Meet the Team
Sunflower Foster Youth Investment understands that LA County Foster Youth are diverse. We believe in the importance of diversity and accurate representation. Our staff and board members come from the same communities we serve and have direct experience with the problem we are trying to solve.
(We still have to add 2 of our Board Members on the page. There are openings as well, if interested please reach out via email. Board Meetings are once a month thru Zoom and in- person. Thank you for your patience.)
Jaci Cortez
Founder and Board President
Jaci (pronounced: JC) Cortez was separated from their birth mother at the age of four due to her being deported back to Guatemala. Since they were born in Los Angeles, California. They were placed in Kinship. Though Jaci was initially adopted by an aunt at five. They were eventually put back into the foster care system at thirteen after a failed adoption. Their upbringing wasn’t ideal, but they persevered through it all. They even experienced Homelessness during and after Foster Care. They graduated from Warren High School in 2012 and from Rio Hondo College in 2020 with their AA-T in Communication Studies and 2 others AA-T degrees. Growing up in the California Foster System they realized that they could help change the experience of foster youth aging out of the system by advocating, working, and volunteering with many organizations associated with foster care. They have spoken at many events to help educate and motivate people. Jaci has spent years working alongside social workers, STRTP staff, resource (foster) parents, educators, service providers, community leaders, probation officers and lawyers to give them a perspective in how the youth view themselves and others.
They hope to continue the change to better foster care so that youth are seen and heard in a positive way. In the future, once they settle down. They want to become a Resource (Foster) Parent themselves.
Board of Directors
Get to know our Board of Directors:
Irving Alvarez
Board Executive Director for 2 Terms
(REST IN POWER: 10/31/2023)
(He, Him) Born into a first generation immigrant family here in America. Irving knew his indigenous Mayan and Garífuna background. Coupled with the unique and complex pronunciation of his name, and topped off with his skin tone was not normal… to people! After dropping out of high school at 16 and starting his school to prison pipeline journey that same year. Irving soon learned that we can not trust or rely on systems that were not created for us to become successful. Irving joined the 2017-2018 Latino men’s advisory council in Chino State Prison and graduated in 2018 from NCCER (electrical design and engineering) in Chino State Prison. Post returning home in April 2018 Irving’s abolitionist mindset and interests grew after experiencing victories in MAC where while in prison Irving successfully advocated and campaigned to get Fans, microwaves, and flat screens TVs for all inmates to use during day time. This among other campaigning successes provided Irving with the thirst to keep the movement ferociously alive. None the less experience which is among life’s greatest teachers played an incredibly pivotal role in the shaping of Irving’s insightful, compassionate, and trustworthy organizing and mobilizing capacity. Irving is now a successful Program Consultant and fellowship lead. Irving is an abolitionist by heart and believes the only way to liberation is to find solutions instead of isolation, he stands in solidarity with abolishing all systems of oppression to see the sun shine on all flowers whose with seeds sown continuously give to create a fruitful earth.
The world and Sunflower has lost a powerful community leader and kind soul.
We will keep his legacy alive. Also, his family has allowed us in the future to have a yearly scholarship in his name!