OUR ACHIEVEMENTS

We have established ourselves as a longstanding community organization in East Los Angeles with a commitment to healing Latinas and their families. We provide an average of 25 events annually serving approximately 600 participants and over 1,200 hours of programming. These include holistic healing fairs, conferences, wellness and art workshops and exhibitions, transformative circles, artist performances, marketplaces, and legacy work such as our book “Mujeres de Maiz en Movimiento,” (University of Arizona Press, 2024).

Studies share Latinas experiencing more depression than their counterparts are associated with higher levels of acculturation [6]. Our successful re-culturation approach is evidenced by many partnerships, collaborations, grants, and dozens of conversations, testimonies, and studies. We have connected with creatives, health professionals, and educators and worked in reciprocity with hundreds of community-based organizations including Proyecto Pastoral, Self Help Graphics & Art, and state agencies including the LA County Office of Violence Prevention and Youth Development, and dozens of schools and universities.   

Our evaluations are always overwhelmingly positive, stating 90% of participants note the event inspired them to take care of their wellbeing [2, 3] while 99% state our programming makes them want to learn more about health and wellness [1]. A case study by Dr. Nadia Zepeda finds MdM circles provide “women who participate.. the grounding they need to heal…teach(ing) each other ways to cope with what they are dealing with” [4]. Dr. Norell Martinez writes, “MdM (zines) assist in the healing process for both the women who are published and the community” [5].

Participants frequently highlight the transformative power of our programs. Our evaluations shared, “I feel like this was an immensely beneficial event to heal our community” Another noted, “I enjoyed learning how to deepen my practice of decolonizing my body through products and foods… very inclusive and informative.” Others reflected, “I have been feeling so overwhelmed lately and needed this. I learned so much and reconnected with myself,” and “...[this] learning experience empowers me to continue improving my health”

In addition, we have academic research written by and about us including case studies and articles showcased in our book “Mujeres en Movimiento,” chronicling our collective interdisciplinary work. Complementing this, the testimonies shared during our book tour have offered invaluable feedback into the real-life impact of our work on participants and the community, giving us insight on how to continue, improve, and build programming. 

The success of our model can also be evaluated by the other groups that have adopted similar models amplifying the reach and sustainability of our vision, mission, and results.