Jennifer Arceneaux, Community Investment Officer from United Way said, "United Way of Greater Los Angeles is excited to participate in Communities Empowering Youth (CEY) with Korean Churches for Community Development. CEY offers us the opportunity to deeply engage Asian/Pacific Islander communities and further expand the implementation of best practices for youth development organizations. Staff members of these organizations - including those working with diverse youth populations - frequently provide the first line of defense against youth involvement in gangs. This work aligns well with United Way's mission to create pathways out of poverty, especially in the area of educational achievement, as we work to ensure all youth in Los Angeles County, aided by a relationship with a caring adult, graduate from high school prepared for college and the workforce of the 21st century."
Although national trends show that juvenile arrests have decreased in the last 20 years, when examined by ethnicity, Asian youth are the only group to show an increase in arrests. In addition, a recent report shows that the fastest growing gang population in Los Angeles is Asians. According to the newly released Advancement Project report on gang intervention, adequate resources for Asian youth are limited in scope and availability in the city of Los Angeles. In response to this growing crisis, KCCD hopes that the CEY Program will strengthen its local youth-serving partners in Los Angeles as well as build system-wide capacity for organizations serving Asian American youth.
As part of this program, KCCD will be providing a Capacity Building Training Academy to youth agencies. Interested youth agencies should contact KCCD.
Identified agencies who will be working with KCCD include Asian Youth Center, Nanoom Fellowship, Pilipino Worker's Center, All People's Christian Center, Korean American Family Service Center (KAFSC), Kollaboration, Our SAVIOUR Center, and P.F. Bresee Foundation.
May To, Executive Director of Asian Youth Center, one of KCCD's partnering youth agencies added, "The Asian Youth Center is pleased to be a partner of KCCD's Compassion Capital Fund Communities Empowering Youth Program. We look forward to working with all the partner agencies to enhance and expand our capacities to better serve the youth community and their families."
For additional information, please contact Amber Lee at 213-985-1500 or amberlee@kccd3300.org, or visit our website at www.kccd3300.org.
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