Born and raised in East LA, Araceli Gonzalez Matthews brings over 27 years of experience in child welfare and crisis response to Haz La Diferencia. As a former emergency response worker for the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services, she’s spent decades protecting children and supporting families through some of their most difficult moments.

Araceli holds a Master’s in Social Work from California State University, Long Beach, and has completed additional training through USC’s MSW program. Today, she supervises graduate student interns and advocates for both Haz La Diferencia and the Fight 4 Hope Campaign—sharing her knowledge, compassion, and deep community ties to expand access to mental health resources.

A proud mother to a college senior studying psychology, Araceli is driven by the belief that healing begins with connection. Her collaborative spirit and wide-reaching network help families find the support they need to move forward with hope.