Press Release:
Los Angeles, CA: Young people representing more than fifty (50) youth groups and community-based organizations from every corner of Los Angeles will join Mayor Eric Garcetti and Councilmember Monica Rodriguez at a press conference at Los Angeles City Hall on Thursday morning, April 1, 2021 to encourage the Los Angeles City Council to support the creation of the first ever Youth Development Department in the City of Los Angeles.
Mayor Garcetti said, “I’m pleased to join these young people who are the future leaders of Los Angeles and I enthusiastically support the creation of a Youth Development Department.”
This department will allow the City of Los Angeles to provide services to youth aged 10-25 that focus on violence prevention, youth counseling, financial literacy, job preparation skills, technology assistance and other services that will better prepare them for the future.
“In an era of reimagining, let’s fix broken systems and fund programming that serves the needs of young people and put an end to policing our way out” said Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, the author of the motion to establish this new department. “The 800,000 youth in our City deserve a department that invests in developing their full potential and is structured, governed and measured to meet their needs.”
The Invest in Youth Coalition, led by Lou Calanche, is comprised of non-profit educational groups, community leaders, community-based organizations, parents, neighborhood groups and young people from the San Fernando Valley to East LA, from Koreatown to South LA. The creation of this department is supported by respected community groups including Homeboy Industries, The Brotherhood Crusade, Community Coalition, El Nido Family Centers, Inner City Struggle and the Boys & Girls Club of Carson to name a few.
Starlyne Vargas, a 10-year-old youth member of the Invest in Youth Coalition said, “Young people from every community in LA have come together to ask the City Council to support the creation of this Youth Development Department.”
Christian Wimberly, another youth member said, “This department will provide critically important services to youth and young adults who have had a difficult time with school, studies, work and just coping since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.”
What: Press Conference at Los Angeles City Hall, South Lawn
When: 10:00am Thursday April 1, 2021
Who: Mayor Eric Garcetti, Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, Youth group representatives
Purpose: Rally for creation of Youth Development Department in the City of Los Angeles
For information about the press conference please contact Kerman Maddox at
kerman@dakcomm.com or (310) 259-9864.
For information about youth group participation please contact Lou Calanche at
Invest in Youth Coalition, Lou@legacyla.org or (323) 819-4441.
