After losing a third of its staff to the economic down turn, A Place Called Home, a Los Angeles volunteer agency, is still working hard to raise enough money to continue its mission to keep underprivileged children in school and teach them the value of education.

 After entering through the gated parking lot and being greeted by the pleasant security guard at the front door, any visitor will immediately see that the center’s mission to be a “safe haven in South Central Los Angeles” is overwhelmingly apparent.

Continue down the front hallway, and the bright yellow walls and murals of smiling children make it clear that this is a place where “underserved youth are empowered to take ownership of the quality and direction of their lives…and are inspired to make a meaningful difference in their community and the world.”

 “It’s awesome here,” Nellitia Price, a parent and member of A Place Called Home, said,  “everyone here…all the staff… I love them all… It’s like we’re just a happy family.”

Price has been impressed with the results she’s seen in Zacara, her 9-year-old daughter, since she enrolled her in the center over a year ago. In addition to commending the safety and the amiable atmosphere, Price was happy to boast about the emphasis on the curriculum and “keeping up grades.”

She says Zacara comes home every day with her homework done. Her favorite thing, however, is how Zacara’s self-esteem has increased. She says, “since coming here [Zacara]’s more outgoing, she’s more open…she speaks her mind, which is really good.”

 A Place Called Home serves predominately at-risk children, ages 8 to 20, who come from families living below the poverty line. Some of the children are struggling with involvement in gangs and others come from undocumented families or families in the process of being deported. Most of the children live within a six-mile radius of the center.

 The goal is to develop a value for education while encouraging the children’s interests in music, dance, and art. Children can take classes such as film production, animation, or capoeira.

They work on projects such as producing a cooking show focused on healthy recipes. They also receive tutoring to ensure their academic success now, while counselors work to develop the children’s talents in areas that could potentially provide career opportunities in the future.

The children give A Place Called Home just as high, if not higher, praise than their parents. Zacara says, “I can’t wait ‘till summer.” She will get to take classes at the center full-time rather than just after school.

Her peer, 16-year-old Strella Vaeza, agrees. Strella, says the center’s best attributes are the scholarship opportunities and the fitness class where she gets to play sports. Both girls agree the only thing they would change is the “early” closing time, 6:30 pm.

 Arnold Angulo, the center’s case manager, noted that after the economic downturn they lost one third of their staff and have since been forced to limit enrollment to 300 students.

A waiting list now overflows with names of children hoping for the opportunity to participate in A Place Called Home.

While fundraisers, individual donations, and foundation grants have allowed A Place Called Home to consistently bring in total revenue sufficient to cover its necessary expenses in the years since the downturn, it has not been able to raise enough money to expand the project.

Angulo says he hopes to raise enough money to renovate a warehouse down the street, an act which would allow them to increase their capacity and decrease the number of children on the waiting list.

 Angulo also said the economy has hurt the children in more ways than one: not only has he seen a considerable drop in the number of volunteers, but he also believes that the school district could be more efficiently allocating its resources.

Even with the L.A. school board fighting to procure more funds, Angulo says the problem is that “people at the top have these extraordinary salaries,” and thinks that if these people were to put the children first and accept cuts in their paychecks, the extra money could be put to use in much better ways. For now, agencies like A Place Called Home are working double time to make sure the children get the assistance they need.

In light of the recent struggles, Angulo also asked the community to support the program: “Our kids definitely need [the community’s] help. They need to feel the support and we need to teach them that their education is what’s going to get them far in this world… we’re here because we love the kids and we need other people to show that as well.”

 Volunteers are an essential part of the equation, and they could always use more. The children love having the volunteers come in whether its as artists or mentors. They look up to them, so donations of time are just as valuable as donations of money.

Disclosure: After researching A Place Called Home, I myself decided to become a volunteer. Not only does it have flexible hours that fit into my hectic college schedule, it is also fun and rewarding to interact with and positively influence the children who need our support.