Working in the heat of a summer day in the San Fernando Valley, volunteers filled coolers with cold bottled water and assembled packages to distribute to local street vendors in Panorama City and the West Valley on Saturday. Las Calles Del Valle started as a concept between friends wanting to help their immediate neighbors, but has since morphed into a movement to serve as a support system for vendors in streets of the San Fernando Valley. The organization, which was established in late July, works to raise awareness about the harassment and hazards street vendors face against disrespectful patrons, racial discrimination and the language barrier which prevents them from defending themselves during confrontations with the authority. Las Calles Del Valle poses for a group photo at Devonwood Park before distributing the packages around the San Fernando Valley, on Aug. 22. ( “We aim to educate our community on street vendors and how much work it takes to start a small business, we want to be their voice,” said Sebastian Araujo, a law student at UCLA and organizer for Las Calles Del Valle. “Community organizing can lead to big change.” “This might be scary stuff for them because I know […]
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