Los Angeles is known as the gang capital of the world, with more than 40,000 gang members belonging to over 700 gangs.  The City's gang crime costs taxpayers $2 billion a year, yet in spite of all the efforts, gang activity in L.A. increased 14% in 2006. 

A major problem is the racially-motivated violence that has escalated over the past few years.  These hate crimes are especially prevalent in the Harbor Gateway neighborhood, a two-mile area close to Gardena, Carson and Torrance.

The tension between Latino and Black gangs in this community has created an unsafe environment for everyone, and innocent children are the victims.  14 year-old Cheryl Green, an African American girl, was killed on December 15, 2006.  Most recently, on March 4th, a 6 year-old African American boy was shot in the head while riding through the area with his family, including his mother who was eight months pregnant.  Both incidents allegedly have been linked to Latino gangs and everyone is living in fear of the possible retaliation and ongoing violence.

Gangs recruit children as young as 6 or 7 years old, so early intervention is essential.  Create Now! has been collaborating with the Harbor Gateway Task Force for over a year to help stop the violence by initiating a Peace Mural with 18 fourth-grade children from this neighborhood.  Our mural project will culminate with an International Cultural Festival on Saturday, April 19th.  We invite you to support us by volunteering, donating or sponsoring this important event.

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 Drawing by Adilen Ochoa, 186th Street Elementary School (4th Grade)

Web designer Lynda Williams joined Create Now! in January 2006 when we hired her as a temporary employee.  After six months on the job, she offered to do the work as a volunteer because she loved the organization and knew every penny counts for a small non-profit.  Since then, Lynda has worked tirelessly to program and maintain our website and newsletter, donating her services as well as the expenses associated with the maintenance.  We appreciate her commitment and dedication and thank her for her ongoing support.  It is through volunteers ike Lynda that Create Now! continues to fulfill its mission of bringing arts mentoring and resources to the most troubled youth in our community. 

Create Now! couldn't begin to serve the thousands of children we serve each year if it weren't for the generous, ongoing support of our sponsors and supporters. Please take a moment to click on any logo - or visit our sponsors' and supporters' pages at the Create Now! web site to learn more about these fabulous companies.