Seven-year-old Ethan Valdez left happy and his mother, Alma, went home grateful because the little boy was one of the lucky 1,700 who received a blue backpack with school supplies for his return to school at Gates Elementary.
“This help that Councilor Eunisses Hernández gives us has been very supportive,” said the child's mother, originally from Sinaloa, Mexico, who works in a restaurant in Los Angeles.
“You see, the rent is too expensive, the food is too expensive, and the money is not enough,” said the woman.
For the third consecutive year, Councilwoman Hernández, who represents District 1 of Los Angeles, attended the school supply event in Lincoln Heights
The free celebration, with the atmosphere of a block party, transformed North Broadway into a public space where children, young people and their families had a memorable experience before the start of the new school year.
“I took advantage of the fact that they were cutting children's hair for free and brought my son,” said Ana Rodríguez, from Sonsonate, El Salvador, the mother of Alfredo Hueso-Rodríguez, five years old.
Once the work of the hairdresser David Arias was finished, mother and son lined up to receive the backpack that he will carry in his first year of elementary school at Leo Politi Elementary school, located at 2481 West 11th St. in the city of Los Angeles.
“My child is happy because he is going to go to school,” commented Ana Rodríguez, while the little one was secured by professionals to climb a wall, although he stayed halfway up the climb due to a little fear.
The delivery of backpacks is especially significant for many families, acknowledged Councilor Eunisses Hernández.
“Poverty and need do not end,” declared Hernández, to La Opinión. “Therefore, the event is not only about delivering 1,700 backpacks, but about people also receiving food to take home.”
In fact, every month, in District 1 of Los Angeles, 2,000 bags of food are distributed for the pantry, in addition to people who need it, they are supported with financial resources to pay their monthly rent.
During the event, Christian Castillo, supervisor of Seeds of Hope, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, and several volunteers filled bags with potatoes, fruits and legumes for needy families in Lincoln Heights, and all people who arrived from other areas of the city.
“Each year we deliver thousands of pounds of food to people, and we also provide gardening-based nutrition education and hands-on cooking instruction to help our friends and neighbors live healthier lives.”
According to data from the United States Census of Population and Housing, in the city of Los Angeles, between 600,000 and 650,000 residents live in poverty. The figure represents a poverty rate of about 16.5% among a total of 3,869,089 Angelenos.
“We want them to have the necessary resources to be in their homes and to have food,” Councilor Hernández stressed. “We do what we can so that they do not lack anything now that the children return to school.”
The councilor said that her heart was filled when she saw the children and their parents smile.
“In these difficult times, seeing people's joy, even for a little while, is something I will never forget,” he said.
State Assemblyman Mark González (District 54) expressed the same sentiment.
"I grew up in this neighborhood. I know what it's like to have to wait in line to get food," he said. “I know what it's like to stand in line for school supplies, and I believe no student should have to go through this, but at the end of the day, I am very grateful to Councilwoman Hernandez and my team for pooling resources to ensure students are ready on the first day of school.”
González added that, personally, it is not pleasant for him to know that parents have to decide between buying a backpack and putting food on the table, or gas in the car.
“That's what our community event was about; building a sense of belonging and ensuring that elected officials always have people's backs and making sure families are ready on day one with the necessary school supplies, because they shouldn't have to worry about that when they start school,”
The assemblyman also handed out backpacks in the Pico Union neighborhood, Koreatown, Montebello, Commerce, and other parts of his district.
Despite the intense midday heat, Josué Suárez, his wife Stephanie and their five children—Jacob (9), Stephanie (6), Mia (4), Mary (2) and Emir (2 months)—were in line to pick up three backpacks.
“The most complicated thing for me is paying the $1,800 rent,” said Josué, a native of Guatemala. “The economic situation is difficult, but one always fights to get ahead.”
“If I do well, I think I'll have to spend about $300 on school supplies for my children,” speculated Daisy Alfaro, mother of Grace (12), Lalo (11), and twins Matthew and Esmeralda (9). She, who works as an office assistant, only works for 9 months a year.
She, an office worker, and her husband Rubén, who works for a gas company, announced that they feel “lucky” because they live in rent-controlled housing and pay $2,300 a month, unlike many of their close neighbors, whose rent increases every year.
According to the school calendar, children in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) return to classes on August 12, at the beginning of the 2026-2027 school year.
