Carmen Guatzozon has always loved art – doodling as a child, painting her mother’s favorite orchids in middle school. But as a self-described “antisocial” youth, she never imagined she would grow into a leader equipped with confidence, public speaking skills, community connections and enhanced artistic techniques to help paint a significant public mural in Los Angeles.
Satisfaction with quality of life among LA County residents has fallen to its lowest point in over a decade, according to the 11th annual UCLA Quality of Life Index. The results reflect mounting strain from housing costs, education concerns and worsening traffic, according to the survey.
A few weeks after the Eaton Fire incinerated swaths of Altadena and Pasadena last year, Jane Lawton Potelle returned to Altadena to survey her home, which had escaped destruction. Within minutes, she knew something was wrong.
He was just a toddler when he was taken from his home and placed in foster care. In sixth grade, he got pulled into street life. Then came high school – five different ones, as academic hardships and campus conflicts kept him on the move. But Alex Diaz, now 18, never gave up on a better future. He never let go of his love for coffee or his dream to one day work as a barista or maybe even own his own cafe.
When the Eaton Fire swept through Altadena, the Quiroz family lost everything. Over time, 211 LA provided the family with care coordination, including helping them secure cash assistance, school supplies, food vouchers and clothes.
