Welcome the New Year with Kid City Breezeway Project!

Vesper Society believes a just society begins when everyone is well and respected as a human being. Every day we link arms with leaders and communities to uplift through service, break down barriers, and elevate community voices.

We are delighted to introduce the Kid City Breezeway Project to begin our new year. Located between two multi-family affordable residential buildings, Kid City transformed a stark concrete walkway into a beautiful oasis for the students and community.

During the height of the pandemic, grief was palpable for many of the Kid City students and their families living in South Central Los Angeles. In a community with such immense loss, radical love was the only salve. Kid City, a youth leadership and college access program, offered welcome, respite, and friendship.

The students dreamt of a place that would be tranquil and focused on the natural healing environment. They needed a space that was uncluttered, where students could let go of the stress of the day and bring that feeling of peace and equanimity to their lives.

Kid City students were at the center of the design and production process to reinvent the concrete walkway. They were surrounded by a community of people who helped make their dream come true.

A volunteer, Jeremy Irvine captured the vision in sketches. Professor Marcela Oliva, director of Los Angeles Trade Tech College’s Green Design and Architecture program was an inspiring catalyst. She enrolled Kid City high school students in her course and their summer class assignment included the Kid City Breezeway project. The students did their research, brainstormed, and designed; they met with landscapers, builders, and muralists. And they decided on a 140 footlong mural as the visual centerpiece of the walkway.

With the design complete, over 70 volunteers from Lowe’s stores provided painting supplies and the labor to complete the mural. Twelve students later added monarchs — a beautiful symbol of migration – and palm trees. Lowe’s provided funding and visibility through their Lowe’s Hometown Teams NFL partnership by introducing LA Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert to Kid City!

The walkway sits between two buildings and sometimes can be a wind tunnel, hence the name Breezeway. Now this new space is creating opportunities for generations of people to connect. The neighbors in the adjacent Telacu Plaza affordable housing are enjoying this outdoor space and the elderly are interacting with the Kid City high school students. You can hear the laughter from the adjacent preschool. The winds of change are blowing gently in the Breezeway and we can expect more magical moments to come from this restorative space.

Gissela Vasquez designed the mural and she wrote in her college essay, “The mural is calming, yet bright enough to motivate students working on college applications with their mentors. [It] mimics the landscape of our hometown with the hilltops, palm trees, butterflies, and classic LA sunset. It reminds us where we come from, which can be a driving force for us to success. I am thankful for the opportunity to impact my classmates and community because they gave me something in return – learning the importance of imagination and creativity, allowing me to perceive it as a doorway to endless possibilities.”

Vesper Society is inspired by Kid City and we encourage everyone to lift up the voices of these students and community.