Mutual Aid

Though the area didn’t seem to have any service clubs for the community nor did we see any obvious agencies that assisted with financial support. However, many of us found several examples where we believe mutual aid was at the very least implied.

What stood out to many of the students were the many churches that represented a variety of denominations. In this seemingly small city there are churches that represent the Catholic, Christian, Protestant, Pentecostal, Jehovah’s Witness, Masonic, Evangelical, Baptist, Presbyterian and Buddhist faiths.

*Presbyterian Church serving the Filipino Communty

*Picture of a Buddhist Temple

Most of these religious institutions had predominantly displayed signs that were displayed not only in English but Korean, Spanish, and Tagalog; encouraging participation from all community members. Many of these churches offered free English and American culture classes, which suggests that churches are a good resource to those who need help obtaining citizenship or adjusting to the community.

The residential areas that we observed seemed to be extremely close to each other. Many of them being either quadroplexes and apartment complexes intermixed with single-family homes. In several areas residents we observed spending time on their porches. This spoke to the idea of mutual aid in that neighbors are out, visible, and open to the possibility of getting to know each other. In speaking with residents, some of us were told that though they were unable to provide aid in the form of financial and service support, neighbors are open, friendly, and interact freely with each other. Supporting the idea that there is a sense of community identity and a dedication to providing aid to the residents, here is an excerpt from one student’s experience:

I was in the group that went to visit Michelle Harnsberger, whose family had been conducting real estate business in Highland Park for over 80 years. She said that she'd noticed some of the factors contributing to why youth get wrapped up in the tagging culture in Highland Park. Many of the children's parents both work and may work multiple jobs. This leaves the children to care for themselves between the hours that school ends and their parents return from their jobs in the evening. For many children, there is no outlet for expression, and few organized centers for recreation. Because of this, Michelle has really seemed to take it upon herself to help the community – specifically the youth. She helped create the Highland Park skate park, which was endorsed by Tony Hawk, and now attracts numerous youth skaters from the community. Michelle also allows local teens to work summers in her business and really seems to pride herself on what she has been able to do for these individuals. In addition to this, she has created several anti-tagging groups, which go out into the community and paint over areas that have been tagged.

In return for actually taking a stand and helping the youth of Highland Park instead of castigating them, Michelle has noticed that she has become somehow protected from their tagging efforts. She claimed that she once went 2 months without the real estate building getting tagged, when they used to get taggers daily.

For the large youth population there are several facilities that cater to their recreational needs. There is the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation & Parks LA YOUTH ATHLETIC CLUB. This facility provides free youth classes for those between the ages of seven and seventeen. This club aims to engage the kids through sports and by giving them a variety of positive activities in which they can participate.

There is also a Park Recreation Center that provides a free summer lunch program, has a multipurpose sports fitness center, offers childcare, and has seasonal camps. Though not technically part of the recreation center, there is also a public pool located right next door.
Perhaps the most notable facility supporting the youth of the area is Optimist Youth Home. Optimist offers family services, a safe environment for teens and a plethora of social services. The building appears to be rather new, is in great condition, and offers a pool among other amenities. Located next door to the Optimist Youth Home is the Optimist High School that serves the children in the Optimist Home as well as foster children.


For the older members of the community there is the Highland Park Senior Citizens Center. It features an auditorium that is used for bingo and small meetings for the elderly in the community. They have a community room, a theatre stage and a kitchen. The picnic tables outside are set near a rose garden. The center also has an outside shuffleboard area, where many shuffleboard competitions have produced trophies, which can be viewed inside the center. Activities include: acting, sit down exercise, tai chi, field trips to museums and Vegas, and the social club. Many of the seniors that frequent the center have lived in the area their entire lives and gather to socialize at the center.

In the area of Mental Health, there is the Star View Community Service. This agency provides mental health services for youth and their families who have serious behavioral problems at home and/or school. It is a private agency that supported by Medi-Cal, county, state, and federal funds. It is only open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and no information was available regarding emergency mental health services outside normal business hours.

Highland Park houses a substantial number of health clinics offering general practice care, prenatal care, family planning, pediatrics, and gynecology. The health clinics accept Medical and Medicare and offer services in English, Spanish, Tagalog, and Thai. Many offer parenting classes, free pregnancy tests, and pamphlets on various parenting interests. Throughout the area there are also numerous WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) facilities that also serve to improve the lives of the women and children of Highland Park.