Across Southern California, the Weingart Foundation invests in powerful ecosystems of grassroots organizations advancing racial, social, and economic justice. These ecosystems are essential because movements do not thrive in isolation, they are sustained by trust, care, and collective leadership. As an active member of coalitions like Immigrants Are LA and We Are California, Somos Familia Valle (SFV) is a vital part of this fabric. Over the last decade, the organization has built something urgently needed: a community rooted in love, justice, and inclusion. Their work sits at the intersection of immigrant justice and LGBTQ+ liberation, offering a bold model of what is possible when communities lead with vision, courage, and deep commitment to one another.
In 2024, SFV opened the first LGBTQ+ Community Center in the San Fernando Valley—a milestone born from years of grassroots power-building. More than a physical space, the center is a sanctuary for LGBTQ+ immigrants and families who often overlooked, erased, or excluded. In a time of escalating attacks, political scapegoating, and deepening fear, SFV offers a vision of hope and a place where people can show up fully and unapologetically as themselves.
Today, that intersectional vision lives on through the center’s vital programs: digital literacy classes, support groups, civic engagement campaigns, and healing spaces like vogue, yoga, and poetry. These offerings do more than provide services; they create the conditions for people to heal, grow, and thrive.
One community member’s journey shows how healing begins when people are seen, supported, and surrounded by care. When he first joined the men’s support group, he was struggling with addiction and isolation. Through SFV, he gained access to health insurance, found community, and received the support he needed to come out to his family. Today, seven months sober, Ire is one of the center’s most active volunteers helping others find the same sense of stability and belonging that transformed his life.
“His story embodies what our mission is: to liberate people and help them feel included. We see this transformative change where community really does support somebody,” added Kevin Al Perez, President of SFV.
Sitting at a critical intersection of immigrant rights and LGBTQ+ liberation, SFV has become a trusted resource hub in times of crisis. During the recent immigration raids, the team distributed know-your-rights door-hanger guides and hosted workshops to help families prepare for possible ICE encounters. Their leadership is a reminder of the critical role grassroots organizations play as frontline responders meeting urgent needs as they arise.
“We’ve been able to host know your rights workshop where a lot of community members and allies were able to learn how they could support and show up for our immigrant community members. We’ve become a resource hub for the east valley,” shared Kevin.
The center is also a cultural anchor. Its Queer Writers Festival celebrates expression as liberation, honoring the lives of those lost to violence—like Linda Becerra Moran, a trans Latina and San Fernando Valley resident fatally shot by police, and Jonathan Joss, a voiceover actor targeted and murdered because of his queer identity. By naming and remembering them, the center affirms that visibility is power, and that cultural expression is both healing and a declaration that our stories, people and futures matter.
“Trans folks like Linda Becerra Moran are who we need to center because they’re in so many intersections. Nobody wants to talk about a trans Latina undocumented sex worker, but she did have value in our community, here in the valley. We want to make sure all of our stories are seen. It connects back to family acceptance and building community and safe spaces,” said Kevin.
That same spirit of visibility and connection extends beyond the LGBTQ+ community. SFV’s programs welcome the broader community, creating space for shared understanding, dialogue, and growth. At a recent digital skills and digital equity advocacy training, participants came for tech support and left with a deeper appreciation for the center’s mission.
At Weingart Foundation, we are proud to support SFV because they remind us that liberation is collective. When we invest in places where people feel seen, supported, and connected, we help build a future where every family regardless of who they are or where they come from has the power to thrive.