A few weeks ago, Urban Partners LA, a nonprofit serving food and assistance to the Los Angeles community, posted a photo of the volunteer-group holding a colorful drawing. A message in the drawing read "frontline workers and volunteers lift up communities and help save lives." It was a picture, drawn by 2 girls, that illustrated how these group of volunteers were not just volunteers but also a group of heroes and family. Learning more about this photo, the photo contained a moving story about heroes and a family that goes beyond sharing the same blood or last names.
The workers of UPLA has been providing food to the Los Angeles community every Saturday in First Unitarian Church, located in the middle of Koreatown. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization has not only become a necessity for many families but also a central part of the community. Volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic may not have been an easy choice for many of these workers. Although many have found other ways to contribute to those in need during this time, frontline workers were in extreme need to distribute food to the community. Perhaps it was this kind of heart and bravery that inspired Hazel (10) and Violet (7) to draw this picture.
Violet and Hazel are the daughters of Doug, who is also a regular volunteer. He stated that he and his wife, Laurel, are incredibly proud and lucky to be the parents of the girls that drew this picture.
The drawing was based on a photo the UPLA crew took back in July 18, 2020. The picture was taken to comemorate their record for serving over 1500 people at their food bank on a single Saturday. In order to make it extra special and memorable, Doug's daughters created a special surprise for the workers.
Little did Doug know, the UPLA broke the record the following week with over 1700 served. However, this did not matter to Doug, as any picture from any Saturday always showed the "party" and "good vibes" happening within the crew. Doug added more to the story of this beautiful drawing, and the story was a lot more inspiring than expected.
How did you first feel when you first saw this picture that your children drew? What was your response?
"Seeing the finished art made me feel thankful in a way that’s hard to describe here. It was a combination of joy, hope, pride and excitement. Maybe elated is the best word for it."
What does the Urban Partners LA community mean to you and your family?
"On a personal level, it means the world to me. It brings me a type of sanity that’s hard to articulate here. Maybe it’s the only kind of sanity available at the moment, as we’re all living through some insane times. The only thing that seems sane and rational to me -and this might apply to so many of my friends, allies and fellow activists- is to find ways to somehow fight back against the insanity.
Getting the chance to stand side by side together with them in various ways - but especially in distributing food at UPLA - transforms me week in and week out. It transforms my relationships with my family in countless positive ways as well. It gives my wife and I the chance to have valuable conversations with our girls.
I think those conversations bring sanity for our girls at times too, helping them to process everything that’s been happening of late. It’s probably fair to say that doing the work also transforms the energy within our larger group as well, making UPLA feel like one big, multicultural family. All of it equates to a thankfulness that’s challenging to put into words, but easy to see in the photos and videos of us together."
What would you say are the top reasons you feel like it is important for your kids to experience this type of work and community?
"I think everyone who puts in time at UPLA provides an awesome example for our girls. When they look at the photos and ask questions about them, I think they’re often imagining themselves as grown women out there doing the same thing. That means so much to me as a parent. UPLA also provides them with a positive sense of the outside world -maybe it’s a feeling of security- that’s really valuable for them right now. The world is a big, scary place at the moment for kids. In so many ways though, it’s always been that way. We’ve had tent encampments on the street where we live since before they were born. Having conversations about those tents for as long as they can remember has helped shape their sense of empathy.
Talking about UPLA has had similar effect, while also providing an elixir to some of their fears. Seeing a brave community take on our larger societal problems with guts and authority is something priceless in that respect. Having Trinity as our fearless, girl boss leader circles it all back to having powerful examples for our girls. I’ll forever be grateful to her and everyone else at UPLA for their courage. They’ve helped us to have the same type of courage as a family."
The picture is a testimony to the positive impact the volunteers had on your kids. Any stories that happened between your family and other volunteers that you could share with the readers?
"Beyond getting to know our volunteers, what really spurred them to create the art was probably the story of Trinity’s (The Executive Director of UPLA) accident. It was a massive shock at the time. She was missing for awhile at UPLA. I learned on a Saturday soon after that it was because she’d slipped and plummeted 72 feet off a cliff. She was airlifted to a hospital and the word was she might be paralyzed. When I came home from the food bank that Saturday, I dumped my clothes in the bin and showered as usual. I put some fresh clothes on, sat down on the couch and my girls came over to give me hugs. With them in my arms, I started crying. I couldn’t even explain myself. It was just one more hit to take at that point, so I guess I broke down. My wife came over to us. Soon, we were all getting emotional together. In those moments, Trinity was both of my little girls. She was my wife, my Mom, all the other volunteers that work with us and me as well. She could’ve been any of us, really. It sounds crazy, but something about that interaction connected my wife and our girls to UPLA in a strange way.
The girls started a little get well soon card for Trinity that was ditched in favor of a giant portrait. It was their first try, but it was made with a lot of love and light. It was based on the Rad American Women books, with ‘T is for Trinity’ written at the top. It ended up being the first of five portraits of various volunteers, and it culminated in the big group art pic visible above. The girls are still at work on more, even as I’ve been writing this."
What would you say are the top reasons why the UPLA crew was able to become such a positive influence for your daughters?
"I think it’s the collective bravery of our volunteer pool, as well as their kindness and generosity of spirit. Their willingness to step up when they were so desperately needed. And maybe just all the radiant positivity UPLA creates, which is felt within the group as well as outside of it. Even our girls can feel the positive vibes somehow, which still seems amazing to me."
Any words you have for community workers, volunteers, frontline heroes everywhere on behalf of your wonderful family?
I’ve written so much already, so I’ll end with the words we decided on for Hazel and Violet to ink into the art, cause it says it all:
“FRONTLINE WORKERS + VOLUNTEERS lift up communities and HELP SAVE LIVES!”
“YOU are the HEART of everything we do - everything that is possible because we are all connected. The HOPE that you bring with all that you give and do matters to so many. Thank you for all that you DO!”
Doug's daughters started drawing pictures for others in order to uplift a member of their community that had gotten into an unfortunate accident, and now those same hands also drew a picture to uplift an entire crew. Director of UPLA Trinity Tran says that the picture was an incredible gift to the entire team.
"We were absolutely touched to see Hazel and Violet’s colorful, heartfelt, drawing of our volunteers. This piece of art was a truly beautiful way to memorialize the team’s accomplishments throughout the past year of the pandemic. As a volunteer-driven organization, we’re grateful for the countless hours that so many community members have put into feeding thousands of families in need, and we’re thankful for Doug's incredible guiding hand as a father and dedicated volunteer," says Tran.
A picture that seemed to illustrate the gratefulness of two young girls for a volunteer group now means way more than that. It shows that they are also heroes of Los Angeles that not only serve the community but also bring positive impact to children. The good that we do transcends the immediate help because it also serves as an examplary lifestyle for the future generation. Through Doug's story, it is also clear that these heroes have not just become a crew but a family that celebrates, cries and empowers one another through all the ups and downs.
To learn more about Urban Partners Los Angeles, visit urbanpartnersla.org or follow them at @UrbanPartnersLA
