Spirits were high as a surge of hope and anticipation pulsed through the air when guests began arriving at Mercado La Paloma, a bustling marketplace and economic development project in  South L.A. that houses various vendors, services, and non-profits, for its 10th anniversary fundraising event on Friday night.

The Mercado is transformed at night. (Candice Aman/ Neon Tommy)

Called “Taste of Mercado La Paloma,” the event celebrated the Mercado’s growth and impact upon the surrounding community by showcasing the best of what it has to offer: food, art, culture, and most importantly, the people that has helped to shape the project during the last decade.

“I don’t think that there’s been a plan for [the Mercado] to take 10 years to get to this point,” Bruce Saito, Executive Director of the Los Angeles Conservation Corps and the night’s Master of Ceremonies said. “It’s been a challenge all those years but this place has made an incredible impact on the community.”

As a division of the Esperanza Community Housing Corporation (ECHC), an organization that strives to achieve long-term community development, Mercado La Paloma continues to be invaluable resource for the surrounding neighborhood by providing residents the opportunities for jobs, education, and healthcare all under one roof.

Julie Gutman, Executive Director of Program for Torture Victims (PTV), a non-profit dedicated to helping torture survivors from all over the world rebuild their lives, recounted stories of doing business from unstable work environments before finally coming into the Mercado in 2001.

“We were able to implement our theory of comprehensive integrated services in a one-stop shop,” Gutman said. “ [The Mercado] embodies our vision of hope, healing, empowerment and we are thrilled to be here.”

Ten years later, PTV, remains as one of the six permanent non-profits housed under the Mercado and according to Gutman, is now “busting at the seams,” from its continuous growth.

The organization was honored with the “Ally in Hope” award for its long-term partnership with ECHC and the Mercado.

Other awards from the night included, “Innovator in Hope,” presented to Melanie Stephens, the Esperanza’s founding Economic Development Director, and “Investor in Hope,” which honored the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), for its support and resources towards the project.

The final award, “Creator in Hope,” recognized the various businesses of the Mercado and ECHC that have in total created about 200 jobs during the past decade.

Performances from musicians Johanna Chase and Serena Powery as well a toe-tapping act from cultural band Las Cafeteras accompanied the award ceremony with soundtrack for the night.

The event also featured live art demonstrations from artist Margaret Sosa's intricate Papel Picado cutouts to striking metal work by Michael Amescua. Multicolored paper lanterns cascading the ceiling lit up the interior of the marketplace and helped to foster an inviting atmosphere for attendees to socialize and dine.

Guests feasted on a plethora of delectable samplings offered by the Mercado’s various signature restaurants including martini lobster and conch ceviche from Chichen Itza, a favorite vendor of many attendees, to oxtail with black mint sauce from Mo-Chica, a widely acclaimed haven for foodies.

The fundraiser brought out a wide array of attendees, from the organization’s employees to donors to even those, whose lives have been impacted by the Mercado first hand. 
 
At 15-years old, Maria Jose Erez, a volunteer and high school student, has been involved with the Mercado for four years.

“Where I go [Orthopedic Medical Magnet High School], some people fall behind and the Mercado has the means to tutor them and get them back on track,” Erez said. “I don’t know what I would do without this place.

For Beth Weinstein, Mercado La Paloma’s Director of Marketing and Business Development, the event’s turnout was well worth the long and demanding planning process.

“[The fundraiser] was beautiful,” Weinstein said. “It was emblematic of what the Mercado was. It had great food, great musicians, great artists, great people, it was everything that we could have hoped for.”

After the ceremony, community residents were encouraged to attend a night of dancing under the stars at the Mercado's parking lot turned dance floor.

While “Taste of Mercado La Paloma,” may have marked a milestone for the economic development project, many are already looking ahead to see what the next 10 years will bring.

Sister Diane Donaghue, who founded the ECHC back in 1989, played an integral role in the development of the Mercado and would like to see a similar model of the project elsewhere.

“I would like to see it be replicated,” Donaghue said. “It has a very strong voice in the community and it’s proof positive that when people get together for a common mission, they can do anything.

Reach Reporter Candice here.