SALESIAN FAMILY YOUTH CENTER
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Mission Statement
To inspire and enable the young people of Boyle Heights and the surrounding communities to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens and to support their families in this effort.
About This Cause
Since 1966, the Salesian Family Youth Center (formerly the Salesian Boys and Girls Club of Los Angeles) has been serving the young people of the Boyle Heights community. The founder of the Salesians, Saint John Bosco, fervently believed in working on behalf of the young, especially those who are poor or at risk, and the Salesian Family Youth Center has that goal at the heart of everything it does. Located within walking distance of 13,000 elementary through high school age students, the Salesian Family Youth Center works to serve local families by providing positive after-school activities and low-cost alternative programs for thousands of at-risk and economically disadvantaged youth between the ages of 6 and 18. Our mission is “to inspire and enable the young people of Boyle Heights and the surrounding communities to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens and to support their families in this effort.” The Center operates one clubhouse in Boyle Heights and one school site for non-school hours programming. Our center and our staff work daily to provide mentorship and a safe place for these young people to learn, play, and grow in their own knowledge. Our greatest perennial challenge is locating and providing funding for the programs vital to the success of our most important community resource, our young children. We know the importance of their on-going education, and we recognize that learning cannot just stop at the end of the school day or the school year. Studies have shown that students who continue to be socially and academically engaged are more likely to succeed and remain in school long term. For that reason, and on behalf of the children and families who benefit directly from our programs, we are hoping that you will consider donating to us. We provide a number of programs, but our largest and most essential is the We Care Afterschool Program. This program grew out of a deep community need for after-school care for students in grades K-8 who are attending public schools that cannot provide this for them. We recognized that we could use our resources, with the help of donors like yourselves, to create a values-driven environment where these students could receive daily homework assistance and tutoring, participate in cooperative games and physical activities, and enjoy healthy snacks until their parents could pick them up. We work with an enthusiastic network of trained staff and volunteers, many of whom are local high school students who come regularly to tutor and play with the children. We typically have fifty students enrolled and because we are committed to high quality interactions, we maintain a 12:1 ratio between the students and their mentors. Because of COVID The program is open from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., and we are able to provide a place where the children can do online school while supervised by one of our youth development specialist. The benefits of the program have been readily apparent. Parents and students alike report increased school attendance and improved academic performance, as well as improved emotional and behavioral skills. The parents are deeply appreciative because they know their children are not only safe in our care, they are also learning, growing and gaining confidence. Our biggest obstacle is that the cost of the program for each family is $250 per month. None of our families can afford to pay that amount, so we work closely with each family to give their children the opportunity to attend. Every family is asked to give a donation, which for some is as little as $5 per month. This donation helps each family feel a sense of connection and responsibility, a sense that they are contributing to their children’s education. It also helps them understand that this is a place where they have an investment and where they are truly making a contribution to their own children and to their community. We, of course, rely on generous donations from individuals and organizations to continue our valuable work on behalf of our families. The Salesian community and the families we serve are deeply grateful for the work you do and the generous help you provide.