Tamales de la Paz: A Demonstration of Community Solidarity 
Urban Initiatives in partnership with Councilmember Ed P. Reyes - District 1, the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA), and Mama's Hot Tamales organized "Tamales de la Paz (Peace)." The annual April 30 event is a show of community solidarity to ensure that the melee that occurred in MacArthur Park three years ago will never occur again. On May 1, 2007 there was a confrontation that turned violent between police, immigration rally and march supporters, media, and others in the park.
Joe Colletti, PhD created the event in order to bring representatives from the Los Angeles Police Department, May 1 rally and march organizers, media, and other community leaders in order to bring peace and healing to the 2007 event and other outstanding issues that have troubled the MacArthur Park neighborhood such as drugs and gang violence.
On April 30 the eve before the annual march, Sandi "Mama" Romero of Mama's Hot Tamales worked with others to make a 10-foot tamale made up of various ingredients that are unique to several types of Latin American tamales. Everyone in attendance was asked to share the peace tamale as an act of community solidarity. "What better way is there to create community solidarity than to eat tamales together," exclaimed Councilmember Ed Reyes.
During the event, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck was honored as the "Top Hot Tamale of Los Angeles" which is given each year to someone who has helped change the area from a "crime-filled point of destination" into a "growing art, business, cultural, educational, recreational, residential, service, and social point of destination."
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Other Activities in Progress:
Urban Initiatives is serving as a consultant for other community-based activities which include:
"Human Trafficking in Southern California" is a joint effort with Oasis USA, the Western U.S. Office for Stop the Traffik and the Office for Urban Initiatives at Fuller Theological Seminary. Through this partnership, a survey will be completed that will describe the needs of women and men who have been trafficked into Southern California from Asian countries.
"Building Faith Among the Vulnerable: Preventing Foreclosure Rescue and Loan Modification Scams" is a workshop that is co-sponsored with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection that will provide information to faith and community leaders concerning loan modification and foreclosure scams in order to prevent scam artists from preying on homeowners who are at risk of, or facing, foreclosure. The half day event will take place at Fuller Theological Seminary on Tuesday, July 20th from 8:30 to 11:30. For more information click here. Project HOUSED (Housing Outreach Using Service Engagement and Delivery) is a program that Urban Initiatives helped design with the City of Pasadena Housing Department, Pasadena Police Department Homeless Outreach Psychiatric Evaluation (HOPE) Team, County of Los Angeles Department of Mental Health, County of Los Angeles Department of Health Services, Pacific Clinics' Passageways Street Outreach Team, and two national organizations-Common Ground and Corporation of Supportive Housing that will take 15 of the most vulnerable persons living on the streets of Pasadena and move them into permanent housing with on-site social services. Urban Initiatives is recruiting volunteers to implement a vulnerability index to help identify homeless persons living on the streets of Pasadena who are most at risk for dying on the streets. The index is administered in a form of a survey which captures a homeless individual's health and social status. It identifies the most vulnerable through a ranking system which takes into account risk factors and the duration of homelessness. This ranking allows those with the most severe health risks to be identified and prioritized for permanent supportive housing and other support.
If you are interested in volunteering please contact Sofia Herrera, PhD Office for Urban Initiatives/ Institute for Community Psychology Tel. 626.304.3753 sofiaherrera@urban-initiatives.org |
Community-Based and Faith-Based Institutes
Urban Initiatives has established several community-based and faith-based institutes that provide a wide-range of community research, education, evaluation, and development activities that include the following:
Institute for Community Psychology studies, designs, and implements assessments, policies, and programs that help community institutions and systems of care improve the quality of life of local neighborhoods. Activities have focused upon domestic violence, health care, homelessness, mental health care, and substance abuse treatment.
Institute for Transnational Research and Development is dedicated to the transformation of communities by engaging members in reflection and action that is based firmly in their contexts. ITRD understands the inter-connectivity of communities across national borders, thereby working to strengthen their natural networks and flows.
Institute for Vital Economic and Neighborhood Development facilitates neighborhood economic revitalization by creating viable employment and income generating opportunities through the development of successful worker-owned, small business enterprises.
Office for Urban Initiatives. In addition, Urban Initiatives has established the Office for Urban Initiatives in partnership with Fuller Theological Seminary which is located on the seminary campus. It provides opportunities for students and others from various educational institutions and other community organizations to strengthen their understanding of urban issues through collaborative research and community service.
For more information click here. |
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Urban Initiatives (formerly known as the Institute for Urban Research and Development)
responds to the economic, housing, and social needs of neighborhoods, cities, and counties from
local, regional,
national, international, and faith-based perspectives through program development and community-based research. Such activities has focused on affordable housing, business development and education for micro-businesses, fair housing, health care, homelessness, human trafficking, migrant farming, and street vending. |
For information contact
Joe Colletti, PhD
Office for Urban Initiatives/ Fuller Seminary
135 N. Oakland Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91182
626.304.3753
Sofia Herrera, PhD Office for Urban Initiatives/ Fuller Seminary
135 N. Oakland Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91182
626.304.3753
sofiaherrera@urban-initiatives.org
Andrew Wright
Office for Urban Initiatives/ Fuller Seminary
135 N. Oakland Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91182
626.304.3753
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