(East Los Angeles, CA) December 22, 2021 [From The Editor’s Desk]: The Los Angeles Dodgers conducted their highly successful community partnership project, entitled,“Day of Service” on Saturday, December 11th, at the New Village Girls Academy, the first all-girls charter school in California, located in the Silverlake community of Northeast L.A.

Here is the Team’s full press announcement giving more important details to their fans and the general public of Los Angeles City, County, and all of Southern California. We hope you take a good read of their plans and objectives of this exceptional outreach and partnership event.

To view the video of the event, please see below:

DODGERS KICK-OFF “DAY OF SERVICE” 

Team to partner with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health to revamp courtyard at New Village Girls Academy

(LOS ANGELES)– The Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health hosted a day of service in Los Angeles at the New Village Girls Academy.

The Academy offers more than just educational training, it provides access to free medical care and mental health counseling to students and focuses on highlighting a student’s talents and skills, regardless of their educational level. The institution also includes outdoor spaces that double as a lunch area, outdoor classroom, and meditation area, ultimately providing a safe space for students to enjoy. Participating in the Community Eligibility Provision, the school provides breakfast and lunch to its students at no cost.

“L.A. County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) is proud to participate in service days to improve The New Village Girls Academy,” said Dr. Jonathan Sherin, M.D., Ph.D., Director of Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. “Our partnership with the L.A. Dodgers in carrying out this effort is a way for our employees to serve our community while bolstering organizations whose mission to provide mental health services to youth align with those of LACDMH. Now more than ever, during a national crisis facing the mental health and wellbeing of our youth, The New Village Girls Academy fills an important role in offering free mental health counseling and medical care to their students, enabling the girls to grow both socially and emotionally and learn to their highest potential.”

Volunteers from both the Dodgers and the Department of Mental Health partnered to revitalize the school’s outdoor courtyard. The project will include landscaping the area’s side wall, painting various surfaces, tree landscaping, and assembling and installing new patio furniture. In addition, volunteers will design walking paths in the Zen Garden and install plants to accentuate the safe space.

“New Village Academy holds a very special place in my heart and that of the Dodger Organization as a whole,” said Naomi Rodriguez, Dodger Vice President of External Affairs & Community Relations. “The opportunity to reimagine the meditation and outdoor space at New Village Academy by transforming it into a more tranquil and calming space is our way of helping to elevate the important work of this school. Lifting these young women up not only through education, but by also teaching them mental health exercises like meditation, is truly the work that will transform their lives. Thank you to the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health for making this possible.”

[About New Village Academy]: Many of our students come to New Village with significant gaps in their educational progress. Despite this, we believe that every single student has talent and skill. Sometimes they are hidden, but they are always present. Always. As an organization and as a community, we reject the notion that defines our students solely by what they are lacking – our students are more, much more, than their deficiencies. Whatever their prior school experiences, our students have interests and skills that can be the basis for academic success if only we think about education differently. New Village does that. Our unique wellness program provides access to free medical care and mental health counseling, a full-time school psychologist, daily meditation, an edible garden, wilderness outings, and after-school sports and fitness.

[About The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health]: The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH), with a budget approaching $3 billion, is the largest county-run mental health department in the United States, directly operating programs in more than 85 sites, and providing mental health services at additional sites co-located with other County departments, schools, courts and various organizations. Additionally, LACDMH contracts with approximately 1,000 organizations and individual practitioners to provide a variety of mental health-related services. On average, more than 250,000 County residents of all ages are served annually by LACDMH’s network of service providers.

[About the Los Angeles Dodgers]: The Los Angeles Dodgers franchise, with seven World Series championships and 24 National League pennants since its beginnings in Brooklyn in 1890, is committed to a tradition of pride and excellence.  The Dodgers are dedicated to supporting a culture of winning baseball, providing a first-class, fan-friendly experience at Dodger Stadium, and building a strong partnership with the community. With the highest cumulative fan attendance in Major League Baseball history, and a record of breaking barriers, the Dodgers are one of the most cherished sports franchises in the world.

The Dodger organization has been recognized for its leadership in nearly all facets of its operations, as 2020 World Series champions, ESPN’s Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year and the Sports Business Journal’s Team of the Year. To learn more, please visit the Dodgers online at www.dodgers.com, follow them on Twitter @Dodgers and like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Dodgers. For media information, visitwww.dodgerspressbox.com.