A trusted Clinic leads to a thriving community

Venice Family Clinic has been caring for people in Inglewood for more than two decades, and one of our 2026 goals is to expand our work in southwestern Los Angeles even further. As part of that effort, last month we brought a little joy and cultivated community with Inglewood residents at our 2025 Children’s Holiday Movie event.

Held on December 13th at the historic Miracle Theater in the heart of downtown Inglewood, families walked a red carpet and posed for photos together before taking their seats. The showing of “Elf” brought patients, staff and volunteers together for a day of festivity, family and a VIP visit from Santa.

A safe space for new experiences together

It was the first time Xiomara Mendez (6) ever went to a movie in a theater. Mendez is on the autism spectrum, and can get over-stimulated by noisy, crowded and new environments, says her mother, Alejandra Orozco. But Orozco felt empowered to expose her daughter to the new experience because she trusts Venice Family Clinic.

Before Orozco found Venice Family Clinic, she felt unwelcome at other clinics and that clinicians there lacked patience when treating her daughter. But since switching to Venice Family Clinic when Xiomara was one, the Clinic is now a place where mother and daughter both feel truly comfortable. Xiomara gets care from Dr. Kimberly McNally, a pediatrician at the Inglewood South La Brea Health Center.

“Dr. McNally really talks to Xiomara, and takes her time to communicate with us,” Orozco said. “At Venice Family Clinic, my daughter feels so cared for. Everyone treats her with respect.”

An Inglewood local, Orozco knew The Miracle Theater was a single-screen theater and would be filled with community members. It felt safe for Orozco to give it a try.

“She’s really excited about the movie,” Orozco said, looking over at her daughter. Xiomara wore bright blue over-the-ear noise canceling headphones to reduce stimuli, and was gazing at the screen, preparing for the film to start. She made it through the whole film, and Orozco decided watching Elf together at Christmas could be a new family tradition.

“We weren’t going to do anything for the holidays,” Orozco said. “This makes such a difference.”

Nourishing the next generation of our community

Making a difference in patient lives is the bedrock of our work across our expanded service area in southwestern L.A. Our two health centers and Early Head Start facilities in Inglewood already do just that, and in coming years, the Inglewood Crenshaw Children and Family Center will expand that work further. In addition to family medicine, the center will offer pre- and post-partum support, job training and mentorship, Early Head Start, a regular fresh food market and much more. From prenatal visits to behavioral health and beyond, our goal is to be the comprehensive center of an Inglewood patient family’s healthful life.

That’s a role we’ve been playing in Yahaira Gutierrez’ life since she became a Clinic patient as a baby. Now a mother of two, Gutierrez was excited to get the invitation to this year’s Children’s Holiday Movie: she remembers coming to the event when she was growing up. She considers the tradition and her visits to the Clinic as part of her “beautiful childhood.” Reflecting on these memories and being able to share the experience with her own children (who are also now Venice Family Clinic patients), made her tear up in the theater.

“Right now, I’m a mom without a job, and the little things like going to the movies always count,” Gutierrez said. “This means a lot to me that we even got an invitation to be a part of it. And I get to show my kids what I was a part of when I was a little girl, too.”

We’re proud to offer health care and build community in Inglewood, and look forward to helping families like Orozco’s and Gutierrez’s continue to find both with Venice Family Clinic in the years to come.