About Us

MGI’s goals and objectives include improving the quality of life for the residents of MonetaGardens and Hawthorne and to provide educational opportunities for its youth. MGI success has been proven since 1999, when we opened the first Health and DignityCenter, a multi-service resource center, at Zela Davis Elementary school. Since then, MGI has expanded to include a second center at YorkElementary School called the Maxine Waters Health and Dignity Center. Each Center offers physical, social, and emotional health resources for youth, seniors, and low-income families. In addition the centers offer a case management component and community advocacy for families around issues including social security benefits, health insurance, disability benefits, housing, immigration, child support, parenting education and much more.

Alex Monteiro

Alexandre Monteiro, BA, MPH, MA in Education and Counseling with a Pupil Personnel Services Credential from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, is a Native of Cape Verde Islands who arrived in The United States 25 years ago. For the past twenty years, Mr. Monteiro has consistently worked with schools, social service agencies and community groups in assuring that underprivileged children receive adequate physical and mental health services, and support structures that positively affect their academic achievement. His interest is to have a direct positive effect in children’s lives and assist many families and young adult in accessing services that fulfilled their physical, emotional and basic needs.  Mr. Monteiro has connected easily with students and their parents across ethnic and cultural difference thanks to his trilingual capabilities.

Alex has worked as project coordinator for the International Healthy City in Boston, Health Education coordinator at Arroyo Vista Family Health Center in Los Angeles, Executive Director for the Roosevelt School Based Clinic in East LA, LAUSD, Hawthorne School District, and Richstone Family Center. At the present time Mr. Monteiro is the president and Executive Director of the Moneta Gardens Improvement, Inc. (MGI), a non-profit organization serving the underprivileged families and children of the Hawthorne and the Chief Administrator for the South Bay Universal Child Development Center-The Castle, which is also a non-profit organization dedicate to provide early childhood education to our children of Hawthorne. 

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

• President of the Board of Directors for Moneta Gardens Improvement Inc.

• Founder of the South Bay Universal Child Development Center-Non-Profit Preschool

• Member of the Hawthorne School District Board of Trustees

• Chairman of the Hawthorne President Council  

• President for the Hawthorne Imperial Lions since 2008

• Advisor for the Hawthorne LEOS

• Administrator for the Hawthorne Moose Lodge 1746

• Chairman of the Annual Hawthorne Health & Sports  Fair

• Chairman of the Hawthorne Relay For Life

• Member of the Cape Verde Association of Southern California.

• Former Chair of Region 11 Healthy Start Business Partnerships Committee For Los Angeles County Office of Education, Downey, CA        

• Former Chair of Membership Committee for the Community Health Council for Inglewood, Lennox, and Hawthorne.

• Former Member of the School Attendance Review Board (SARB-14) South Bay

• Former Volunteer for the Los Angeles American Red Cross for their Annual Kids and Adults Health Fair. 

• Former Commissioner for the City of Hawthorne Parks, Recreation & Fine Arts 

2008-2010 MGI Board of Directors