How to help South LA, even if you’re far away
By: Grace Wagner, Hala Ozgur, Caroline Kucera, and Beatrice Gao
With COVID-19 disrupting usual business and restricting access to resources, South LA is turning to local partners like USC for support.
Thus far, USC has continued to partner with Community Build, a non-profit organization that aims to support South LA residents’ needs. The university has worked with Community Build in the past, but most recently has assisted the non-profit’s newest branch- the Community Response System of South LA (CRSSLA)- to provide subsidies and fresh produce to residents.
According to president and chief executive officer of Community Build Robert Saucedo, CRSSLA was created to identify the assets Los Angeles already has in order to turn them into emergency operation command centers, distribution centers and medical training centers.
“The main thing was to make sure that South Los Angeles is not an afterthought in the deployment of resources, which we’ve seen happen so many times over the years,” Saucedo said. “Secondly, we wanted to ensure that we embed a culture of care should public safety entities be deployed because it’s best to have them work alongside the community-based organizations.”
The CRSSLA branch emerged in the face of COVID-19 and allows South L.A. residents and students to continue charitable efforts, even from their homes. But the team plans to continue their work and services even once the spread of the virus slows. Saucedo said CRSSLA is figuring out what impacts COVID-19 has on students and small businesses and is trying to help with the recovery process.
“If we look forward to the end, we know there are going to be some very significant issues to address, which we’re starting to have conversations about already,” Saucedo said. “We are already looking at the impact that the stay-at-home requirements have had on students by identifying where the gaps are in education that we have to make up as a result of this. We are also looking at small business recovery processes.”
Sam Garrison, interim senior VP of university relations at USC, said in a phone interview with Intersections South LA that USC has been working with Community Build since it launched 30 years ago. During the crisis, USC has offered the organization a $25,000 grant, which comes from the community fund used for supporting neighborhood and community organizations, Garrison said.
“Everyone has a specialty, and everyone has something to offer,” Garrison said. “We’re helping match them up with the need. And in many cases, we’re also learning from them based on what they’re doing.”
The university is also providing senior citizens with meals, healthcare assistance and other emergency relief services in collaboration with CRSSLA. In addition, USC is also working with the organization to connect with first responders, including the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Fire Department.
“We [want to] make sure that cooperation and compassion [are] deployed to this community in addition to just the resources,” Garrison said.
USC Auxiliary Services have donated food including fresh vegetables and student interns from the Marshall School of Business and from the Price School of Public Policy are helping to support CRSSLA by matching their needs with other services in the community, according to Garrison.
“We’re talking every day with different schools and departments across USC, both at the University Park campus and the Health Sciences Campus, Garrison said.
The Promise Fund now operates its pantry at the LA Promise Fund Charter Middle School three times a week, and delegates an estimated 10,000 pounds of fruit, veggies, and non-perishable items, said LA Promise Fund director of communications Emma Brownell.
Brownell said the Promise Fund’s dedication to running the pantries are crucial to the well being of the hundreds of families they serve each week.
“We have learned over 80% of our families have lost one or all income sources for their family, so our food pantry is really THE source for them of food right now,” Brownell said.
Because of this demonstrated need, the nonprofit recently began doing home food deliveries to reach community members who are not able to visit the pantry.
In addition to running the food pantry, Promise Fund volunteers have distributed 360 devices and dozens of wireless hotspots to families in need so that students can log on to Zoom classes. The Fund is focusing on providing students with hotspots because they recognize many of the students do not have a permanent home address- which is a requirement for many of the internet providers offering free WiFi at this time.
The organization has also created a new partnership with United Way, a non-profit aiming to distribute toilet paper to families in need, and will be rolling out the program as soon as possible.
Brownell anticipates the work being done by the Promise Fund will reach the “end” of the pandemic, whenever it may be.
“I think the impact of this pandemic and economic shutdown is going to be felt for a really long time and I think we’re really committed to supporting our families,” Brownell said.
For USC students or South L.A. residents who may not be in the area to help but still want to help their community, here is a list of organizations that need attention, in addition to CRSSLA.
