Unity Coalition Conference at CSUN

The San Fernando Valley Unity Coalition, formed after the riots of April, 1992, to ensure that the Valley was not ignored as Los Angeles began its recovery, will hold a conference Saturday at Cal State Northridge aimed at building an even stronger voice for the region.

“When the riots came and the earthquake came, a lot of the resources went to Downtown L.A. and we were left holding the bag with promises,” said Ed Viramontes, executive director of the Mid Valley YMCA, who will take over as president of the Coalition in October, 1995.

The coalition was formed so that the Valley could effectively appeal for help by showing a clear picture of its needs, Viramontes said.

“When people look at the Valley, they see Encino, Sherman Oaks, and Studio City,” Viramontes said, and not the more impoverished neighborhoods.

In attacking that image, the coalition will present a report Saturday showing that poverty in the Valley is more widespread than had been known, especially in areas such as Pacoima, and sections of Van Nuys and Canoga Park.

“We’re attempting to build a stronger voice for the Valley,” Viramontes said.

The coalition was organized by 60 Valley organizations that deal with issues such as health care, economic development, education and government. The increased communication among the agencies has helped them find new solutions to problems. For example, the YMCA is working more closely with the Los Angeles Parks and Recreation Department. And the networking among the groups helps foster such achievements as the gang truce among Valley gangs that started last year, Viramontes said.

The coalition also is trying to empower the growing ethnic minorities in the Valley, such as Latinos, Filipinos and Koreans, he said.

“We have to diversify,” Viramontes said. “We have to welcome them into these community groups and we have to teach them how to belong.”

The coalition meets the first Thursday of every month at the American Red Cross offices in Van Nuys.

The conference, which is co-sponsored by Cal State Northridge, starts at 8:30 a.m. and runs until 3 p.m. and includes sessions on networking and community issues and talks by city officials such as Deputy Police Chief Martin Pomeroy.