West Athens Intervention Project

There are more than 250 active gangs in the City of Los Angeles. These gangs have a combined membership of over 26,000 individuals. Rotary District 5280 has launched a peace initiative to prevent gangs and mitigate gang involvement. In partnership with "A Better LA" and C.U.R.E, the Rotary District of 5280 will provided hands-on volunteer work and funding for several anti-gang efforts. Specifically, the District is focusing the GSE team experience on gang intervention. The District will contribute to 1. Hosting a peace symposium for Rotarians and community members to learn about the gang issues and what is being done, 2. An internationally-renown sculptor has donated a peace pole to be awarded to the club in the District that provides the greatest effort to bring peace to Los Angeles. Additionally, funding will go to scholarships provided to gang members to attend "Get Out of Gang" certification classes provided by C.U.R.E. The intended beneficiaries are the people of Los Angeles, specifically the citizens of the West Athens area. This work will have a domino impact all over South Los Angeles because of how the gangs are inter-connected.

The estimated time of this project is one year.

The total amount for this Matching Grant is $49,000.