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In 2005, following a period of increasing violence and gang
activity among Tongan youth in San Mateo and San Bruno. These Police departments
along with Tongan faith & community leaders from all over the Bay Area formed
the Tongan Interfaith Council (TIC). Elizabeth “Lisa”
Tatola-Joachim, a Tongan community leader and early TIC member, has a strong
passion and desire to create and live in a peaceful community, where children
can play in the streets and be safe.
Lisa volunteered to co-facilitate and plan events for Fa’a
Pasifika in partnership with the San Mateo Police Activities League to take
Tongan & Pacific Islander youth off the streets and provide safe, structured and
supervised activities for the youth.
She envisioned the youth participating in events such as
outdoor adventure trips, movie nights and other social, educational events. Lisa
also believed strongly in giving back and inspired involved youth to take part
in local community service projects like Save our Shores and Community
Clean-ups. |
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Lisa was a key facilitator in a County Health Grant and a United
Way Grant which helped establish the PAL Rugby Team. After seeing Lisa’s passion
and dedication, Officer Paul Pak brought Lisa onto PAL’s team as an employee.
Lisa’s journey began years ago when South San Francisco PAL boy
asked a girl from San Mateo to marry him. A true PAL family was formed with Lisa
and Brian and their five children, Samantha, Wil, Lia, Peyton and Marley. Both
Brian and Lisa believe in helping others and giving back to their community and
they have instilled that love and passion in their children.
Lisa and Brian and their family can be seen at Jr. Giants as
an assistant coach or as a team parent, at the Police Department wrapping and
sorting gifts, participating in beach cleanups and much more. The Tatola-Joachim
Family embody and exemplify the love, passion and desire of the PAL organization
to create a safer community and promote the healthy physical, social and mental
development of its youth.
To know the Tatola-Joachim family is to love them. As a family they thank PAL
for the opportunity to give back to their city & community they love so much.
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