Legacy LA

Legacy LA's mission is to make positive interventions in the lives of young people by offering alternatives to gangs and violence. Legacy LA builds the capacity of youth to reach their full potential and equips them with tools to transform their lives and community. Legacy LA focuses on Leadership Development through our Dream Big Youth Council Program that leads four community campaign initiatives including: Invest in Youth, Anti-Gentrification, Addressing Root Causes of Substance Use Disorder, as well as Environmental Justice. We support our youth holistically by also offering Academic, Case Management, Job/ Internship Readiness and Career Opportunities, and Mental Health Mindfulness and 1 on 1 therapy to youth ages 10-25 years old.

Founded in 2007 by former Ramona Gardens neighborhood resident Maria "Lou" Calanche, and now run by Alumni Lucy Herrera; Legacy LA addresses the impact of multi-generational gang violence and low educational attainment in Ramona Gardens in Boyle Heights and surrounding neighborhoods in the City of Los Angeles. Built in 1941, Ramona Gardens is one of the City's oldest public housing developments and is home to approximately 2,000 residents - primarily Latino - in 498 units of affordable housing for very low-income families.