Keeping Leimert Park and Surrounding Communities Safe and Thriving

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Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas held a “Keep Leimert Park Safe and Thriving” event to provide COVID-19 mobile testing and 20,000 surgical masks for residents of Leimert Park and the nearby Crenshaw District, Hyde Park and Jefferson Park, which have collectively seen about 1,800 COVID-19 infections and about 75 deaths during the pandemic.

The Supervisor partneried with local nonprofit organizations and businesses to distribute free masks during the event, which will be held at the center of African American culture in Los Angeles

“Leimert Park enriches the cultural fabric of Los Angeles County and, with COVID-19 continuing to exact a particularly heavy toll on African Americans, we must not become complacent in our efforts to protect those who live and work in this historic community, which is a future stop on Metro’s Crenshaw LAX Line,” Supervisor Ridley-Thomas said.

“We stand with Supervisor Ridley-Thomas to ensure that the residents of Leimert Park and South LA in general have the appropriate resources to stop the spread of COVID-19. He has been front and center from day one to curb the tide of this dreadful pandemic,” added Robert Sausedo, President and CEO of Community Build, which is dedicated to the revitalization of South Los Angeles communities through investment in youth and commercial economic development.

“As a longtime resident of the Crenshaw Community, I would like to thank Supervisor Ridley Thomas and our many local partners for their efforts to Keep Leimert Park Safe and Thriving,” said Manal J. Aboelata, MPH, Deputy Executive Director of the Prevention Institute, a nonprofit whose mission is to build prevention and health equity into key policies and actions at the federal, state, local, and organizational level to ensure that the places where all people live, work, play and learn foster health, safety and wellbeing. “Having access to free masks and testing during COVID-19 and the flu season is critical so that all of us can more safely navigate our neighborhoods, support local businesses, and keep our families healthy,” she added.

Over the last several months, Supervisor Ridley-Thomas has been working with Operation USA (OpUSA), Servicon and Moldex to distribute 150,000 masks throughout LA County’s Second District. The masks have been distributed to thousands of local residents, as well as essential workers such as medical staff, firefighters, homeless services providers, grocery store workers, public defenders and skilled nursing home staff.

“We are so pleased to join Supervisor Ridley-Thomas and community partners in distributing masks to our undeserved neighbors and those most in need,” said Servicon Chairman Michael Mahdesian, who also chairs OpUSA.

“We are delighted that LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas has focused on protecting the public from the spread of COVID-19 by distributing masks to vulnerable and underserved communities,” added Richard Walden, President and CEO of OpUSA. “We rely on partners who implement sound public health approaches to extend our reach into communities where help — both in kind material aid and cash grants — is most needed, and so we’re grateful to Supervisor Ridley-Thomas and Servicon Systems for their commitment to distributing supplies across Los Angeles.”