For more than 30 years, Mar Vista Family Center (MVFC) has worked to help children, youth, parents, and community members build the confidence and skills essential to advocate for themselves, their families, and their communities. MVFC’s programs emphasize leadership and responsibility, providing assistance to our families and community members in organizing and preparing to take action. MVFC is committed to helping our families find their voice and use it to create change in their community.

Building Skills

Advocacy and leadership training are woven through every level of the Shared Responsibility Curriculum Model. Children participate in community cleanups and other events where they form a deep connection to their community and learn to take responsibility and ownership for improving it. Young people build communication and leadership skills in the By Youth for Youth (BYFY) Program by participating in elections for the BYFY Board. Parents and caregivers learn about specific issues facing their children and communities and discuss ways to address them during the By Parents for Parents annual conference.

Creating Access

MVFC holds monthly open-community meetings which provide a forum for community members to raise concerns regarding their families, their community, and larger policy issues and to collaborate and share resources with other leaders and groups to address these concerns. These meetings also regularly host representatives from the Mayor’s office, Los Angeles City Council, LAPD, LAFD, environmental groups, corporations, and educational institutions — giving community members direct access to policy-makers and other stakeholders.