Kamlager-Dove Secures $850,000 for the South LA Community Resilience Center Project to Bolster Climate Resiliency in CA-37

LOS ANGELES, CA – On Saturday, Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) attended the South LA Mental Health Block Party, hosted at South LA Cafe, to present the South Los Angeles Community (SLAC) Foundation with an $850,000 check for the South LA Community Resilience Center project. The South LA Community Resilience Center is one of 15 community projects that Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove secured a total of $12.4 million for through Fiscal Year 2024 government funding legislation.

The funding from Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove will be instrumental in the South LA Community Foundation's efforts to expand their community work. Their goal is to establish a new center to serve as a hub for economic and community development activities, including resilience programming to help their community and its surrounding neighborhoods cope with climate-related environmental and societal disasters. The center will also function as a food distribution site and an educational programming hub, offering workshops and panels on community preparedness, climate awareness, food nutrition, green technology, circular economy, sustainability, and economic empowerment.

“Mental health and community resiliency go hand-in-hand. A lack of preparedness can impair communities' abilities to respond and adapt to environmental and societal challenges, creating stress for community members and leading to adverse outcomes,” said Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove. “For almost 5 years, the South Los Angeles Community Foundation has been doing the on-the-ground work to empower families, create community, and build a sustainable economy here in South LA, especially throughout the pandemic. I am so honored to deliver this federal funding that will support SLAC’s next endeavor: bolstering climate resiliency in our communities. I look forward to seeing how this investment will lead to a healthier, greener, and more resilient community here in South LA.”

“This funding not only provides infrastructural support for our existing center and resilience work like the South LA Grocery Giveaway, but it plants the seeds of validation for the South LA Community Foundation. With this catalytic funding we hope to raise the necessary additional capital to expand our operations to a new South LA campus which our organization can own and operate for the long-term. Displacement of South LA residents, businesses and organizations is far too common and will only grow with increased high heat days and rain storms. These funds will help us fight that battle and advocate for the safety and wellbeing of our neighbors while continuing to provide the essential supportive services they need,” said Joseph Ward-Wallace, SLAC Foundation Co-Founder.

ABOUT THE SOUTH LA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

The South LA Community Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit affiliate of South LA Cafe, aims to break the shackles of systemic oppression and inequality by creating, building, and empowering an equitable, healthy, and sustainable South Central community for all people through their signature programs South LA Grocery Giveaway, Cafe Academy, and the Women In Business Network. The SLAC Foundation is led by Joseph and Celia Ward-Wallace. Learn more here.

View the full list of Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove’s 2024 Community Project Funding recipients here.

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