LA Más launches NELA night market with a boost from our Prosperity Fund

By sharing and exchanging their talents and resources, residents in Northeast Los Angeles (NELA) made the launch of Mercado NELA night market a reality on December 6th. This innovative community project showcases the power of people coming together to make a lasting impact in their neighborhood, creating a space where community connections flourish alongside economic opportunities.

Behind this amazing project is LA Más, a community organization dedicated to building cooperative systems in Northeast LA. Their work spans across diverse neighborhoods including Elysian Valley, Glassell Park, Cypress Park, Highland Park, Lincoln Heights, and Montecito Heights, where they foster neighborhood stability through collective action.

In a vibrant celebration of community spirit, the market featured over 20 local vendors, offering an array of food and goods that showcase the neighborhood’s diverse cultural heritage. More than just a marketplace, it is an intentional approach to building community wealth by keeping dollars within the neighborhood.

“This is a place where people can go not only to get amazing food, but they’re also spending their money in people who are contributors to their community, and they have amazing cultural expertise that they’re sharing through their products and services,” said Helen Leung, Executive Director at LA Más. “This market is creating a space for community building and connection so that people recognize that there’re incredible assets in the neighborhood and make them aware that their money is going to people who are actually their neighbors.”

LA Más is one of the three community organizations along with Destination Crenshaw and Food Access LA that were selected to receive the first round of grants of up to $150,000 each, from the United Way of Greater Los Angeles’ Prosperity Fund to boost our Community Prosperity initiative across LA’s neighborhoods.

Launched this year, this initiative provides organizations with funding for eligible one-time costs that help to unlock a local market opportunity that generates and keeps resident spending locally, connect neighborhood businesses and entrepreneurs with financial resources and technical assistance to scale inclusive community-based projects rooted in the benefit of the whole community.

“We are honored to have the opportunity to support LA Más in expanding the Mercado NELA Comparte to a weekly night market for the NELA community,” said Ed Braxton, Program Officer at United Way of Greater Los Angeles. “The night market truly embodies the spirit of the Prosperity Fund of advancing a shared economic future for Los Angeles communities.”

With the goal of reaching $3K in vendor sales each week, the market is set to become a cornerstone of local economic development. As Leung emphasizes, “We’re building an ecosystem within Northeast LA while welcoming visitors from across the city to experience and invest in our community.” The vendors will rotate so everyone has the opportunity to be part of this market.

Thanks to the grant, starting January 16th, the Mercado NELA Comparte –— which means share in Spanish –— will make its official debut to the public and will operate weekly on Thursdays from 5–8 p.m. at LA Mas’ Cypress Park Community Center, offering a regular gathering place for commerce, community and cultural celebration.

The Prosperity Fund is a rolling funding opportunity that welcomes organizations to submit applications at any point in the year for one-time costs that help unlock a local market opportunity, advancing community ownership and wealth-building opportunities in the process.

Please visit www.unitedwayla.org/Grantseekers to learn more.

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