On Saturday, August 20, the Echo Park Immigration Center (EPIC) held our first annual Raices Gala to honor leaders of our immigrant justice movement and to raise $25k. The Raices Gala took place at the Pico House in DTLA from 3pm to 6pm. During this time we celebrated the work that EPIC has done over the last year and honored three important leaders in the immigrantion justice movement in Los Angeles; Canon Lydia Lopez, Deaconess Jeanne Roe Smith and Guillermo Torres.

Unfortunately, Canon Lydia Lopez was not able to attend the Gala in person. CLICK HERE for a video of Canon Lydia Lopez receiving the very first first EPIC Canon Lydia Lopez Award. We showed this video during the Gala. Deaconess Jeanne Roe Smith and Guillermo Torres were also presented the Canon Lydia Lopez Award for their significant service building beloved community with our immigrant community in Los Angeles.

During the Gala we were able to raise close to $14k of our $25k goal to sustain the important work that EPIC Is doing as it is in the process of incorporating into its own 501(c)(3).

Echo Park UMC is the current fiscal sponsor and mother organization of EPIC.

You can still contribute a tax-deductible donation toward the EPIC GALA to help us reach our goal of raising $25k to expand our community work.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE VIA PAYPAL (please select “Raíces Gala – EPIC ” in the giving box)

OR

Checks can be mailed to Echo Park United Methodist Church (1226 N Alvarado St, Los Angeles, CA 90026). Please write “Raíces Gala – EPIC” in the memo line.

The Echo Park Immigration Center (EPIC), launched in 2021, is a faith collective that provides resources and mentoring for immigrant youth and their families.  Through support from our EPIC community, the center now serves over 60 families in need through workshops, mentoring, educational trips, providing school supplies and emergency relief. Additional resources that EPIC provides include legal consultations with attorneys at no cost, accompaniment to ICE check ins and court hearings, housing referrals. With rising costs and limited affordable housing in Los Angeles, immigrant youth struggle more than ever as they seek a better future for themselves and their families. The EPIC Raices Gala celebrated the work of a community dedicated to providing a safety net for our immigrant community.