Council recognizes Change Reaction, student teams, Africa Day honorees and local events

The Los Angeles City Council used part of its May 30, 2025, session to present awards and recognitions to community groups and individuals, including a youth basketball team, a relief-focused nonprofit, representatives of the African diaspora and several education and community programs.

Councilmember Emelda Padilla (District 6) opened the morningpresentations with recognition of Sun Valley PolytechnicHigh Schoolbasketball team, which she said finished the season as Division 1 city champions with an undefeated 12-0 record. Padilla invited the coach and players to the dais; the council presented the team with a signed basketball and a certificate.

Change Reaction recognition

Councilmember John Lee and others praised The Change Reaction, a nonprofit relief organization founded in 2019 that described a model of rapid, small-dollar grants to households affected by fires and other emergencies. On the council floor the organizationrepresentatives said they distributed more than $16,000,000 to roughly 70,500 families in a single recent year and, since 2019, reported distributing approximately $45,000,000 to 37,000 people. The founders described providing emergency grants in the range of $3,000 to $5,000 for many households and said they had used an initial fire fund commitment to scale responses after recent wildfires.

A resident who identified herself as Jean Brusel delivered a personal account of receiving assistance from the organization after a series of personal and housing crises, saying the help provided "compasión" and tangible stabilizing support. Greg and Jodie (founders) addressed the council and described an operating model their presentation summarized as speed, dignity and local distribution; they thanked councilmembers for the recognition. Multiple councilmembers, including Price, Park, Blumenfield and Nazarian, publicly thanked the nonprofit for its work in districts across the city.

Africa Day and Global LA

Councilmember Price led a recognition of Africa Day and invited diplomatic representatives and community leaders to speak. The mayor's staff attended and provided remarks on behalf of the mayor. Representatives from the Republic of Egypt, Kenya and South Africa were acknowledged on the dais. Terry Batch of Global LA explained the organization's role promoting international business and cultural exchange and urged more concerted city partnerships in advance of global events including the 2028 Olympics.

Education and community recognitions

- North Hollywood High School: Councilmember Nazarian and the Department of Water and Power recognized the school's science team for finishing third in a national science competition and for strong regional results; the council and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power presented a certificate and thanked coaches and volunteers.

- Canoga Park Memorial Day parade: Councilmember Bob Blumenfield recognized organizers and volunteers for the 33rd annual Canoga Park Memorial Day parade, calling it a longstanding community event.

- Brain Tumor Center: Councilmember Nazarian introduced the city's neuro-oncology team and highlighted clinical research and patient navigation services. The council presented a resolution recognizing the center's work and the month of brain tumor awareness.

Council response and resolutions

Councilmembers offered brief remarks of thanks and gratitude after each presentation. The council indicated it would present a formal resolution to The Change Reaction in recognition of its relief efforts and offered certificates of appreciation to other honorees at the conclusion of the presentations.

Why it matters

Ceremonial recognitions do not in themselves change city policy but highlight community resources, philanthropic actors and civic partnerships that can complement city services. Councilmembers used the podium to underscore how youth sports, local nonprofits and cultural diplomacy contribute to civic life across Los Angeles.