This Hispanic Heritage Month, we are featuring partner organizations that serve the Latino community, not only by providing food assistance today but also by working to build brighter futures for their communities. One such partner is Latin American Youth Center (LAYC), a regional nonprofit serving youth and families in Washington DC, and Maryland’s Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. For more than 50 years, LAYC has been dedicated to supporting youth as they transition into successful adulthood, offering a wide range of programs that go beyond basic needs.
Founded in the Columbia Heights neighborhood in response to a growing immigrant population, LAYC now serves a diverse community of young people, ages 6 to 24. Their services include mental health support, workforce programs, academic tutoring, housing and more. Each of these programs is designed to empower youth to overcome challenges and thrive. Although the center serves youth from all backgrounds, more than half of their participants identify as Latino.
Recognizing the increased demand for food support during the pandemic, LAYC partnered with The Capital Area Food Bank to open a permanent food pantry in 2021. Today, the pantry provides food to any youth in need, with bags of groceries prepared at their DC building. Staff from various programs identify those in need and can access the pantry’s grab-and-go system at any time. During the holiday season, LAYC also runs larger food distributions, which have grown to serve more than 900 families during November and December.
Not only has the food bank supported the pantry through sourcing food, it also has provided grants that enabled the purchase of a refrigerator that allowed for distributing more fresh fruits and vegetables. “Our partnership with Capital Area Food Bank is important to the work we do at LAYC which is providing support to the community,” says Flordelisa Perez Dolan, Chief Development and Communications Officer. “Access to nutritious food is the foundation for our youth and families to thrive. By addressing food insecurity, we’re also empowering young people to focus on their growth, eating nutritious food, and learning life skills such as cooking.”
To ensure their services reflect the needs of the community, the pantry stocks culturally appropriate foods, such as masa harina, a corn flour used in many Latin American dishes, based on client requests. In addition to their year-round efforts, LAYC celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with activities like a potluck and a parade of flags, fostering a deeper connection between youth and their heritage.
Beyond food distribution, the center’s Food and Nutrition Program also engages youth through hands-on cooking, nutrition, and gardening classes. Youth in the after-school arts and leadership program participate in 10-week cooking courses that combine nutrition education— such as the importance of fruits and vegetables—with cooking skills. Meanwhile, classes for younger children (6-12) at the Rita Bright Family and Youth Center encourage them to try new ingredients and explore foods through their senses. The program also offers drop-in cooking classes to youth with unstable housing, teaching them how to make meals with limited resources. Through these programs, children and teens are also introduced to broader food-justice issues, encouraging them to work toward positive change through community advocacy.
LAYC caters to immediate needs and empowers youth with the tools and skills they need to succeed — a great example of how good food today can support brighter futures tomorrow.
