South Central Lamp

South Central Los Angeles Ministry Project (SC LAMP) was founded in response to the 1992 civil unrest in Los Angeles by a collaboration of eight congregations of Catholic women religious. They walked through the devastated neighborhood and asked how they could better support the community and its families. In response, the Sisters heard a strong desire from mothers to enhance their parenting skills, improve their English literacy, and prepare their children for school and later success in life. In dialogue with the local community, the founders developed family-centered programming that has grown to include: English as a Second Language (ESL) courses; parenting classes; early childhood education programs and other initiatives that support family needs in the community—all at no cost to the families.