Ysabel Jurado took advantage of the then-councilman’s supposed absence from community affairs. “Now she’s doing the same thing,” says a Highland Park resident.
Last week, Highland Park residents, activists, and organizations like NELA Food Distribution expressed their frustration with District 14 Councilmember Ysabel Jurado over what they call a lack of interest and attention to the needs of the district she represents.
Vanny Arias, director of NELA Food Distribution, told Parriva that for a long time, they had been asking the councilmember for help to meet the rising demand for food assistance from residents in the district.
Finally, after messages were posted on social media directed specifically at the councilmember demanding her help, representatives from her office showed up last Friday to drop off some donations, including rice, beans, and water. However, they refused to commit to providing that help on an ongoing basis.
“The need keeps growing. Right now we’re helping a little over 200 families, but we’re struggling. Every day we get more and more calls. We have to figure it out however we can. The support from the community and volunteers has allowed us to keep helping. We haven’t received anything from the government, except for the help sent each month by the D1 councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who provides food,” says Arias.
These complaints against Jurado clash with her campaign rhetoric before becoming a councilmember. In an interview with Parriva, she criticized then-Councilmember Kevin de León for not meeting with the community and ensuring their needs were met.
She had strong criticisms against politicians who don’t show their faces, don’t have dialogue with their community, and don’t offer solutions.
“If they don’t have the courage to face the community, what are they doing in their position?” she said.
According to the residents’ complaints, Jurado seems to have fallen into the same behavior she once criticized in De León.
“You call her office and no one answers,” says a resident who identified herself only as Elly. “We have many problems in this neighborhood, and no one shows up.”
Parriva reached out to Councilmember Jurado’s office before this publication but did not receive a response.
Some people have stated that they are convinced they will never see the elected officials again and have lost the interest they once had when politicians were asking for their vote.
“@nela_food_distribution_ has been asking for help from @cd14losangeles for the past month and Ysabel Jurado refuses to help feed families affected by ICE raids. This after Ysabel recently spent $50,000 at the Hermon Summer ending event with a drone show. Yes, 50k. That’s not all — she has already fired 5 staff members in a year and rumor has it she just fired @itsdiazsteve as the Homeless Director. CD14 is a f***ing mess,” posted the Highland Park NELA organization.
Another resident, using the handle @catielaffon, made a public appeal to Jurado:
“I feel so lucky to be a part of this community and to know people like Vanny Arias and all the volunteers with @nela_food_distribution_. LA has gone through a lot this year between the 🔥 and now 🧊. The amount of love and community that has shown up — people wanting to help those in real need — it’s so humbling.
“I think we are all exhausted living in this time of greed, consumerism, and our country turning into a place where it’s every man for themselves. But here in LA, I’m watching women in particular lead their communities, rebuild villages, and showing up to help and take care of people when our government fails.
“Wherever you live, I guarantee that there are people in your community that are terrified right now and are suffering — whether it’s from lost wages, lack of resources, or just the mental trauma of not knowing if you will see your family from one day to the next. The only way to defeat this overwhelming sense of fear and hopelessness is to come together and help one another. We are not alone. The people in power want us to feel like we are. If we feel alone, we don’t talk and we don’t organize. Get out there, help your neighbors, and see how you can make waves in your community.
“I implore @cd14losangeles to show up for the community and please do better. You might not be able to stop 🧊, but you can help the community by just donating food or offering support. It’s that simple.”
Everyone is asking:
“Where are you, Ysabel?”
