Connect with your leaders

 

If you call Southeast Los Angeles home, you deserve a say in how it’s governed. Learn more about the SELA Collaborative’s civic engagement efforts and how to get involved in your community through participation in local government. 

 

SELA Collaborative’s Approach to Civic Engagement:

  • Emphasizes the importance of local government.
  • Engages with partner organizations like Pat Brown Institute and East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice.
  • Recognizes that the Southeast Los Angeles region has been historically underserved and aims to help heal those wounds through fostering civic education and addressing systemic biases in policymaking.

Local Leaders in Civic Engagement

The SELA Collaborative works with several nonprofits who do important civic engagement work. In addition to our community charlas, focus groups, and census projects, we help build capacity for organizations with the expressed desire of increasing constituent involvement in the public sphere.

The Pat Brown Institute of Public Affairs at Cal State LA is a regional leader in building both the quality and quantity of civic engagement opportunities in the SELA region. In partnership with the SELA Collaborative they have conducted research about the impacts of COVID-19 on the Southeast Los Angeles community.

The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials or NALEO  is a non-profit that works with Latino elected and appointed officials to ensure they are advocating for those they serve. In partnership with the SELA Collaborative, NALEO worked to promote a fair and accurate census count in 2020.

City Council Meetings

One way of getting involved at the local level

Of the ten communities in the SELA region, eight host bi-monthly city council meetings that are open to the public. Read ahead to learn about some examples of grassroots change, and get details on how to attend your city council meetings in your area.

How citizens have worked together to make things happen

Fighting the proposal to build a gas station in a residential area

East Yard member Adriana Reyes fought back against a proposal to build a gas station next to her family’s home, and won. 

Fighting permits that would be environmental hazards

East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice helped City Terrace residents push back and prevent the city from approving permits for auto dismantling that would increase pollution in the community. 

Passage of the census resolution

Bell City Council Meeting

2nd and 4th Wednesday of Month, Virtual

5 p.m Closed and 7 p.m Open

(323) 588-6211

 

Bell Gardens

2nd and 4th Monday of the Month, Virtual

6 p.m

(562) 806-7700

Cudahy

1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month, Virtual

6:30 p.m

(323)-773-5143

Florence-Firestone

Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 10:00 am

As an unincorporated area in South Los Angeles, Florence-Firestone is represented by LA city council and board of supervisors. 

Huntington Park

1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month, Virtual

6 p.m

(323)-582-6161

Lynwood

1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month, Virtual

6 p.m

(310) 603-0220

Maywood

2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month, Virtual

7 p.m

(323) 562-5700

South Gate

2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month, Virtual

6:30 p.m

(323)-563-9500

Walnut Park

Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 10:00 am

As an unincorporated area in South Los Angeles, Walnut Park is represented by LA city council and board of supervisors. 

 

Vernon

1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month, Virtual

9 a.m

(323)-583-8811

“Actively engaging in issues impacting one’s community allows people to advocate for policies that promote healthier environments and lifestyles and promote access to essential services. In SELA, civic engagement can result in improved availability of parks, sustainable transportation options, and a network of trusted neighbors to reduce the negative impact of isolation for vulnerable populations, among other direct benefits.”

-THE SELA AGENDA

Past Events

AltaMed GOTV Press Conference

The SELA Collaborative participated in a press conference hosted by the state registrar and our partner organization AltaMed, to stress the importance of voting and highlight the accessibility of voting centers in the area.

Register to vote here

Census Caravans

The COVID-19 pandemic posed a challenge for nonprofits trying to increase census participation. One creative way we tackled this was by organizing census car caravans to safely spread the word about the importance of taking the census.

Learn more about our census efforts here.