Damas Humanitarias Give Back to City of Downey

Hello, our names are Tanya Barraza, Maxine Benitez, Marlene Palos, and Amber Turner and we are current graduate students at California State University, Long Beach, in the Master of Social Work (MSW) program. We call ourselves the Damas Humanitarias, by profession we are children social workers. We are proud Latinas passionate about giving back to communities of color.


In our final year of our program, students take part in a community-based action class and project. This course and project experience allows a group of MSW students to conduct research and a community assessment to learn more about a city or community and then partner with members/leadership to support the work that is being done to strengthen the community. Our group has explored the city of Downey and issues surrounding affordable housing and financial hardships.

We are fundraising for a community drive through event we are hosting in April 2021 in the City of Downey. The funds will be used towards purchasing of items such as food/market gift cards, face masks, sanitizing wipes or hand sanitizers that will be given to families impacted by homelessness, housing insecurity, and financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Once our location is confirmed we will provide updates here. We appreciate donations of any size! We thank you for all your support!