Hundreds Attend East Los Angeles College Panel Discussion Titled “The Connection Between Domestic Violence & Homelessness”

East Los Angeles (CA) –On Tuesday, December 3, 2019, East Los Angeles College (ELAC) during the global day of giving, known as “Giving Tuesday,” hosted a panel discussion titled: “The Connection Between Domestic Violence & Homelessness.

The panel consisted of CA State Senator Susan Rubio, Andra Hoffman, President Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees, Dr. Raúl Rodríguez, Interim President, East Los Angeles College, Barbara Kappos, Executive Director of East Los Angeles Women’s Center, Cecilia Cruz, ELAC Student Health Center Coordinator and TLC Coordinator, and Andrea Marchetti, Executive Director of Jovenes Inc.

“My visit to my alma mater, East Los Angeles College, was informative and heartbreaking. I spoke on a panel about domestic violence and homelessness. This is a crisis. In Los Angeles County alone, nearly 40% of the homeless population have experienced domestic violence. We must and will do better in protecting our most vulnerable residents,” said Susan Rubio, CA State Senator.

“I was honored to be able to participate in today’s panel with an esteemed group of experts & elected officials. 63% of community college students are experiencing food or housing insecurity. We don’t always know the reasons, but we do know that students who are victims of domestic violence can also experience. I am proud to homelessness. Thanks to the ELAC Foundation it its donors for steeping up to create awareness & help to solve this crisis,” said Andra Hoffman, President Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees.

“Domestic Violence & Homelessness are serious issues that unfortunately some of our students have to face. Our amazing staff in the Student Health Center and our partnerships with organizations like the East Los Angeles Women’s Center help to provide these students with the help and resources they need, “said ELAC Interim President Dr. Raul Rodriguez.

According to an L.A. Times, article “1 in 5 L.A. community college students is homeless.” There are many reasons our students lack fixed, regular, and adequate housing, including parental conflict, family separation, exiting foster care, neglect, or abuse. Most recently, the Transforming Lives Campaign (TLC) assisted students who were displaced due to domestic violence issues. These students are veterans who bravely served our nation; single parents trying to raise their child/children while attending college; foster youth facing challenges that make it difficult and sometimes impossible to consider college education; and Dreamers pursuing the “American Dream” of becoming the first in their families to be college graduates.

The purpose of the event was to raise awareness of the significant challenges many of our students are facing far beyond the cost of textbooks or tuition, challenges like hunger and homelessness and its connection to domestic violence.  The TLC Committee organized the event.