Northeast Valley Pulse: September 2025
Building a Stronger Community, Together with You.
Here’s a look at what we’ve accomplished so far in 2025!
From meaningful milestones to powerful community moments, our teams have been working hard to drive positive change. The first half of 2025 has been nothing short of inspiring, and we’re excited to share the highlights, impact, and stories that made it all so memorable.
2025 Environmental Justice Awards
Congratulations to the 2025 EJ Awards Honorees!
Pacoima Beautiful’s 2025 Environmental Justice Awards was a night of celebration, recognition, and community pride. Held at The Garland on April 24th, the event honored trailblazers in the fight for environmental equity.
Honorees included:
• Lindsey Horvath, Los Angeles County Supervisor, 3rd District – Environmental Justice Champion Award
• Tony Cárdenas, United States Congressman, Retired – Environmental Justice Lifetime Achievement Award
• Immaculate Heart Community – Environmental Justice Ally Award
This year’s theme, “Two Hearts, One Mission,” highlighted the powerful merger of legacy and progress, symbolized by the acquisition of Casa Esperanza—made possible through Congressman Cárdenas’ support.
The evening was brought to life by host Enrique Chiabra of Telemundo, muralist Nicole Martinez, DJ Olea, and photographer Astrid Cortez, blending art, music, and advocacy into one unforgettable celebration of community-led change.
Youth Organizing
Our youth programs have a brand-new look!
We’re excited to announce that we've officially rebranded our social media to @pbyes_. PBYES , short for Pacoima Beautiful Youth Environmental Stewards, now reflects the full scope of our youth programming, from Agua University and Junior Field Rangers to YUTEP. While the name has changed, our mission remains the same: empowering youth to lead with purpose and passion.
Follow us to stay connected with program updates, upcoming events, and the inspiring work our youth continue to lead.
Agua University Recap: Deep Dives and Big Ideas
This summer, our Agua University students dove into hands-on learning and left a meaningful mark on their communities. A total of 19 students completed the program, taking part in 3 community service days and 7 infrastructure site visits that deepened their understanding of environmental issues and solutions.
The program culminated in powerful capstone presentations centered around key community-focused themes: Blank Slate Transformation, Parks & Open Spaces as Multi-Benefit Hubs, and Green Alleys. We're incredibly proud of the insight, creativity, and leadership each student brought to the table.
As participant Dayanna Cabral Torres shared, “The most memorable part for me was going to the Hyperion [Plant] because I just saw all the job opportunities and that it does not have to do with a certain degree or career. Everyone can contribute to helping our environment.”
Junior Field Rangers Wrap Up Another Season of Outdoor Learning and Leadership
This past month, our six Junior Field Rangers wrapped up their program with a series of hands-on activities and meaningful community moments. Over the course of the program, they conducted Rapid Trash Assessments and site surveys at Hidden Springs, Wildwood, Stoneyvale, Trail Canyon Falls, Hansen Dam, and Bradley Plaza & Green Alley—collectively picking up over 3,100 pieces of trash, ranging from plastics to construction debris.
Throughout their fieldwork, the rangers explored topics like environmental justice, land stewardship, water conservation, and the role of native species. They also enjoyed experiences like kayaking on the LA River to learn about local watersheds, birding at Lake Balboa, and attending a career panel at Lopez Canyon Environmental Center. The program concluded with a field demonstration at Wildwood Picnic Site, where they proudly shared what they learned with friends, family, and community guests.
YUTEP is back!
Youth United Towards Environmental Protection (YUTEP) is Pacoima Beautiful’s youth group for current high school students, grades 9-12. This program empowers high schoolers to lead environmental justice efforts through hands-on learning, community engagement, and advocacy. Members meet weekly to collaborate, learn, and take action on issues that impact their neighborhoods.
YUTEP is back at Pacoima Beautiful HQ! Meetings will take place every Wednesday from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM. If you or someone you know is interested in joining, email us at yo@pacoimabeautiful.org. We’d love to have you be part of the movement!
Seed library takes root
We’re excited to announce that our mobile Seed Library is now open at PBHQ! Community members are welcome to stop by and pick up a variety of seasonal seeds—perfect for starting your own garden. Quantities are limited to 4 seed packets per person, so be sure to visit while supplies last.
Special thanks to our Agricultural Lead, Natalie Gudiño Quiles, for bringing this resource to life and helping us grow a greener future, one seed at a time!
Community Organizing
Mercado Highlights: A Season of Sharing and Growth
This summer, our Mercados brought fresh, healthy food directly to families in our community—thanks to the generosity of local growers and neighbors.
May: We launched our first Mercado of the year, supporting 150 families with 3,169 pounds of free produce. Of that, 2,406 pounds came directly from home harvests in Mission Hills, Sun Valley, Pacoima, Panorama City, and Sylmar, and 664 pounds from community donations.
June: We broke records with our largest collection ever—4,024 pounds in total! This included 1,330 pounds from home harvests, 1,730 pounds in donations, and 964 pounds of compost.
July: Community members contributed 1,004 pounds, including 902 pounds from home harvests and 103 pounds in donations.
August: For our final Mercado of the season, we gathered 1,494 pounds from local families and another 100 pounds from a local church.
We are so grateful to everyone who continues to grow, share, and nourish our community together!
Jardín Pacoima: Thriving, Blooming, and Growing Together
Jardín Pacoima is thriving and blooming, and we’re excited to share that our rain barrels have been repaired—allowing us to store water on-site and care for the space more efficiently.
We meet every first Friday of the month (unless it falls on a holiday) to pull weeds, trim, water plants, harvest, and tend to whatever the garden needs. These gatherings are a great way to stay connected and support a green space that nourishes both community and environment. Everyone is welcome to join us!
Congratulations to the new Recovery Hub cohort!
This April, we launched the application for our 2025 Recovery Hub initiative, selecting 18 awardees representing a wide range of causes and communities across the San Fernando Valley.
Awardees represented communities across the San Fernando Valley, including Pacoima, Van Nuys, Sylmar, Reseda, San Fernando, Canoga Park, Winnetka, Woodland Hills, Studio City, Northridge, and Sherman Oaks. Their work spans a wide range of impact areas, including youth empowerment, public health and hygiene equity, LGBTQIA+ and racial justice advocacy, reentry support, domestic violence recovery, early childhood education, employment services, and community rehabilitation.
This year’s Recovery Hub cohort includes:
Chrysalis, Connectopod Learning Center, Filipino Migrant Center, Helping Hands Resource Center, Iglesia Bautista el Buen Pastor, Main Street Canoga Park, Insight Center for Community Economic Development, Keep Youth Doing Something (KYDS), Kidneys Quest Foundation, Plaza Comunitaria Sinaloa, Qweerty Gamers, SCGA Junior Golf Association, SFV Japanese American Community Center, Shift Our Ways Collective, The Valley of Change, The Writing Schools LA, and Why We Give.
We’re proud to support these organizations as they continue building equity, resilience, and justice in their communities.
Community Inspectors Deepen Their EJ Knowledge Through Workshops
As part of our CalEPA Fridays initiative, our Community Inspectors participated in six Environmental Justice workshops covering key topics like climate change impacts, grassroots activism, and local case studies in Pacoima.
They also attended three field trips to see environmental justice issues firsthand:
- Lopez Canyon – Once a landfill, now a symbol of community-led change, inspectors explored the site's environmental history and lessons in grassroots organizing.
- Sun Valley Waste Management Center – Inspectors observed waste processing operations and discussed the disproportionate environmental burdens placed on frontline communities.
- Hyperion Water Plant – This tour highlighted the importance of sustainable water treatment and its connection to public and environmental health.
Through these experiences, our CIs gained a deeper understanding of the environmental injustices impacting our region—and the power of community action to challenge them.
Bridging the Digital Divide with EveryoneOn
From April to July, Pacoima Beautiful partnered with EveryoneOn to offer three cohorts of digital literacy classes. Serving a total of 30 community members, participants learned essential tech skills including typing, using email, creating PDFs, and navigating Zoom.
This collaboration helped residents and workers from Sun Valley, Panorama City, Sylmar, Pacoima, Arleta, Canoga Park, Mission Hills, and Northridge gain confidence and access in the digital world. EveryoneOn’s work continues to play a vital role in promoting equity and digital inclusion across our communities.
Parks Needs Assessment
In partnership with the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP), we’re helping raise awareness and gather community input for the Park Needs Assessment—a plan to guide fair and equitable investment in parks citywide.
Now in Phase 2, the City is reviewing over 10,000 survey responses to develop a draft assessment, expected by early fall 2025.
Visit needs.parks.lacity.gov to learn more and stay informed about upcoming events and ways to get involved.
Pacoima Beautiful Featured in New Research!
We’re proud to share that the recently published Sleep and Heat Study, led by researcher Hasibe Caballero-Gomez, highlights the support of Pacoima Beautiful staff. Pacoima Beautiful is acknowledged in both Section 2.2 and the acknowledgements. This study sheds important light on how heat impacts our communities, and we are honored to have supported this vital research. Congrats Hasibe!
Planning
Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Updates
We’ve had an exciting few months of TCC programming, engaging our community through events focused on sustainability, education, and fun!
We’re thrilled to announce the release of our updated 2025 Annual Report for the Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) project! This report is more than just a summary of data; it's a celebration of our community's incredible hard work and a testament to the powerful change we’re creating together.
We invite you to explore the full report and see the tangible results of our efforts. This document serves as a powerful reminder of what's possible when a community takes the lead in shaping its own future.
Prende El Sol
We welcomed 200 attendees and hosted 9 tabling partners, distributing 20 air purifiers to local families.
Earth Day
Despite the rain, the event was a success with over 150 attendees, 10 tabling partners, and a special visit from Mayor Karen Bass. Together, we collected 200+ pounds of trash—a strong reminder of our collective impact.
Movie Night at the San Fernando Gardens
A community favorite! We gave out 100 air purifiers while screening Kung Fu Panda 4 and Finding Nemo. We also featured 3 tabling partners to keep the climate-conscious conversation going.
Bradley Plaza
Bradley Plaza and the adjacent alleyway continue to benefit from our ongoing care and maintenance efforts. Cleanups are held every 3rd Thursday of the month, and we welcome community members to get involved. We're also happy to announce that the irrigation system is back up and running, thanks to the incredible support from Echo Tech Services and LA Sanitation.
AQMD – Community Air Monitoring Plan (CAMP)
We’ve officially installed six Aeroqual air monitors throughout Pacoima as part of our collaboration with AQMD! Monitors are now live at Pacoima Beautiful, Neighborhood Legal Services, the Boys and Girls Club, and in the homes of community members who volunteered to host them. These monitors track air pollutants in real time, with data shared directly with AQMD to help us all stay informed.
Curious about the air quality in your area?
Pacoima Wash Updates
We’re making steady progress on the Pacoima Wash project. The technical study and CEQA readiness phase is underway. We’ve completed the feasibility study and received clearance on the Army Corps 408 permit. Our team is now working closely with designers to advance from 75% to 100% construction drawings, bringing us one step closer to adding vegetation along the bioswales next to the Pacoima Wash bike lane in San Fernando. Next, we’ll finalize construction documents, seek permit approvals from LA County Flood Control District, and continue working with Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s office to designate the area as a linear park at the county level.
San Fernando Climate Action & Resilience Plan (SF CARP)
Our work on SF CARP continues to grow with a strong focus on transportation, parks and open space, and greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions. So far, we’ve hosted three community tabling events and workshops, engaging over 200 residents in the process. We’ve also successfully wrapped up our survey collection phase, helping us better understand community priorities as we move this work forward.
LINK Grant – Parks & Advocacy Training
This 9-week workshop series, held at Casa Esperanza, centered on parks advocacy, budgeting, and understanding public decision-making. As part of the program, participants conducted a total of 119 park assessments—77 at Tobias Avenue Park and 42 at Sepulveda Recreation Center. The series wrapped up in March with a celebratory close-out picnic that included a site visit to one of the parks and gift card distribution for participants.
ReDesign LA: Pacoima Wash & Sunland Thrive Hub
Pacoima Beautiful is leading two major community-driven projects: the Pacoima Wash Greenway and the Sunland Thrive Hub in Sun Valley. Together, they aim to increase climate resilience, improve access to green space, and support local economic development.
The Pacoima Wash Greenway is 75% through schematic design and moving toward the implementation of bioswale landscaping alongside the San Fernando bike lane. The Sunland Thrive Hub, located at 8809 Sunland Blvd, will serve as a climate-resilient space for local nonprofits and businesses, including a sustainability-focused café. To date, over $4 million has been secured for both sites, with strong community engagement and planning already underway.
Environmental Justice Policy Program
The Environmental Justice Policy Program, launched in 2023, addresses land use, sustainability, climate equity, open space, and environmental justice. To support an equitable and transformative policy framework, the City is updating the Health and Environmental Justice Element and the Open Space Element.
The Preliminary Draft of the Health and Environmental Justice Element was developed through research, community outreach, and collaboration with Environmental Justice Communities across Los Angeles. It builds on the existing Health and Air Quality Elements of the General Plan while incorporating new priorities identified during spring 2024 engagement.
In parallel, the City is updating the Open Space Element to integrate environmental justice, climate resilience, and rewilding opportunities, as required by Senate Bill 1425. This update provides guidance for preserving, expanding, and enhancing open spaces that support recreational, environmental, and health needs. Public engagement for both efforts began in spring 2024 and will continue through summer 2025.
Casa Esperanza
Drum Circle Returns to Casa Esperanza!
Our Drum Circle is back, bringing rhythm, culture, and connection to the community! Join us for free weekly sessions every Thursday, led by drumming instructor Ce Tochtlis from El Nido.
- Youth Session: 4:00–5:00 PM
Men’s Session: 5:30–7:00 PM
All are welcome to join the beat! If you or someone you know is interested, contact Casa Esperanza for more information.
Chicas Girasol: Stitching, Learning, and Building Community
Our Chicas Girasol has been busy putting their skills to work—sewing over 110 reusable bags to support our Mercado Pacoima program!
When they’re not behind a sewing machine, they’ve been building their tech skills through our EveryoneOn digital literacy classes, which just wrapped up this June. And in true community spirit, they love spending time in the kitchen, cooking and sharing meals with others at Casa Esperanza. Their dedication, creativity, and warmth continue to brighten everything they’re a part of.
Casa Esperanza Gets a Fresh New Look!
Casa Esperanza has gone through some exciting renovations and upgrades to better serve our community. Improvements include repainted and reorganized rooms, updated hardware and security lighting, fresh coat of paint on stucco, shed shelving, and an industrial sink installation. We’ve also added string lights to the courtyard, creating a warm and inviting outdoor space. Plus, we installed new lodge poles to street trees in the parkway.
These upgrades are all part of our ongoing effort to make Casa more welcoming and a resilient hub for everyone.
Vecinos Monthly Meeting
Our Vecinos meetings take place every last Wednesday of the month and are proudly hosted at Casa Esperanza. We’ve consistently welcomed around 25 to 30 community members each month for these important gatherings. Regular updates are shared by Senior Lead Officer Ruelas, Odalys from Council District 6, Pacoima Beautiful staff, and quarterly updates from Councilwoman Imelda Padilla , helping to keep our community informed and engaged.
Blythe Street Task Force
In partnership with Council District 6, LAPD, and LADOT, our Blythe Street Task Force has officially launched! This task force brings together community partners to discuss ways to improve the look and feel of Blythe Street, while actively addressing concerns raised by residents. Together, we’re working toward a safer and more vibrant neighborhood.
Youth Programming: This Quarter’s Theme is Water!
Our youth programming is back with an exciting new theme—Water. Held every Tuesday and Wednesday from 3:00 to 5:00 PM, the program combines hands-on environmental justice learning with homework assistance to support students both academically and creatively. The new session begins on August 19 and is open to all students in 1st grade and up. If you're interested, registration is available in person at Casa Esperanza. We look forward to seeing you there!
Cub Scouts at Casa Esperanza
Our Cub Scouts program, open to youth boys and girls, is led by an instructor from Scouting America and focuses on encouraging kids to connect with the outdoors. Through hands-on activities like arts and crafts, camping lessons, and outdoor adventures, participants build skills and confidence. Scouts have already gone on exciting trips to Camp Whitsett and Catalina Island, learning about nature and teamwork along the way.
Sessions are held every Monday from August 18 to September 29, and are geared toward elementary school-aged youth. Registration is in person at Casa Esperanza—join us for a season of exploration and growth!
Arts and Culture Corner
Community Mosaic Now on Display at PBHQ!
After two years in the making, our community mosaic is finally complete and proudly displayed at our headquarters! This powerful piece features 64 mini canvases, each inspired by protests and actions led by Pacoima Beautiful over the years. Created with the help of dedicated community members and finished off with contributions from our staff, the mosaic stands as a vibrant reflection of our collective voice and commitment to environmental justice. Special thanks to Joyce and Francisco for helping bring this vision to life!
Dia de los Muertos with Councilwoman Imelda Padilla
Each year, Casa Esperanza and Council District 6 bring our community together for a beautiful Día de los Muertos celebration on Blythe Street. With colorful altars, music, art, and tradition, we honor the lives of those we've lost while celebrating the spirit of our community. Last year’s event was full of love, culture, and connection — and we’re excited to do it all again.
Join us this year on November 1 from 10am to 2pm for another unforgettable celebration. Stay tuned for details!
Staff Spotlight
Renee Gutierrez
This year marked an exciting transition for Renee Gutierrez as she moved from Executive Assistant into her new role as Youth Programs Manager at Pacoima Beautiful.
Renee’s journey with Pacoima Beautiful began in 2018 through our youth programming, starting with YUTEP and continuing as an alum of both Agua University and Junior Field Rangers. Through these experiences, her passion for youth empowerment and social justice quickly took root. She later joined the Admin Team, where she supported internal operations while continuing to stay engaged with youth initiatives behind the scenes.
Now, as Youth Programs Manager, Renee leads our youth programming efforts and serves as crew boss for the Junior Field Rangers, empowering the next generation of environmental stewards. A UC Berkeley graduate with a degree in Ethnic Studies, she brings both lived experience and academic insight to her work.
Outside of Pacoima Beautiful, you can find Renee unwinding with a good movie or building her latest LEGO set.