PACTL Receives a Capital Grant to Upgrade Communal Kitchen
La Cocina De Las Abuelas is a permitted, to-code communal kitchen (cocina) where entrepreneurs can support their food-based microbusinesses and collaborate with fellow vendors. Many of the participants use cherished family recipes passed down through generations from their grandmothers (abuelas), making the space not just a kitchen, but also a place where tradition and community come together. With PCF’s funding, PACTL (Pasadena/Altadena Coalition of Transformative Leaders) will upgrade kitchen appliances and equipment.
La Cocina was started in the 1980s, and PACTL assumed the lease this year. It is staffed by 10 individuals; six graduated from PACTL’s eight-month business course that offered training in end-to-end business development. Students drafted business plans, named their enterprise, learned about taxes, and much more. PACTL allowed them to accomplish something that would have otherwise been daunting.
This initiative, led by Executive Director Yoland Trevino, is part of PACTL’s commitment to alleviate poverty in the greater Pasadena area by “teaching them to fish” as Yoland said – a deeply based ethos of the organization. Inspired by the drive and determination within her community, Yoland has helped many become owners of their own businesses.
Yoland Trevino shows an outdated refrigerator that PCF’s funding will replace.
“There is a great deal of enthusiasm for this project. We want our participants to learn to fish. They want to work. Our business support helps them work with dignity.”
PACTL Founder and executive director Yoland trevino
Finding Business Success through PACTL
As a child in Zacatecas, Mexico, Aurelia Albarez would watch her mother make tamales, a treasured family tradition. After arriving in the United States 22 years ago, Aurelia found work in a restaurant. One Christmas, she brought her tamales for the staff, and the owner was so impressed that he invited her to make them for the restaurant—a role she continued for the next 16 years. PACTL’s business class gave Aurelia the opportunity to expand her financial and business expertise. She recently launched MasaTamal, a tamale and beverage business, and will work toward procuring her own tamale cart.
“I wasn’t always the empowered woman I am today, but with PACTL’s support, I found the strength to forge my own path and flourish.”
Viry gutien, a PACTL client
For Viry Gutian, the recent charcuterie board trend presented a unique opportunity to start her own business, Quesitos. By adding the bold flavors and vibrant colors of her Mexican culture to the traditionally French charcuterie board, her creations become a unique tribute to her roots and a vital source of income for her family. Viry recently received great reviews for her beautifully catered lunch at the October PCF’s Professional Advisors Committee meeting.
Aurelia Albarez and Viry Gutien at Las Cocinas de los Abuelos, November 2024.
PCF Endowments Fuel PCF’s Local Grantmaking
The funding for Cocina de las Abuelas falls under PCF’s grantmaking in Community & Economic Development Impact Area and is made possible by the generosity of Endowment Builders who are passionate about this cause. The contributions of nearly 200 PCF Endowment Builders make it possible for PCF to strengthen our community through partnerships that create lasting change. Learn how you can create a named endowment for causes important to you.
About PACTL
Founded by leaders who recognized the systemic challenges facing marginalized communities in the area, PACTL fosters community leadership and helps members develop practical skills for self-sufficiency. It adopts an inclusive and participatory approach that prioritizes community voices and lived experiences. Under Yoland Trevino’s leadership, PACTL identifies a need and takes action to address it, whether it’s opening a food pantry, offering parenting classes, or helping individuals start their own businesses.
