Local Hero: Honoree Cynthia "Big Mama" Mendenhall, Local Angel

"'Big Mama' has been serving the Watts community for more than 30 years. She recently started her nonprofit organization, Watts Chosen Angels. … Their services provide family reunification and (foster) parent coaching, prison community reentry programs, housing and employment assistance, counseling and mental health support, immigration services, youth mentorship and development for boys and girls, utility bill aid, LGBTQ support for youth and adults, and numerous other community programs and resources. She has consistently shown up for her community, whether that be by working to reduce gang violence, cooking free food for the community, providing a loving home for foster youth, creating free youth programs or helping Angelenos find jobs and housing. She has often used her own money to make all of this happen. With Watts Chosen Angels, she is working to grow her organization's reach and capacity so she can scale up the support she is able to provide."

Bobby Kobara, nominator