Two days before he was to celebrate Christmas with his two young daughters, Tyshaun Turner, an alumnus of Latin American Youth Center’s River Corps program, was murdered shortly after coming home from his job with New Columbia Solar. River Corps staff, graduates, and I learned about Tyshaun’s passing later that night. His death, the 163rd…
This holiday season, we are sharing inspiring stories of young people who have drawn upon their own resiliency and inner strength to achieve remarkable academic and personal goals. The milestones they have reached are so significant they are altering the course for the next generation of youth . With your support , LAYC youth have found belonging, dignity, and hope , all…
The wind cuts through the crisp air, as over a hundred community members are wrapped around the LAYC/Maryland Multicultural Youth Centers office in Riverdale. Families are chatting with each other and waiting for the monthly food distribution to begin. The food bank delivery truck arrives, and volunteers spring into action unloading over 6,000 pounds of…
Judith Nowak was boarding a flight to the U.K. As she got situated in her seat, she peered over to the seat next to hers. An elegant pair of dress shoes on the feet of her seatmate caught her attention. Those shoes belonged to Esra Bennathan. The two introduced themselves and continued to chat for…
We are pleased to announce that the Sylarn Foundation of Upper Michigan recently committed to supporting our work after hearing about LAYC from a Washington DC resident. The Sylarn Foundation contribution helped make possible scholarships for the writers of Voces Sin Fronteras. The graphic memoir capturing the stories of their own personal immigration stories was…
When Jada came to LAYC as a high school senior, she was working two jobs and focused on being a parent to three younger siblings. She had no parental support, faced many difficulties at school, had low self-esteem, and felt hopeless and defeated. “I didn’t want to live. I felt defeated. I was done. I…
