Tacos Can Help End Youth Homelessness

If you are in the vicinity of at Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, August 17, 2019, you are sure to smell the delicious aroma of sizzling tacos. 

If you are in the vicinity of at Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, August 17, 2019, you are sure to smell the delicious aroma of sizzling tacos.  Your taste buds will beckon you to come closer to take part in the 2019 L.A. Taco Festival. Organized by Jovenes, Inc., a local nonprofit benefiting homeless youth, the L.A. Taco Festival is a chance to bring the city together over a well-loved food–tacos, and to support a cause we can all get behind – helping homeless youth succeed. Jovenes is a place of personal transformation for homeless youth between the ages of 18-25. Jovenes provides everything from emergency shelter to permanent housing, helping youth get off the streets and into an apartment of their own. Starting in 2009, Jovenes had an ambitious idea to bring the city together to support our youth by celebrating a food we all love, TACOS! Somehow, there wasn't a Taco Festival in Los Angeles, so Jovenes jumped on the opportunity to close off a few streets at Mariachi Plaza, showcase some of East LA's tastiest tacos, bring in some awesome bands, and create a unique experience where people can get full, have fun, and support a great cause. Now an annual event, the L.A. Taco Festival has outgrown Mariachi Plaza and moved to Grand Park in the heart of Downtown, attracting thousands of people from across L.A. The best thing is that the festival continues to support homeless youth! Jovenes is launching an innovative new program to take on the crisis of student homelessness on community college campuses in Los Angeles. With the support of the community, they work to help homeless students have the housing stability they need in order to graduate and move their lives forward! Tacos can help end youth homelessness! Everyone is invited to come out to Grand Park on Saturday, August 17, 2019, from 12 noon to 8 p.m. for good food, music, and a great cause. Proceeds go towards creating homes and communities for homeless youth. For vendor information, contact Guillermo Torres at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (323) 260-8035. For more information, visit www.latacofestival.com or www.jovenesinc.org. We're working with entities to create jobs for people. We're not just working on the policy aspect of it, but [also] helping people where they are right now. Keep LA Fabulous.’ That’s been my theme...I want [2020] to be a call to action for LA to stay fabulous... I want us to build on the strengths of our city.” It was through her work at IBM that Willoughby first became involved with the business landscape of Southern California. And it was a desire to bring solutions to some of the problems within that landscape that led Willoughby to the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. Today, as an eternal optimist, Willoughby feels good about the business and commerce indicators for Southern California. “The ports are busy. The economy is strong. Unemployment is low. The Olympic Games are coming in 2028. These are just some of the indicators that feed my optimism.” At the same time, she is not oblivious to the issues impacting the Chamber's members as well as Southern Californians at large. She has her finger on the pulse of matters like affordable housing, advocacy from a policy perspective, and homelessness. For over a decade that she has been with the Chamber, the Board has been tackling hard issues using several strategies, one of which is community collaborations, an essential pillar of the Chamber of Commerce. Partnering with organizations that have unique insight and specialized approaches has been instrumental in advancing many of the Chamber's objectives. As one who lives by the motto, “I can't solve a problem I don't know about,” and one who believes strongly in the power of outreach, Willoughby lit up like a Christmas tree when she spoke about why she loves her job at SoCalGas. “With the gas and energy sources our company supplies, we help people cook. We help people wash their clothes. Basic human needs are met as a result of what we do here. As an engineer, who knew I'd be in a position to make life better for millions of people in this way.” The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce is incredibly fortunate to have the strong and bold leadership of Denita Willoughby as our 2020 Board Chair. Throughout her career, she has shown immense leadership and a dedication for excellence that the Los Angeles region needs and deserves. This is truly an exciting time, and I'm looking forward to her partnership and support as we continue to chart the path to address some of our region's most complex problems and drive for a thriving region for all.” — Maria S. Salinas, President & CEO, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce For as much as she loves her job and loves making a difference, Willoughby lets nothing stand in the way of making sure her family knows how important they are to her. Happily married for 25 years, she and her husband are the loving parents of two young adult sons. Having a balance that puts her family first is a practice she has never compromised on. When asked about being called a woman of influence and power, her response was, “I have a responsibility as a Black woman to live up to it and deliver.” Delivering for Denita Willoughby means staying true to the core values her parents instilled in her: education, hard work, and helping others. Delivering means remembering the examples of women throughout her journey who personified influence and power—starting with her own mom, whom she calls “A real dynamo.” In the spirit of giving credit where credit is due, Willoughby acknowledges that she would not be where she is today without mentors who guided her, shared their resources, and believed in her. “Believing in someone else is so powerful,” she declares as she talks about why she enjoys supporting others in any way she can. “Ask for help” is something I tell people all the time. As for her vision and how she plans to help further shape California in 2020, she had this to say: “I love the diversity. I love the culture. I love the energy. I love the Hollywood Bowl. I love the beaches. I love the sun. It helps me be happy. California is where I met my husband. (And she smiles even harder.) So, I plan to 'Keep LA Fabulous.' That's been my theme: 'Keep LA Fabulous' by doing the things that move our city forward. I want [2020] to be a call to action for LA to stay fabulous. I want our kids educated. I want them to know the technology of artificial intelligence. I want us to include natural gas and not take away choice for energy customers. I want us to build on the strengths of our city.” Willoughby recently served as a guest lecturer at USC's Multi-Cultural Women Executive Leadership Program. On January 30, 2020, at the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce 2020 Inaugural Dinner, under the banner of their theme, "Our Bold Vision: A Thriving Region For All," she will be installed as its new Board Chair.