There are some things we inherit that cannot be put in a box.
A recipe written in a grandmother's handwriting.
A song that instantly takes us home.
A phrase we heard growing up and still find ourselves saying.
A story that has been told so many times that we know it by heart.
A value our parents taught us that continues to guide us today.
These are the things we carry.
During Hispanic American Heritage Month, Penny Lane took time to celebrate the incredible diversity, history, traditions, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities. But we also celebrated something more personal: the people and experiences that shape who we are.
At Penny Lane, Hispanic and Latino heritage is woven throughout our community. It is reflected in our staff, the children and youth we serve, and the families who trust us to walk alongside them.
And there is no single way to be Hispanic or Latino.
Our community includes people with roots throughout Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Spain, and beyond. There are different languages, traditions, family structures, histories, and experiences. Some people speak Spanish every day. Others may have lost the language through generations. Some grew up surrounded by cultural traditions, while others have found ways to reconnect with them as adults.
Throughout the month, we were reminded that heritage is not simply something we learn about during a designated month. It lives in the way we care for our families. In the way we welcome others. In the values we bring to our work. In the resilience we demonstrate when life gets difficult. In the traditions we preserve—and sometimes in the traditions we create for ourselves.
We celebrated the grandmother whose wisdom still guides a family.
We celebrated the parent creating opportunities for the next generation.
We celebrated the young person discovering and defining their own identity.
And we celebrated the colleagues who brought their culture, compassion, language, perspective, and lived experience to Penny Lane every day.
We were also reminded that celebrating heritage isn't only about looking back at the people who made history.
They may never have their names printed in a history book. They may never receive a public award or have a street named after them. But they are changing lives—in classrooms, in homes, in offices, in communities, and in the everyday moments when someone chooses compassion, speaks up for another person, or reminds someone that they belong.
As we reflected on Hispanic American Heritage Month, we celebrated the culture we carry, the stories that shaped us, and the people who continue to make our community stronger.
Because culture is not just something we celebrate.
It is something we live.
It is something we share.
And it is something we carry forward.
May we continue to make room for one another's stories—and remember that every story has the power to shape our community.
-Judy Grant, Penny Lane Centers
With more than 800 attendees, Stronger Together truly lived up to its name.
In Anaheim, community partners, advocates, leaders, and policymakers came together for the California Alliance of Child & Family Services’ Stronger Together Conference, creating space to learn, connect, reflect, and imagine what is possible when we work collectively. Workshops covered a wide range of topics, from Mindfulness as a Dirty Word and Building Leadership Capacity to trauma-informed treatment, isolation, belonging, and so much more.
The keynotes opened each day with energy, inspiration, and plenty to think about. We heard from Dee Hankins, who shared his foster care journey; Dr. Thema Bryant, who reminded us that sometimes we need to make space to move, dance, and reconnect with ourselves; and Chuck Ingoglia, who offered insight into what may be ahead on a national level.
And the learning didn’t stop when the workshops ended. An expansive resource fair provided opportunities to discover new tools, services, and partnerships, while the conference itself created countless moments to meet new colleagues and reconnect with relationships built over time. Sometimes, the most meaningful conversations happen in the hallway, over coffee, or during those unexpected moments between sessions.
On September 2nd, I had the honor of presenting “Embedded Equity: Operationalizing DEIB Across Every Department.”
We talked about what it means to move DEIB beyond a single department, committee, or initiative and instead embed it throughout an organization—from leadership and human resources to client services, staff development, organizational culture, and everyday interactions. We explored the importance of modeling equity from the top down while also taking an honest look at where gaps may exist within our own organizations.
And the audience showed up!
People shared experiences, asked thoughtful questions, challenged themselves and one another, and even laughed their way through the hour. Together, we identified opportunities for action and explored ways to continue these conversations long after the workshop ended.
But ultimately, our conversation kept coming back to one powerful word: belonging.
Research has found that a significant percentage of workers experience isolation because they do not feel a sense of belonging in their workplace. Forty percent is a staggering number. And it raises an important question: What are we going to do about it?
How do we create workplaces where people don’t simply show up, but genuinely feel seen, valued, heard, and connected? How do we recognize the unique gifts, experiences, and perspectives people bring to the table and create environments where everyone has an opportunity to contribute? And perhaps most importantly, how do we move beyond simply talking about belonging and begin intentionally creating it?
Perhaps that is the real work of embedded equity.
It isn’t simply about policies, programs, committees, or presentations. It is about what we model, what we notice, what we question, and what we choose to do every day. It is found in the way we lead, communicate, listen, make decisions, respond to challenges, and create space for others. Belonging shouldn’t be something we hope happens, it should be something we intentionally build.
Stronger Together was also an important reminder that none of us has to do this work alone. When we bring our knowledge, experiences, relationships, curiosity, and courage to the table, we create opportunities to learn from one another and make meaningful change together.
And maybe the most important question we can carry forward is also the simplest:
