PEOPLE WHO CARE CHILDREN ASSOCIATION
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Mission Statement
People Who Care (PWC) Children's Association’s mission is to preserve the wellness and enhance the quality of life for youth in East Contra Costa County California low income communities, living with social and developmental disabilities and youth at-risk through unique educational, vocational, employment, and therapeutic experiences and support.
About This Cause
The First 5 Years In 2001 Veronica Pope held a simple fundraiser on donated sites in Pittsburg California to garner support for at-risk youth with little or no resources. At the time, more than one in four youth in East Contra Costa County California lived in a low-income household, and violence against youth was a serious public health problem in California. Ms. Pope, a Mental Health Intervention Specialist in Pittsburg public school settings, recognized the need for community support particularly during non-school hours, decided to focus her fundraising efforts on these youth. She started The Hip Hop Volunteer Community Car Wash Program. Since PWC only needed a site on weekends, PWC operated the car wash on two donated sites in Pittsburg (Car Wash Auto Supply Store provided its parking lot and the water to wash the cars and Railroad Junction Daycare Center the electricity for the vacuum cleaner and other electronic devices). As the car wash program continued to grow and become more popular with the youth and their parents, school districts, probation, law enforcement and others, PWC was in need of a bigger and permanent site for car washing activities. It took more than a year, but thanks to a long-standing relationship with the city of Pittsburg, PWC found the right space - city owned lease property on Railroad Avenue from which to operate the car wash. Established in 2003, the car wash program provides positive alternatives for youth with challenges that are from culturally different, low-income, and other disadvantaged groups in East Contra Costa County California in fear of entering the juvenile criminal justice system. The car wash has served approximately 1000 at-risk and high risk youth since its inception. The car wash provides a way to connect youth - who would otherwise be isolated - to their community through volunteerism and civic engagement over the last 10 years. The Next 5 Years 1. PWC’s Hip Hop After-School Program: Established 2008 in collaboration with various government and other social development agencies and businesses throughout Contra Costa County, the PWC Hip Hop After-school Program expanded the Hip Hop Car Wash Program from Saturday only to a six day after-school program. Working in the Pittsburg school systems, Ms. Pope experiences first-hand students who demonstrated disruptive or other behaviors that put them at high risk for dismissal or suspension from school on a daily basis. The most at risk youth in the district are those attending continuation schools. These schools were specifically designed for youth who were struggling in a traditional classroom setting, and as such house some of the students with the highest number of risk factors and least number of supports and protective factors. The Hip Hop After-school Program provides vocational and employment opportunities aimed at increasing educational success among at-risk and high-risk youth in the Pittsburg/Bay Point communities in Contra Costa County during after-school hours - peak times for juvenile crime and risky behaviors such as alcohol and drug use. The PWC Program helps keep at-risk youth safe, improve academic achievement and help relieve the stresses on today’s working families. The Hip Hop Youth Solar & Environmental Training Program In the fall of 2010, The Hip Hop After-school Program was later expanded to the Hip Hop Youth Solar & Environmental Training Program. This program is designed to teach at-risk youth three basic learning objects - climate change education, renewable energy and renewable energy job outlook, and conservation. We accomplish our goals through hands-on renewable energy projects ranging from building actual solar panels, LED lighting, solar battery powered mini off grid electric systems for multiple uses, wind generators, model green off grid homes, in particular, solar power systems on “green model (doll-house size) homes.” The aim is to educate at-risk youth on green design, energy conservation, and off grid power system basics. Through the PWC program our youth are motivated and enjoy building models and learning about renewable energy in a hands on fashion. It is our firm belief that a program like this provides tremendous opportunity for at-risk youth to excel and gain a sense of accomplishment and pride. The models are an excellent method to create jobs for at-risk youth and teach real world applications in the field of green technology. The Hip Hop “Green” Jobs Youth Training Program PWC launched the Hip Hop Green Jobs Youth Training Program in the fall of 2012. Unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, is a significant problem in Pittsburg and other East Contra Costa County cities and there is an urgent need for a new source of living wage jobs for low income residents with barriers to employment - lack of job skills, lack of education, language/cultural barriers, or history in juvenile/criminal justice system). PWC has had success designing and building “green” projects like model homes and decks with model off-grid power systems, and full-sized decks with green design. Our program offers a highly educational experience in green technology education (green design and construction), and rewards our youth with employment opportunities. Focused on providing “green pathways out of poverty”, the program addresses two critical crises (the environment and of poverty). Green collar jobs represent an important new category of work force opportunities because they are relatively high quality jobs, with relatively low barriers to entry - jobs that provide students with meaningful, community serving work, and entrepreneurial opportunities. Today PWC offers an incomparable opportunity to youth and their families by providing educational, vocational, employment, community service, a therapeutic summer camp, and clinical services, specialized support and resources. Located at 2231 Railroad Avenue, Pittsburg, CA. PWC’s serves a racially and socio-economically diverse group of over 200 youth at-risk throughout the year—at no charge. Now in our 1st decade, we have served more than 1,000 youth and families, providing services in East Contra Costa County California. The Green Jobs Youth Training Program has the support of the Contra Costa County Mental Health, Probation, PUSD, Pittsburg city officials, and City Councilwoman, Ms. Nancy Parent. In addition, People Who Care’s CEO, Ms. Veronica Pope, was presented the “Jefferson Award” for outstanding work in the community, and the Hip Hop Car Wash “GREEN” Program by CBS Channel 5, Kate Kelly in August 2010. Furthermore, the PWC program along with Ms. Pope were also featured in the Family Circle magazine 2010 edition.