The Southeast Rio Vista YMCA in Maywood, which serves one of the four most distressed areas in the Metropolitan Los Angeles region, is providing thousands of meals each week. They need your help to continue providing this assistance.
As COVID-19 Impacts Increase, Social and Economic Needs Grow
MAYWOOD, CA –The number of patients hospitalized in LA County show COVID-19 continues to take a serious toll, particularly in minority communities. But the YMCA is among those helping.
As COVID-19 spreads, causing economic and social pain to grow for people across the. region, the YMCA is stepping up to help as it has for more than 150 years.
The Southeast Rio Vista YMCA in Maywood, California, which serves one of the four most distressed areas in the Metropolitan Los Angeles region, is providing thousands of meals each week to help families battling the impacts of COVID-19. They need your help to continue providing this assistance.
“The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting high unemployment have hit the people living in the communities served by the Southeast-Rio Vista YMCA in Maywood very hard,” says YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, Rio Vista YMCA Executive Director Gerry Salcedo. “This food distribution program is an important element of our efforts to strengthen the foundations of our community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.”
“When children and families are hungry it is harder for them to achieve their potential, and we all have an obligation to assist in whatever ways we can,” Salcedo adds.
Optimum Seismic, Inc., a leading California earthquake retrofit company with facilities in Vernon and Huntington Park, recently donated a supply of N-95 masks to help keep YMCA workers and volunteer safe during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Optimum Seismic is donating $5,000 to support the Southeast Rio Vista YMCA and urging other businesses and individuals to also contribute. These contributions assist with food distributions which provides meals to area residents impacted by the effects of COVID-19. Contributions naming the Southeast Rio Vista YMCA can be made at https://www.ymcala.org/ by clicking on Donate and going to the YMCA Emergency Community Fund.
In addition, Optimum Seismic has arranged for noted television anchor Jackeline Cacho to do a one-hour program featuring the food distribution and other services offered by the Southeast-Rio Vista YMCA.
Cacho, a creator of Edutainment in Spanish programming in the U.S., is an international award-winning journalist, producer of the national TV show “Jackeline Cacho Presenta Triunfo Latino” and author of “Mi Mochila Emocional.” Cacho has received two Emmy nominations for: Outstanding National TV Show in Entertainment and Outstanding Talent in Daytime Program.
The episode will appear during a Facebook Live digital online program at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 22 on her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/jackycachotv.
During the Facebook Live program, YMCA leaders and community supporters will discuss the theme of “Strong Children, Families and Communities.”
“By providing the Cacho’s on-air talent and video capabilities Optimum Seismic is supporting the efforts of the Southeast-Rio Vista YMCA and drawing attention to its many worthwhile programs serving local communities,” says Chief Operating Officer Ali Sahabi. “We hope this attention will generate greater public awareness, financial contributions and volunteer support for the YMCA.”
“The Southeast-Rio Vista YMCA appreciates the support of the business community from firms such as Optimum Seismic,” says Salcedo. “Placing this spotlight on the YMCA’s programs will help us carry out our mission of building strong kids, strong families and strong communities.”
“We’re proud to collaborate with our partners on this important initiative,” says Cal State LA Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Jose A. Gomez, a member of the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles. “Now, more than ever, we need to find creative ways to bring people together to assist children and families in the communities we serve.”
“Optimum Seismic is strongly committed to advancing educational and employment opportunities for people of all backgrounds, and we are very pleased to support the important programs for local families being offered by the Southeast-Rio Vista YMCA,” says Sahabi. “We look forward to working with other worthy non-profit organizations in neighboring communities to expand their outreach to the communities they serve in a similar fashion.”
Free ‘Grab and Go’ meals are distributed twice each week at the Southeast-Rio Vista YMCA location in Maywood.
The meals, which consist of sandwich and fruit are packed by volunteers at 9 a.m. The actual distribution begins at 10:45 a.m. on Monday and Wednesdays at the YMCA, 4801 E. 58thSt. The YMCA has also begun delivering bags of groceries to senior citizens in Maywood and Vernon in recent months.
About YMCA
Driven by its founding mission, the YMCA has served as a leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community for more than 175 years. The YMCA empowers everyone, no matter who they are or where they are from, by ensuring access to resources, relationship, and opportunities for all to learn, grow and thrive. By bringing together people from different backgrounds, perspectives and generations, the YMCA’s goal is to improve overall health and well-being, ignite youth empowerment and demonstrate the importance of connections in and across 10,000 communities.
About Optimum Seismic
The Optimum Seismic team has been making California cities safer since 1984 by providing full-service seismic retrofit and renovation engineering and construction services on multifamily residential, commercial and industrial buildings. Optimum experts have completed more than 3,500 projects. Optimum Seismic’s earthquake retrofit services include work on soft-story multifamily apartment buildings, unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings and tilt-up, non-ductile concrete and steel moment frame commercial buildings. For information, contact Optimum Seismic at (323) 678-4686 or visit OptimumSeismic.com.
