LOS ANGELES - Councilmember Krekorian honored Laurie Saffian as Council District 2's Pioneer Woman of the Year, the 28th annual event sponsored by the city's Commission on the Status of Women.A proud, second-generation community activist, Laurie has dedicated her professional and volunteer life to creating safer communities. As an advocate for gun violence prevention, Laurie serves as the co-chair of Women Against Gun Violence (WAGV), a Los Angeles-based organization that, for over 20 years, has advocated for common-sense gun laws, and provided education on keeping families and communities safe from gun violence.
Laurie also helped create the TALK Project - a WAGV program designed to educate families on how to protect children from gun violence - which has received recognition from the Los Angeles City Council and has helped reach out to thousands of Los Angeles families.
As president of the board of L.A. SHARES, a materials reuse program in its 25th year, Laurie has directed over $200 million in new and gently-used items to more than 4,000 local non-profit organizations each year, which has kept more than a million pounds of material out of landfills.
Congratulations to Laurie on being recognized for her leadership on important issues that enhance our communities and keep neighborhoods safe.