The PLN Post
Welcome to The PLN Post, a place where we share about educating, strengthening, and partnering with the children, youth, and families of Para Los Niños.
During a time when connecting from a distance is key to uplifting the communities of Los Angeles, please enjoy a glimpse into how our employees continue to live PLN's core values:
Excellence | Constant Learning | Teamwork | Community | Inclusion | Trust
Creating Meaningful Connections
Photo above from 2019 Netflix day of service at our Gratts Primary Center! by Christina Mariscal Pasten, Director of Corporate & Foundation Partnerships “We want to help” is a phrase we often hear in External Affairs as we get calls from donors, volunteers, organizations, and, in recent months, a growing number of corporations. Para Los …
What Back-to-School Means to Me
by Luis Figueroa, Associate Director of External Affairs (pictured above far right, with wife Jeanette and daughter Camilla) Back to school we go again… There is always a point in the year that brings me personal joy but also a sense of urgency that I need to do more. That is because I go …
Learning Outside the Classroom
Above: Students in After-School on an adventure - learning skills and having experiences to last a lifetime. by Cecilia Hernandez, M.Ed., Director of Extended Learning The minute I walked into Para Los Niños for my interview, I knew I wanted to be here and call it my work home. For the past 12 years, …
What It Means to Be a Father
By Ralph Guirado, PLN Resource Coordinator For the past fifteen years, I have had the privilege and pleasure to be part of Para Los Niños. Within my initial role as a family advocate, I had the opportunity to support families in the Skid Row and Pico Union areas of Los Angeles. Needless to say, it was a rewarding experience being able to provide families with immediate concrete support that varied …
Best Start Region 1 Driving Equity and Justice
by Brenda Aguilera, Director of Community Transformation, Best Start Metro LA On Saturday, April 24, over 1,000 residents, community-based organizations, elected officials and philanthropic leaders had a unique opportunity to join our virtual Best Start Region 1 Driving Equity and Justice Community Town Hall. Together, we unveiled the Best Start Region 1 Driving Equity and Justice Community …
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Para Los Niños Students Read to Lead!
Celebrating the power of books and the importance of literacy, Para Los Niños students in transitional kindergarten through 8th grade read a total of 53,724 minutes from March through April! April 30th marked the final day of our two-month Reading is Leading challenge. The goal of this annual challenge is for young scholars to develop …
Serving Los Angeles’ Youth
By Yesenia Capellino, Program Manager, Youth Workforce Services For the past six years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with so many Los Angeles youth through my role at Para Los Niños, Youth Workforce Services. When I first got hired at PLN in 2014, I was so excited to have the opportunity to work with …
Laura and Mildred
Laura and Mildred are first generation college students attending Los Angeles City College. They currently live in Pico Union, sharing a small home with four younger siblings and their parents. Both Youth Workforce Services (YWS) participants had struggled with the issues other students face while navigating distance learning. A crowded home, inadequate space to foster …
Looking Back at a Year of Strength, Growth, and Support
by Drew Furedi, PLN President & CEO As we reach the one year milestone since moving much of our work to a distanced and remote approach, this feels like an opportunity to reflect and remember the incredible and purposeful resilience of the entire Para Los Niños community – our staff, our families, our supporters and …
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Samantha’s Story
As incredibly challenging this year has been, our Para Los Niños students and families continue to find paths to success and hope. One of these students has been a part of the PLN family for over 14 years. Samantha started in transitional kindergarten at the Charter Elementary School in 2007, after her mom, Verónica, learned of PLN’s high-quality …
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