By Xennia Hamilton for The LA Sentinel
Originally published Aug. 5, 2026
The Crenshaw YMCA, located at 3820 Santa Rosalia Drive in Los Angeles, will host its second annual Back 2 School Family Reunion on Saturday, Aug. 15, from noon to 3 p.m. The event will feature a block party atmosphere with school supply giveaways, hair services for children, music and activities for families.
“It’s our second annual back-to-school family reunion, and the whole point of the event is to get kids ready for school, and not just in the ways that most people expect,” explains Brittani Daniels, executive director of the Crenshaw YMCA.
“You need a backpack, paper and pencils, but you also need a haircut, you also need shoes, you also need clothes, and for many of the families that I serve, they also would appreciate a hot meal.”
Daniels said the event is designed to bring the community together while creating a family reunion atmosphere for students and their families.
“The entire experience is to make sure that they don’t just have availability; they also have accessibility,” Daniels said.
“Because a lot of folks think that when they make something available, that means that it actually is serving the needs of people. That’s not necessarily true. I want kids to be able to show up on the first day of school confident, feeling good, and with their best foot forward.”
Daniels said providing students with school supplies is only part of preparing them for success. She believes students should also have the opportunity to feel confident and prepared when they begin the school year.
“When you serve our community, like the community that surrounds my Y, and the 3-mile radius around it, you can’t just think of the immediate superficial thing,” she said.
“You have to think of the whole thing that would make them be able to show up with pride and respect and be able to fully enjoy the experience. And so yeah, they need a haircut, they might need some braids,” Daniels added.
Daniels said the event reflects the Crenshaw YMCA’s commitment to supporting the community in times of need.
“I think the benefit to the community is if you and your family need school supplies, please come to the Crenshaw Y and get some,” she said.
“But more importantly, I think the community needs community. Like, you know the old age-old saying, ‘it takes a village.’ Well, the Crenshaw Y is your village, and you will meet other people in your village at the Crenshaw Y. That’s why it’s called a family reunion,” she said.
Creating a family atmosphere for the back-to-school event is something Daniels believes can help strengthen relationships and support students’ educational journeys.
“You remember the vibes when we were younger. When you would go to the family reunion, you would play games, see aunties, uncles and cousins that you hadn’t seen in a while, and you guys would connect and would reestablish those bonds and connections all over again,” she explained.
“I wanted to replicate that feeling, that space for people in our community, and so they can link up. And you know, you might need somebody to carpool, to walk together, like just the whole concept,” Daniels said.
The event will also feature 93.5 KDAY and other activities and giveaways for students.
“There’s going to be the Colored Ice Truck. The LA Kings are coming out, USC Athletics, Jordan Brand is giving us shoes and clothes to give away to the kids,” she said.
“There’s also going to be a dentist and a chiropractic doctor. Because we start talking about the stress and the trauma that people are carrying around, and she said that ‘we carry it in our bodies and even how we position our backpacks.’ So I was like, ‘yes, please come.’”
No registration is required for the event, which will operate on a first-come, first-served basis.
“It’s actually first come, first served. Remove as many participation barriers as possible because I have an iPhone, but that doesn’t mean everybody has an iPhone,” she said. “It’s equal opportunity, if everybody has the opportunity.”
Daniels hopes the event will encourage community members to see the Crenshaw YMCA not only as a resource center but also as a place where families can connect.
“The Crenshaw YMCA is the center for community well-being, and it’s the place that you can go to feel at home, to find your people, to get resources, and find their tribe, their community,” she said.
“And if I don’t necessarily have the resources there, I will find somebody or an organization that we can help bring to you. At the end of the day, that’s our job. We’re supposed to be a conduit for all of us, from babies to grown-ups. It’s from cradle to community, the Y is here for you, and it’s your place to belong.”