Sunset
Junction
Youth
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Sunset Junction's Youth Program was created as a result
of the community being pulled apart. People want their communities to
be livable again, free of gangs, drugs and violance. The Youth Program
has been a success in getting neighborhood youth involved in taking
action in the community.
The Youth Program has networked with
El Centro Del Pueblo, Hollywood-Sunset
Free Clinic, LACER, King & Virgil Middle Schools, Le Conte Middle
School,
John Marshall and Hollywood High Schools for over 10 years to provide a
support
system for youth as an alternative choice as oppose to negative
behavior, which
has helped more than 5,000 youth.
Some
of the activities include: Christmas Parties, Field
Trips, Sports, Counseling, Tutoring, Job Training and Community Service
(John Marshall
High School).
At present we are working with about
60 youth a week with no
more city funding.
To date our completed projects
include: twenty-five murals, acting classes, participation in
soccer teams, job training, newly planted trees, care of the Fountain
and help on building the Triangle Park and the Manzanita community
garden, painting local business signs, graffiti paint-out, and
neighborhood clean up. Involvement in these projects gives the youth
great pride and purpose in community, and builds self-esteem.
Our
youth are
learning skills to administrate the following
community programs:
Farmers’
Market (every Saturday, 8:00am
to 1:00 pm):
The Silver
Lake Farmers’ Market serves about 4,000 people a month to provide
quality and affordable fresh fruits,
vegetables and
other food products to the community. Also, provides a forum for community awareness by non-profits and local
artists.
Five years ago the creation of the
market was born out of our youth program.
Tsunami
Coffee House:
Offers 8 to 10, 12-Step meetings per month
Open-mike
for local talent.
Provides
job training for local youth, many who need community service hours to
graduate
from John
Marshall High
School.
Tsunami
provides meeting space for local community.
Annual
Street Fair:
The fair was
created, as a result of the community being pulled apart, to address
diversity.
The fair is presently celebrating its 27th
year of diversity, going on 28th.
A showcase
for local performers, artist and a forum for over forty non-profit
agencies to
do community outreach.
An
opportunity for local businesses to receive exposure by thousands of
people. Diffuses
tension in the community.
Over 100
youth are involved in making the fair a safe, clean and a successful
event.
Some of the
many partners involved in the alliance include:
Jackie Goldberg Ex-Council Woman in 13th District,
Summer Youth Employment and Training Program, El Centro del Pueblo,
Silver Lake Improvement Association, El Conquistador Restaurant, USA
Waste Management, Pennsylvania Builders Supply Inc., Water Forms,
Plumline Construction, Brad Berger, The Best Plumber, California
Conservation Corps., Tree People, Habitat for Humanity, Adelphia,
Glendale Federal Bank, United Airlines, Miller Brewing Anhouser Busch,
L.A. Weekly, Rockaway Records, La Conservacion, local merchants and
private cotractors.
The Alliance strives to building up the community by
creating opportunities for all people to come together in harmony and
work in partnership, especially our youth, and to empower them in the
community in which they live.
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The Sunset
Junction Neighborhood Alliance is a 501(c))3) non-profit organization
dedicated to improving the quality of life in the community of Silver
Lake, Echo Park and Los Feliz and the greater Los Angeles area.
Understanding and acceptance of cultural diversity life styles and
gender are the motivation for our efforts.