January 21, 2022

Diana Pinto – Executive Director, South Central Los Angeles Ministry Project (SC LAMP)

SC LAMP is a co-sponsored ministry of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.

As the Executive Director for South Central LAMP, most of my time is spent working on day-to-day operational tasks. But as is the case for most of us who work in the community, the real joy of our work is in direct services.

Not long ago, I had the opportunity to lead a workshop on children’s development for the moms we serve. After the workshop, a few mothers came to talk to me about their children. Some of the moms cried, worried that their children weren’t developing as they should be.

As a mother of a 17-year-old child who is on the spectrum, I know the pain of not knowing how to help your child when challenges arise. But I recognize that, unlike the mothers I serve, I have resources that are not available to them. I can easily do research on the Internet. I speak English and can communicate easily with my child’s teachers and doctors. For the mothers we serve, this is not the case.

For many, South Central LAMP is the first place our mothers learn about their children’s development or challenges. South Central LAMP is where they learn the language that will help them communicate with their children’s doctors, and most importantly, learn how to advocate for their sons and daughters. What a radical thought, that as mothers, we know best and can advocate for our children! This idea is not always taught to the women in our community. It is one of the reasons I feel so privileged to be part of South Central LAMP. I know the work we do not only empowers women, but it empowers mothers. When we invest in mothers, we invest in children, and strong mothers foster strong children. Additionally, the benefits of strong mothers extend to the entire family, and healthy families build healthy communities. And after all, it is healthy communities that really transform our world.