Blog: This Cinco de Mayo, Party for the Children

I’m so happy to be writing for Patch, a great hyper-local news outlet that does a lot to knit together L.A.’s complex fabric of diverse neighborhoods and communities.  Some of these neighborhoods, while rich in culture and community, are poor in material resources and for 32 years, Para Los Niños has served the children and families who live in poor neighborhoods like Skid Row and Temple Beaudry.

In these dark corners of our own backyard, children suffer from abuse, hunger, neglect and poor educational options. On Skid Row, conditions are as bad today as when we started. Yet recent increases in the homeless population and decreases in public funding make it harder than ever for us to help these children.  

Children like five-year-old Edwin Aguirre. Both parents work full-time, yet they cannot afford to meet Edwin’s basic needs.  The family of five lives in a studio apartment on a dangerous street corner.  But thanks to Para Los Niños, Edwin and his family now receive early education, therapy and parenting classes. Without this support the chances of the Aguirre family finding a path out of poverty are extremely low. 

But just as the Aguirre family cannot do it alone, neither can Para Los Niños.  This Friday, May 4, we will hold our annual Cinco de Mayo fundraising event at one of L.A.’s best-kept secrets, the Gilmore Adobe at the Original Farmers’ Market.  This sophisticated party draws support from corporations, foundations and individuals who help ensure that Edwin can one day realize his full potential.

Where else can you have such a great time for such a terrific cause?  I hope you’ll join us in taking a stand for Edwin and all the other boys and girls who deserve a better life than the one dictated by their impoverished circumstances.

Event Details:

Name:                 El Gran Baile de Cinco

Website:             cinco.paralosninos.org

When:                 Friday May 4, 6:30pm to midnight

Where:                Private location at The Original Farmer’s Market

                          6301 W. 3rd St. LA, CA 90036

About Para Los Niños

Para Los Niños is a nationally accredited, L.A.-based nonprofit charter school operator and social services agency aimed at closing the achievement gap created by poverty. Our mission is to help children and their families succeed in school and in life.