About L.A.U.R.A

Life After Uncivil Ruthless Acts - Dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of the residents in South Central Los Angeles, CA.

Our Mission

Mission Statement

L.A.U.R.A. is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of the residents of South Central Los Angeles. We accomplish this by empowering youth, victim-survivors, and their families through civic awareness; facilitating community collaboration; and bringing a wide range of resources to the community.

Our History

"The organization 'L.A.U.R.A' was formed in memory of Laura Sanchez. Laura was murdered on March 18, 2007 while parking her family van in front of her home. She was a wonderful, beautiful, loving mother of four and friend to many. She was an only child to Irene Cruz who was murdered the same way on a Thanksgiving night while waiting for Laura and her family on her mother's front porch November 1998. Both innocent bystanders murdered by senseless 'Drive By Shootings' in less than a decade In South L.A."

Our Vision

Our vision is to create a thriving, sustainable, safe, and clean community for all the residents of South Central Los Angeles. Through community collaboration, partnership development, and innovative initiatives, we hope to one day have multiple youth resource centers within in our community.

About Our Founder

Adela Barajas and seven other siblings grew up in the South Central Los Angeles area and attended local schools. When her sister-in-law, Laura, was murdered in a drive-by shooting, she was compelled to become a part of the solution. She became a community advocate and is committed to finding ways to turn such tragedies into positive outcomes for her family and community. She has become a support system for Laura's kids and other victims' survivors in her community who are dealing with the cruel tragedy of losing a loved one.

Our Strategy

Our comprehensive approach to community empowerment involves three key pillars that work together to create lasting positive change.

Civic Engagement

Leads to Public Safety:

Continue Building Law Enforcement / Community Relations
Growing Our Community Collaborative
Community Beautification
City Council Service Delivery

Attracting New Businesses
Improving Local Parks
Changing Community Infrastructure

Youth Leadership

Creating Opportunities for Youth:

Prevention & Intervention
Youth Empowerment
Youth Forums

Program Components:

Youth Employment
College Information
Expand Youth Horizons
Family Reunification
Peer-to-peer Counseling
Group Therapy

Safety Net for Victims of Crime & Survivors

* Walking along side the loved ones of murder victims

Offer Victims of Crime Assistance & Referrals:

Candle Vigils, Referrals
Funeral Assistance
Navigating The System
Transporting Out Of The Country

Support Groups:

Meetings:

Every last Thursday of each month at 4701 S. Central Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90011 6:00 pm

Youth Meetings:

5:00 pm Community Civic Engagement Weekly meetings
6:30 pm on Thursdays at Fred Roberts Recreation Center

Board of Directors

Our dedicated board members bring diverse expertise and commitment to advancing L.A.U.R.A's mission in the South Central LA community.