Celebrate a Mother by Empowering Another
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When You Help a Mom, You Help a Child
Make a donation to El Nido Family Centers in honor of the women who mean the most in your life. Our mothers are our nurturers, our protectors, our teachers, and our providers. Yet many women from families with a history of abuse and neglect struggle to become role models for their children. Founded in 1925, El Nido Family Centers depends upon your generosity to provide support and education to thousands of expectant and new mothers each year. Your donation gives:
- Counseling for children, youth and parents traumatized by abuse
- A critical safety net for an impoverished single mother and her child
- A chance to break the cycle of poverty through home visitation, parenting classes, and a community that cares
- Mental health support for victims of human trafficking
"All of my goals have been accomplished, because as a teen parent, El Nido Family Centers taught me how to set boundaries for myself, how to be a great mother, how to apply for a job, and how to give back to my community," Zuly Quezada, Masters of Social Work, mother of two, including a daughter completing her bachelor's degree.
By donating to El Nido you can help women across Los Angeles become the best mothers they can be.
To make a donation in someone's name, let us know by filling out the Donate page. Please remember to include the email address of your honoree.
El Nido will send an electronic card to your honoree to let them know of your
generous gift. We will also send you an email confirmation when the
e-card has been sent.
For information call Laura Zinkan at
818.830.3646 for assistance.
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| "It does not matter how much broccoli you eat, you must love yourself first." |
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Making Moms and Families Healthier and Happier
Luz Avila-Kyncl, MSW, CHC
As Mothers' Day approaches, we highlight the work of one of our favorite mothers, Luz Avila-Kyncl. In addition to serving on El Nido's Board of Directors, Luz is working directly with our clients in ways which change and improve their lives.
A nutrition coach and wellness counselor, Luz has created a curriculum in cooking and nutrition which she teaches to El Nido clients at our Manchester Early Head Start program. Luz generously volunteers her time to this educational workshop devoted to empowering women, parents and families to seek health awareness in order to live happier and healthier lives.
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Luz Avila-Kyncl, MSW, CHC |
"Learning to love yourself is vital for a happy and healthy life. It does not matter how much broccoli you eat, if you do not love yourself, your health, life, and relationships all will be affected. You tend to develop eating problems, suffer from feelings of depression, isolation and low self-esteem. But most important, if you do not love yourself, how can you expect someone else to love you?" states Luz.
Parents in her class speak in glowing terms of the class:
"I learned a lot about nutrition such as portion control and how to choose better food options for my family." -Lizbeth Acobes
"Luz helped clear a lot of misconceptions. She gave parents time to talk and state their opinion on topics." - Esmeralda Gonzalez
"I liked that her workshops made us feel like we were in a group discussion with friends, she made it really comfortable to talk to her. I loved how she shared her personal experience and how even she had to change her lifestyle. She was a perfect example that anyone can pursue a healthier life. I learned that stress and other emotions can trigger people to overeat." -Cindy Castro
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| Isabella teaching her Coding Class |
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Luz began her relationship with El Nido in 1997 working as an intern, while earning her Masters' Degree in Social Work. She spent 15 years working as a family and child therapist
but after struggling with her own health for many years, she was completely healed through changes in her diet and lifestyle. That experience ignited a passion about nutrition and she realized that she wanted to help people heal, not just emotionally and mentally, but physically and spiritually
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Luz's altruistic spirit extends to her children as well: together with her daughter Isabella, and Marlborough School, they have developed and implemented a coding curriculum for El Nido girls in the south Los Angeles area.
Most recently, Luz has created and launched her own YouTube channel, "Salud Con Luz," where she shares tips and advice in adopting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, both physically and mentally. She is also a contributing writer to the magazine
Siempre Mujer.
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It's Easy to Shop and Give!
AmazonSmile is an easy (and free) way to give just by shopping! Sign in at
AmazonSmile to designate El Nido as your charity, and
Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase price to El Nido every time you shop.
Thank you for your support!
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Copyright © El Nido Family Centers 2015. All Rights Reserved.
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