Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcy Palos
Hi Marcy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
RestoreLA-CDC emerged from the challenging times of the lockdown, we saw the immense need in our communities and knew that we had to step up and serve on a greater scale. We recognized that the pandemic had disproportionately affected communities of color, exacerbating existing disparities and inequalities. We believe that in times of crisis, we must come together to support the most vulnerable among us. We believe in order to close the wealth gap in communities of color ownership and education needs to occur. RestoreLA-CDC became an Ecomonic Development nonprofit with a focus on financial literacy, affordable housing and small business support.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Launching and Building RestoreLA-CDC has been a journey to say the least. Even though our organization came out of a ministry that has been an anchor in the Latino Faith Community for over three decades, our CDC still needed to stand on its own two feet. We had the community and the trust of our community, but we needed to deliver on services. With little to no resouces the first year, we launched with a mission and that was to take our Latino communities from surviving to thriving by brining in free resouces. Since then, our funding has increaed yearly, and RestoreLA-CDC has been able to educate, support and assit Latino LMI families in the affordable housing space and also support them in building their small businesses.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Marcy Palos is the Co-founder and CEO of RestoreLA-CDC. Before launching the organization, Marcy graduated from Cal State Dominguez Hills and worked in full-time ministry as the Children’s Director in South Los Angeles. In 2016, she earned her real estate license, where she observed the significant challenges communities of color faced in building wealth. These disparities were further exacerbated by the pandemic, compelling Marcy to take action. In response, she co-founded RestoreLA-CDC in partnership with RLA Church to address these inequities and empower underserved communities.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Building an organization from the ground up requires unwavering focus on your mission. You have to know why you’re doing what you’re doing and let that purpose guide every decision. Secondly, be tenacious. There will be moments when the challenges seem insurmountable, but it’s your persistence that will see you through. Lastly, have the drive to keep moving forward, even when others don’t understand your vision. Not everyone will see the importance of the work you’re doing, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing. Stay true to your mission, stay relentless, and never lose sight of why you started.
Pricing:
- RestoreLA-CDC is ran 100% off donations
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.restorelacdc.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/restorela.cdc?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/restorelacdc
