LYNWOOD, Calif. — More than 70,000 residents make up the small town of Lynwood, and 88% of them are Latino. Additionally, one in six residents have contracted COVID-19.

Mayor Marisela Santana said she will always call the streets of Lynwood home. It is where she grew up and the people of the community are her family. It brings her to tears knowing how deep their pain runs due to the pandemic.

“It’s hard to see this virus at work," she said.

Santana said every week her dad receives another call that they have lost another family member to COVID-19. Her two aunts that did survive were just released from the hospital and have to learn how to walk again.

“[My dad] lost a brother in May to COVID, a nephew a few months later, and in January it’s been seven people all together," said Mayor Santana.

Family gatherings and celebrations are a big part of her Latino culture. Santana said she thinks that is the main reason why her family and town have been hit so hard by the pandemic. There is only so much she can do to warn anyone who will listen. When she walks into her office as the mayor of Lynwood, the statistics are staggering.

“I know that my family is not the only one," Santana said. "But I have to stay strong for the community and I have to believe that this is just something that — it’s even hard to say but — something that’s been sent our way to make us stronger and more united.”

In Lynwood one in every six residents has caught COVID-19. One in every 400 has died from the virus. The city’s plight drew national attention that Mayor Santana said has actually helped in their push for vaccines. They were recently invited to a call with the White House COVID Response Team.

“If the government is seeing that we are the hardest hit region, why aren’t the resources coming to our communities now? Lynwood is in the Southeast Los Angeles region and still, it takes us 40 minutes to get to the closest mass vaccination site,” said Mayor Santana.

She and Councilmember Oscar Flores are hopeful for the future. He said they are doing all they can in the meantime to help residents in need, from mental health resources to free food distributions. 

“But it just doesn’t seem to be enough. It’s hard to see, it really is but I’m glad we’ve had them and we’re gonna continue to offer that resource and others as quickly as we can," Councilmember Flores explained.

He is working to continue pushing for people to stay home, wear masks, and get tested while Mayor Santana is rallying support from the government to secure those vaccines.

“Maybe we won’t get a mass site, but even if they bring some mobile vaccination clinics in our communities, we will be happy about that," she said.

The leader is a strong believer in giving back to the struggling community that raised her.