HISTORY
The City Heights Latino Organizing Committee (COLCH) is a community organization founded in 2014 by Latina immigrant mothers with the mission of informing and empowering the community regarding their rights to quality education and healthcare. Through trust-based relationships, COLCH has built networks comprising over 600 families by offering culturally inclusive workshops on nutrition, health, and educational literacy.
With the support of The California Endowment, COLCH received training to educate parents on how to navigate the education system and advocate for their rights within school settings. As a result of COLCH’s advocacy efforts, Fay Elementary School expanded its automated calls (robocalls) to include all languages spoken by families, improving access to critical school information.
COLCH has also served as a reliable link between the community and health services, supporting enrollment in food assistance programs such as P-EBT, WIC, SNAP, and CalFresh. Over the past decade, COLCH members have been active agents of change in City Heights. Starting in 2019, COLCH began a strategic transformation and defined a clearer vision, driven by the valuable support of Ms. Blanca Melendrez, Director of the UCSD community health center.
