Ready to deliver help to the community.
Stephanie Salas is a warrior. She always has been.
Since she was seven years old and faced with her mother’s disability, she was forced to rely on her imagination, necessity, and determination to help her mother.
“The food stamps would arrive at our house, and I would go buy candy, then go out to the neighborhoods to sell them. That way, I could bring money home and pay for other needs,” says Salas.
Salas is the founder and CEO of A Brighter Day Resource Center, a nonprofit organization that provides support and assistance to those in need. They help in various capacities, from food donation deliveries for those who are immobile, free haircut events, to resume building and job searching. They have a program and can find the resources that can aid almost all walks of life.
“I understand what happens in our community. I lived it. When I was a child, the information we now find on social media didn’t exist; my mom and I had to navigate the system. I witnessed how desperate people seek help to cover basic needs. That’s why I’ve had this spirit of service since I was a child,” she says.
She launched A Brighter Day Resource Center six months ago, but the impact is already being felt in the community. They have helped more than 150 people and carry out food drives where people come to collect food and other supplies. They also have agreements with barbers to bring haircuts to communities.
“I want to help others find their light,” says this native of East L.A.
For her, people in need are not sufficiently heard, most of the time they are stigmatized and marginalized. She fights to prevent that from happening, for those in need to be taken into account.
Her experience of caring for her mother led her to dedicate herself to the care of elderly people since she was 19 years old. She also volunteered at Senior Centers.
“I had to grow up very quickly, i din’t have time for games and the normal life that a child can have in their early years. But I had to do it, I had to assist my mom and then seek to help others who needed that same help,” she says.
Stephanies grandmother would go over to help and allowed her the time to attend school, but her obligations were always more than just having a well-established education.
“I was in a state of survival, navigating the system,” she says.
For her, people in need are not sufficiently heard, most of the time they are stigmatized and marginalized. She fights to prevent that from happening, for those in need to be taken into account.
They have agreements with barbers to bring haircuts to communities.
She helped distribute food at Placita Olvera and other places in the city. Later, she organized her first solo efforts. One day her grandmother told her that there were many donations left over at the Senior Center that would go to waste if not used. Salas decided to request them and started her own distribution.
“Then a pastor recommended I form my own organization. He said, ‘It’s what you love, you should do it.’ I knew nothing about non-profits or paperwork or anything. I’m very proud, I was able to do it on my own. We achieved all the necessary approvals and started. These six months have been a learning experience. I’m very curious about where we will go. So far, I have managed to get support from several companies to obtain food and other products, haircuts, and other things. I have been financing this process, and I hope to get the help from people to support us financially,” she says.
Her dream is to have a well-established place where people can go to take a shower, use a computer, and prepare a resume. She believes more community support is needed.
“When I go out to ask for help, out of 5 people, only one responds positively. We need more people involved,” she says.
Statement
At A Brighter Day Resource Center, our mission is to help communities and individuals facing hardships. We wish to help on a mass level, aiding all walks of life. Through generous donors like you, we have been able to embark on our mission of providing relief. We do so by distributing food, clothing, and hygiene products. We also offer guidance in the development of self-sufficiency through educational, professional, and healthcare access.
https://www.parriva.com/nonprofits/
