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Press Release
Sep 12 2008
LAYLC Students Lend A Helping Hand: Teens from Urban Youth Centers Give Back to Local Kids
Teen volunteers from the Los Angeles Youth Leadership Council (LAYLC), a collaborative of student leaders from local youth centers, recently lent a hand to the Salesian Boys & Girls Club at the recent KOOL-AID & KaBOOM! Playground Build Day.
The teenagers, who all take part in the LAYLC’s leadership-development program sponsored by the Majestic Realty Foundation, represented the Bresee Foundation Youth Center, Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) and the Salesian Boys & Girls Club at the event. They spent the day assembling play structure pieces, building art easels and constructing park benches.
“The students from Bresee and HOLA were an integral part in making this a productive and successful day,” said Sylvia Guillen, Salesian Boys & Girls Club director of public relations. “It was great seeing student leaders from the LAYLC come to support another youth center project. The student volunteers had such a positive attitude and strong work ethic, volunteering to improve their greater community.”
LAYLC students, many of whom come from low-performing schools and gang-ridden neighborhoods, represent their youth centers at civic and community events across the city and county.
“One of the hallmarks of our LAYLC members is that despite their own challenges, they are always willing to give back to the community and help young people in need,” said Meghan Loper, Majestic Realty Foundation program director. “They handle themselves at public events with maturity and dignity. Their giving spirit makes their families, their youth centers, their communities and all of us at Majestic Realty Foundation proud.”
While at the Salesian/KaBOOM! Sept. 6 event, the LAYLC volunteers helped construct the playground that had been designed based on the drawings and ideas submitted by younger Boys & Girls Club members at the playground design day held on July 24th.
KaBOOM! is a national non-profit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Celebrating twelve years of service in 2008, KaBOOM! rallies communities to achieve better public policy, funding and public awareness for increased play opportunities nationwide; provide resources, including trainings, challenge grants, and publications for communities that wish to plan a new playspace on their own; and bring together children, business and community interests for a select number of community playspace builds each year. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago and San Mateo. Thanks to a partnership with KOOL-AID, this year KOOL-AID and KaBOOM! will build 24 COOL playgrounds in communities across the United States. For more information visit: www.kaboom.org.
Founded and sponsored by the Majestic Realty Foundation, the LAYLC brings together 80 students from six urban youth centers in Los Angeles: the Bresee Foundation; El Centro del Pueblo; HOLA; Para los Niños; Salesian Boys & Girls Club of LA; and the Salvation Army/Red Shield. The Majestic Realty Foundation strongly believes that youth centers have the power to curb youth violence, develop strong leaders and create safe communities.
Established in 2002, the Majestic Realty Foundation provides grants and other support to various charitable community partners that work the areas of youth, family, education, violence prevention and health in the communities where Majestic Realty Co., one of the nation’s leading private commercial real estate developers, does business. For more information, visit: www.majesticfoundation.org.
Media Contact:
Gail Kiralla
562-948-4378
gkiralla@majesticrealty.com