OFFICIAL ORGANIZATION NAME:

LAURA (Life After Uncivil Ruthless Acts)

MISSION STATEMENT:

LAURA is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of the residents of South Central Los Angeles. It works empower youth, victim-survivors and their families through civic awareness and activism, facilitating community collaboration, and helping residents get access to a wide-range of resources.

BACKGROUND:

LAURA (Life After Uncivil Ruthless Acts) was formed in memory of Laura Sanchez. Laura was murdered on March 18, 2007 while parking her family van in front of her home. She was a wonderful, beautiful, loving mother of four and friend to many. She was an only child to Irene Cruz who was murdered the same way on a Thanksgiving night while waiting for Laura and her family on her mother’s front porch on November 1998. Both innocent bystanders murdered by senseless “Drive By Shootings” in less than a decade In South Los Angeles.

LAURA was formed to provide her family and greater community a positive outlet to express their emotions. LAURA seeks to find innovative ways of transforming a cruel tragedy into a positive outcome. There are three target demographics:

• Victim-Survivors - (family, friends of murder victims)
• Youth – ages 3 -25
• Greater South Central Community members (all ages, gender and races)

LAURA works in conjunction with law enforcement, public servants, and other non-profit organizations.

How You Can Help:

Coming soon!

ABOUT THE FOUNDER:

Adela Barajas is a woman with passion and determination to bring change to the "forgotten" part of Greater Los Angeles where she grew up. After her sister-in-law Laura Sanchez was brutally murdered in 2007, she founded the organization to provide a positive outlet for her family to express their emotions. Her objective is to find innovative ways of transforming a cruel tragedy into a positive outcome.