By Alberto Palacios

I wanted to give you all an update on our petition signature gathering effort. Volunteers have been going door-to-door, precinct-by-precinct, collecting signatures from registered voters to order a Comprehensive Fiscal Analysis of East L.A. - the first step towards Cityhood.

At last count we've collected over 5,000 signatures, more than half of the way there! We're on track to gather our goal of 10,000, but we'll only be able to keep up if we continue at this pace. That's why we need your help gathering signatures from your family, friends, and neighbors.

Sign up to volunteer.

Want to volunteer? Want to join the effort to move East L.A. forward? Sign up to volunteer here, and one of our volunteer coordinators will be in touch with you within 48 hours.

I've been a part of the East L.A. community for over 30 years, as a resident and as a teacher at Garfield High School. I know that if we come together we can make our community the best place to learn and live. Be a part of this historic movement!

Alberto Palacios is a Board Member for the East Los Angeles Residents Association (ELARA).