Lidia Lozano and her four children were happy while receiving school supplies from volunteers and LA Galaxy players.

The mother emphasized that it is a great help for her family because they are going through difficult times due to the raids that have impacted the work of her husband and children.

It kind of hit the 8-year-old harder, Lozano said. If his dad doesn't get home quickly [from work], he's already thinking something bad.

The annual back-to-school event for A Place Called Home, a youth and community center serving South Central Los Angeles, took place Friday, where more than 1,500 backpacks filled with essential school supplies were distributed to students in need in South Los Angeles.

Community events like this are vital in supporting our youth and their families, said Gilbert Radillo, senior director of engagement at A Place Called Home. “The continued generosity of Herbalife and the LA Galaxy allows us to provide essential school supplies to the youth at A Place Called Home and throughout South LA so they can thrive academically and socially in the upcoming school year.”

Herbalife volunteers and LA Galaxy players, including midfielders Riqui Puig and Edwin Cerrillo, goalkeeper John McCarthy, and forward Tucker Lepley, teamed up to distribute backpacks filled with items such as books, colored pencils, rulers, notebooks, calculators, and pens.

Cerillo shared that he was grateful to be able to help the community as he was previously on the other side of the table receiving assistance.

It puts a lot of things into perspective because I was on that side once, so I know how it feels, and to be on this side now... and to put a smile on people's faces is what's important, the soccer player said.

Samantha Holway, vice president of regional sales and business development at Herbalife, shared that it's so nice to see kids light up when they see the LA Galaxy players and as a Los Angeles-based company, she says it's incredibly important to serve the community.

This event represents Herbalife's commitment to empowering communities by removing barriers to education and wellness, said Holway. We are proud to partner with the LA Galaxy and A Place Called Home to help ensure students and their families start the school year prepared and confident.>

The backpack distribution was made possible through the Joint Community Partnership Fund, a collaborative initiative between Herbalife and the LA Galaxy dedicated to supporting underserved communities through education, nutrition, wellness and sports programs.

Additionally, the fund supports initiatives such as school supply drives, youth soccer field development, garden-based nutrition education, and the LA Galaxy's unified Special Olympics team.

Gabriel Osollo, director of community and foundation relations for the LA Galaxy, emphasized that it was an honor to support the children and families of South Los Angeles alongside Herbalife and A Place Called Home.

"The goal today is for the kids to leave without having to go to the store to buy anything, and that's a big deal for the Galaxy because I know we were champions on the field last year, but we pride ourselves on community, and without community, we're nothing," Osollo said.

In addition to the on-site celebration, more than 700 backpacks were previously delivered to APCH members and are also being distributed to hundreds of additional children and families in need through APCH's network of partner organizations in South Los Angeles.

Mónica Polanco attended the event with her two daughters and felt it was a joyful moment to receive the school supplies since the immigration raids have caused sadness, anxiety, and uncertainty in the Latino community in Los Angeles.

It's inevitable that they'll hear or see the situation, so they're a little afraid to attend classes, but they're promising us that there will be a lot of security for them in the schools, Polanco said. Because the truth is, yes, it's very scary, and most of us parents are thinking it's better to do it at home, but the confinement would also be very frustrating for our children.

However, the Latina mother was delighted with the support her family received, which will encourage her daughters to study and prepare for school.

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