Community Celebrates Back to School Season

Community Resource Center Hosts Festive Evening for Local Families

August 10, 2023 – The Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) is excited to celebrate the end of the back to school season at the Community Resource Center (CRC), along with our partner, Supervisor Janice Hahn, Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. The “Back to School Bash” held at the CRC highlighted our efforts to bring valuable school resources to our communities. The festive evening included the distribution of school supplies, interactive games, and resource booths for families.

At this year’s event, 300 backpacks filled with notebooks, lined paper, pens, pencils, markers, color pencils, and scissors were distributed to pre-registered families. Families were also encouraged to participate in free haircuts from local vendor Comestica Latina and get to know local resources available like the Delete the Divide Program, which offers online training classes in topics like cyber security, information technology, and computer programming, while also obtaining information about youth internships and free draw-string bags. The Whittier Area Literacy Council displayed information about their free one-on-one tutoring programs and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health distributed information about health education programs they offer families.

The event at the CRC emphasized its goal to provide back to school essentials and valuable information to students in the South, West, and East unincorporated Whittier areas. Approximately 300 families attended this year’s event.

“The LACDA is proud of the community connections we have built in the South Whittier area,” said Emilio Salas, LACDA Executive Director. “Thanks to the CRC’s hard work, we had a productive Back to School Bash and families were able to receive the supplies they needed to make the first day back to school a success!”

As the local resource hub, the CRC spans a seven-mile service area and serves over 41,500 residents annually. It provides multiple levels of comprehensive, integrated, and accessible services supporting youth, seniors, and families in the unincorporated Whittier areas. Core services include educational programs like basic computer and internet workshops, English as a Second Language (ESL) workshops, and parenting classes.