The Empowerment Congress West Area Neighborhood Council co-sponsored its third annual “Body and Soul Wellness” event on May 11, at South Bureau LA Fire Station 94, located at 4470 Coliseum Street in Los Angeles.
ECWA is a vehicle for stakeholders to shape the policies and decisions which affect their lives. The organization grew from the Campaign for a New Eighth District, initiated by then-Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas in 1992.
Explaining how Neighborhood Councils fit into the democratic process in city government, Councilwoman Heather Hutt, a co-sponsor of the event, said, “They’re the boots-on-the-ground. They know what’s going on in our communities, and they read our [City Council] agendas.
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“They do Community Impact Statements on various issues and bring the information into the City Council, which we take into consideration when we’re voting. They’re the voice of the people to the councilmembers and that’s how we make our determination,” she said.
There are 99 Neighborhood Councils in L.A., and each area is responsible for about 38,000 people. ECWA represents Leimert Park, Crenshaw Manor, Baldwin Hills, Village Green, Baldwin Heights, Cameo Woods, and Arlington Heights, all predominantly African American, Latino, and Asian American communities.
“Our goal is to bring information to the people and find out what the people want done in the community,” said ECWA Chairperson Gina Fields.
“The best way to do that is to get the people out and talking together, enjoying food, looking at classic cars, meeting health and wellness organizations, working with Fire Station 94, and hearing from Councilmember Heather Hutt. That’s what ECWA is here to do—to amplify the voices of the people.
“It was Mark Ridley-Thomas who established the Empowerment Congress West,” she continued.
“It was one of the first ones, and he established four of them here. Others before me took that model and grew it into the Neighborhood Council system.
“We almost felt siloed after COVID in our own little areas. So, if we can take this time to bring everybody together, it just increases our love for each other and it makes us more able to bring positive change to our communities,” she concluded.
The second Saturday in May is designated as Fire Service Day in the City of L.A. —a citywide firehouse special occasion where stations open their doors to the community to showcase what they do best.
“This is a really big day for us,” said South Bureau Deputy Chief Stephen L. Gutierrez, commander of the LAFD Training and Support Bureau.
“The fire department is taking the opportunity to get out and thank the community, and to provide an information and education forum. The theme this year is resiliency—with a focus on strengthening the connections that benefit our entire community in times of crisis, like understanding when to call and how to identify what the needs are.
“24/7, our men and women are rolling out in the street performing life rescues and saving lives,” he continued.
“So today, we’ll assimilate a life-rescue using the ‘jaws of life’ [hydraulic rescue tool] to extricate a potential victim, perform a high-rise rescue, and then perform a fire simulation using a smoke machine and equipment we use to do our jobs every day,” he added.
The free event featured community resources from City of LA, CERT, Crenshaw Manor, Black Women for Wellness, Ignited Light, and New American Funding. DJ Nosaj provided live music, J&J Soulful Steps offered line dancing, and Misha the Unicorn led yoga sessions.
Other amenities included refreshments, a children’s play area, games, raffles, light lunch and snacks, gift bags, and a classic car display from the National Low Riders’ Association, and the Watts Life Car Club.
For more information, visit www.ecwandc.org.
