Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger today honored two Fifth District residents—one from the San Gabriel Valley and one from the Antelope Valley—for their service to their communities, recognizing them during Hispanic Heritage Month for the ways their heritage has shaped their commitment to giving back.
“These two honorees represent the very best of what Hispanic Heritage Month highlights,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “They are leaders whose values of family and service to others drive them to lift up the young people and the community around them. From Pasadena to the Antelope Valley, they are proof that the Fifth District’s strength comes from residents who invest in their neighbors.”
Supervisor Barger recognized Kathy Hernandez, Director of Foster Care Programs for FosterAll, a Pasadena resident who for more than a decade has connected with hundreds of faith partners to recruit and retain foster families. Ms. Hernandez was instrumental in founding the Los Angeles County Faith Alliance, an interfaith partnership with the County’s Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships that strengthens coordination with faith organizations countywide. Before joining Foster All, she spent 20 years as National Coordinator for Winning Our World International, mobilizing 50,000 volunteers and developing programs serving thousands of youth. She also volunteers with the Pasadena Police Department, helping build trust between law enforcement and the community.
Supervisor Barger also recognized Francisco “Panchito” Ramirez Rueda, a Lake Los Angeles native who became the first student-athlete from his hometown to compete in a Division I program, playing soccer at UC Riverside—where, at 25, he became the university’s youngest-ever 40 Under 40 honoree—before earning a full-ride scholarship to the University of Michigan for his master’s in education. Ramirez Rueda and his brother Christian founded The Dreamers Soccer Clinic, a volunteer-run nonprofit that has served more than 500 underserved youth in the Antelope Valley with tutoring, mentoring, college tours, and scholarships. He now serves as Director of Partnerships and Community for AV ALTA FC, the Antelope Valley’s professional soccer team. In that role, he has helped manage roughly 70 corporate partnerships investing directly in the community.
Both honorees credited their heritage with shaping the values behind their work: faith, perseverance, and a commitment to uplifting the next generation.