About EMPACT

EMPACT is a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to bridging the gaps within system-impacted communities. Through advocacy, crisis response, and direct engagement, we work to address the institutional, systemic, and structural root causes of social inequalities.

Our Focus Areas:

✔ Social Justice & Crisis Response – Advocacy-driven activism to address urgent community needs.
✔ Youth Advocacy & Civic Engagement – Equipping young leaders with tools for empowerment and policy change.
✔ Sex Trafficking Prevention – Raising awareness and providing resources for prevention and survivor support.
✔ Gun Violence Prevention – Implementing strategies to reduce violence and promote safety.
✔ Mental Health Support – Providing resources to promote emotional well-being and resilience.
✔ Legislative Change & Public Speaking – Leading policy reform initiatives and amplifying impacted voices.

At EMPACT, we believe in community-led solutions, systemic accountability, and sustainable change. Join us in our mission to create a more just and equitable future.

🔹 Together, we make an EMPACT. 🔹

Mission Statement

At EMPACT, our mission is to amplify the voices of the intentionally ignored, deliberately silenced, and preferably unheard. We recognize the profound impact of trauma on our communities and are committed to addressing systemic injustices through advocacy, frontline bravery, and humanitarian servitude.
Guided by the leadership of marginalized voices, we fight for human rights and social equality by providing resources, education, and fostering relationships between system-impacted individuals and those in positions of power. Through policy reform, direct support services, and community-driven solutions, we strive to create lasting change and empower individuals to reclaim their narratives and futures.
 

MEET THE FOUNDER

Leia N. Schenk is an esteemed social justice activist, community organizer, business owner, and founder of EMPACT. A Los Angeles native, Leia is an outspoken, focused, and sometimes controversial champion for civil and human rights. Her advocacy spans autism awareness, mental health, mass incarceration, crisis response, sex trafficking prevention, social injustices, and racial disparities.

With a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, Leia’s career has taken her into juvenile intervention, state prisons, and social work. With over 20 years of dedicated service, she launched EMPACT in 2018—a grassroots movement designed to bridge the gaps between various communities within Sacramento County and beyond. EMPACT challenges systemic failures while exposing policies that perpetuate injustice, uniting people across cultural, socioeconomic, and geographical divides.

Leia has made it her life’s mission to be the voice of the intentionally unheard and the deliberately forgotten. Through protests, lobbying, and demanding accountability, she fights for systemic change. In 2022, she developed Project Take, a curriculum aimed at educating youth about the dangers of sex trafficking.

Her relentless advocacy for autistic rights, her unwavering commitment to community empowerment, and her dedication to supporting other organizations have solidified Leia as a true change agent. She is known for provoking critical conversations and inspiring action. EMPACT is more than an organization—it is a movement where voices are upheld, uplifted, and empowered.

The work

 

  • Crisis Response

  • School District Support

  • Prisoner Support

  • Missing Children Cases/ Sex Trafficking Prevention

  • Civic Engagement & Social Justice

  • Public Speaking

  • Autism Advocacy

  • Community Partnerships

  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Training