacoimabeautiful.org
Sneak Peek into 2025: We will be launching our Semillas After School Club to schools in the Northeast Valley, so stay tuned.
Follow YUTEP's Instagram: @yutep_
Community Organizing
Staff Spotlight: Antonia Fabian
We’re thrilled to welcome Antonia Fabian as our new Director of Organizing. A first-generation San Fernando Valley native of Salvadoran roots, Antonia’s journey began as a street vendor alongside her great-grandmother and mother. She earned an associate’s degree in mathematics from Los Angeles Valley College, a bachelor’s degree in Education and Social Transformation, and a master’s degree in Social Research Methodology from UCLA.
With over a decade of experience in retail, food service, higher education, and consulting on COVID relief for LA County, Antonia is passionate about environmental justice as a key part of social equity. Outside work, she enjoys the dog park with her partner, golden retriever, and two chugs.
Join us in welcoming Antonia to the PB team!
Silicosis Outreach + Resources
Our Silicosis Team is dedicated to raising awareness and educating workers, businesses, and community members about silicosis. Since the inception of our outreach program, we have actively engaged with the community Monday through Friday, spreading vital information to those who work with silica-containing materials.
Silicosis is an irreversible, progressive lung disease caused by inhaling respirable crystalline silica (RCS), commonly known as silica dust. This dangerous dust can lead to significant lung inflammation, stiffening, and scarring, resulting in severe respiratory complications. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for this condition, but it is preventable.
If you think you or someone you know has symptoms of silicosis, make an appointment with a medical provider, let them know you work with materials that expose you to silica dust and get evaluated as soon as possible.
Looking back at 2024
Highlights from our Organizing Team's work this year:
Planning
Empowering Communities Through Air Quality Monitoring
New Partnership with SCADMQ
We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) through a U.S. EPA-funded initiative under the Inflation Reduction Act! This collaboration allows us to enhance air quality monitoring in Pacoima and engage the community in workshops, deploy advanced air sensors, and develop a Community Action Plan with CSUN and Cal State LA. Together, we’re working toward reducing pollution and building a healthier, more informed neighborhood.
Block x Block
Last month, we wrapped up the second cohort of the People’s Collaborative Academy! This free 10-week program equipped community members with knowledge about urban planning, development processes, and environmentally resilient projects. Participants explored the history of development in Los Angeles and the East SFV, focusing on parks, water, freeways, public transit, and environmental justice. We’re so proud of these new community advocates and their dedication to driving positive change.
Pacoima Wash
Pacoima Wash Feasibility Study
We’re excited to share progress on the Pacoima Wash Greenway Feasibility Study, which aims to transform a 4-mile stretch of the wash into a sustainable greenway from Highway 118 to El Cariso Regional Park. Led by SALT Landscape Architects, the project is now 50% complete, focusing on engineering assessments, environmental reviews, and integrating community input. The study evaluates open spaces, connectivity, stormwater systems, and ecological enhancements while addressing environmental constraints to streamline permitting. Stay tuned as we work toward completing the concept plan by Q2 2025!
A Greener and More Vibrant Pacoima
This summer marked a colorful milestone as Pacoima Beautiful unveiled the first 3 of many murals transforming the Pacoima Wash. This stunning artwork is more than just a mural—it’s a bold step toward the “Four Mile Vision,” a plan to revitalize the Wash into a vibrant greenway connecting neighborhoods across the San Fernando Valley.
This is just the beginning of an inspiring journey toward a greener, more vibrant future for Pacoima!
OWLA
San Fernando CARP
Pacoima Beautiful is thrilled to be leading a Planning 101 series as part of the Climate Action and Resilience Plan (CARP), in partnership with Climate Resolve, Rincon, the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians, and the City of San Fernando. The series focuses on transportation, parks, and greenhouse gas emissions, helping residents gain essential tools and knowledge about CARP’s components. This initiative is part of our ongoing efforts to empower the community in climate resilience planning.
Policy
Policy Team Year in Review
Our Policy department has worked tirelessly assuring the environmental injustices within our community are systemically changed for long term prosperity. Throughout the year, our team advocated and rallied in collation with multiple partners ranging from tenant rights groups to public health organizations. This effort brought forth many successes:
1. Tenant Rights: Our coalition power helped introduce the permanent stopping of evictions due to renovation work for state protected rental units in the City of Los Angeles. Now, we await full approval but once signed, this gives us the opportunity to help install clean technologies such as electric water heaters, induction stoves, and more without causing harm to renters.
2. New Direct Install Program: Pacoima Beautiful, in partnership with many other organizations and the County of Los Angeles successfully applied for state funding from the California Energy Commission (CEC). Our collective was as a recipient of the $328.7M Equitable Building Decarbonization Direct Install (EBD DI) Program award. This extensive award will accelerate residential building decarbonization efforts in low-income communities across Southern California by helping install free and direct appliances beginning in 2025.
3. Heat: Extreme heat continues to be the biggest concern for our communities. This year we made efforts to understand why impacts continue to intensify. Thanks to the City of Los Angeles Planning Department, our team asked our street vendors what they need in their environment to continue providing low cost and culturally inclusive goods despite a changing climate. Coupled with the comments of our longstanding members, these recommendations will now go to the LA City Council in 2025 to assure these recommendations become actionable.
Casa Esperanza
A New Chapter: Pacoima Beautiful and Casa Esperanza Become One
In 2022, the Immaculate Heart Community (IHC) sought to expand its impact on Blythe Street and found a natural partner in Pacoima Beautiful (PB). The origins of these two organizations, both rooted in the determination of women to uplift their communities, revealed a shared vision for change.
Pacoima Beautiful began in 1996 with five mothers organizing their neighborhood to create a safer, cleaner environment for their children and neighbors. Similarly, in 1992, Margaret Rose Welch and Socorro Meza founded Casa Esperanza to improve the quality of life for the Blythe Street community. Both organizations focused on youth services and community empowerment.
Recognizing these parallels, PB and IHC formed a partnership, with PB absorbing Casa Esperanza’s programs and extending their reach by operating out of the Blythe Street building. This collaboration grew stronger over time, culminating in the summer of 2024 when PB completed the purchase of the building. With the keys officially in hand, PB continues its mission to serve and uplift the community from this new home.
This union reflects the enduring power of local organizing and the vision of women who believe in creating lasting change. With over 30 years of collective service, the partnership between Pacoima Beautiful and Casa Esperanza stands as a testament to the strength of community-driven movements and the legacy they leave behind.
Casa Esperanza Programs
A look at some of the incredible programs at Casa Esperanza:
Staff Spotlight: Melanie Paola Torres
This year marked a period of growth and transformation for Melanie as she transitioned from the Organizing Team to join the Casa Esperanza team.
As part of the Organizing Team, Melanie oversaw the organizing team and wrapped up several closing projects focused on community engagement. Melanie led impactful projects, including training Community Inspectors on climate equity, installing cool pavement and roofs through the Cool Communities Project, relaunching Mercado Pacoima with homegrown produce donations, and supporting the upkeep of Jardín Pacoima. As she transitioned to her new team, Melanie collaborated with Casa Esperanza by hosting Día de los Muertos art workshops, focusing on sustainable art using recycled materials. Over the past two years, she connected with the community and established her base in Panorama City. Currently, she supports community events, continues sustainable programming with Chicas Girasol, and is preparing to launch a YUTEP chapter at Casa Esperanza to engage youth in leadership and environmental justice.
Arts and Culture Corner
New Mural Reveal
New murals have been unveiled on Van Nuys Blvd as part of the Museo al Aire Libre project, supported by the council office. The installation features six stunning panels—two on the Pacoima City Hall building and four outside the LADWP building.
The murals on the LADWP building depict the four seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn. They were brought to life by these four talented local artists:
