It is with heavy hearts that we honor the life of Kathryn “Kathy” Wooten—founder of Loving Hands Community Care, devoted community advocate, and a pillar of strength in Watts and beyond.

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Kathy’s journey was rooted in profound resilience.  In 2008, her two oldest sons — Kejuan and Branden — were murdered less than two months apart.  Following the death of her sons, Kathy transformed her grief into action, creating spaces for other mothers and families navigating unimaginable loss.  What began as a Mother’s Day gathering grew into Loving Hands Community Care, where for nearly two decades she led support groups, healing events, and a community grounded in compassion, connection, and hope.

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Kathy gave everything to her community—her heart, her faith, and her unwavering commitment to others.  She was a source of comfort, strength, and love for countless families, always showing up with open arms and a reminder that no one has to grieve alone.

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Her impact reached far beyond Los Angeles, earning recognition at both local and national levels.  In 2021, the National Football League Foundation — in partnership with the LA84 Foundation and others — named Loving Hands Community Care as one of six "Champion" organizations transforming communities across Los Angeles.  The following year, Kathy traveled to Washington, D.C. with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to join President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, members of the U.S. Congress, and families of victims from the Buffalo and Uvalde mass shootings in a White House ceremony to commemorate the signing of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.  This was a historic piece of legislation designed to reduce gun violence.

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Kathy’s loving legacy endures through her husband, Patrick; her children; sisters, brothers, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and the countless grieving mothers she uplifted throughout her years of service to her community.  She left Los Angeles a much better place than she found it, and Loving Hands Community Care lives on as a symbol of her perseverance, empathy, and commitment to transform loss and pain into healing and hope. ​​Today, the community Kathy served is committed to ensuring that Loving Hands continues to help mothers, siblings, children, and all who are suffering find a welcoming home — a place to begin their healing journeys, surrounded by understanding and compassionate support.