‘Second Chances’ helps youth create a better environment
All of Me mentoring program grooms young leaders
Foundation for Second Chances (FFSC) is a community-based organization that utilizes hands-on education, mentoring, health awareness and community service to maximize the potential of youth.
Second Chances’ goal is to make sure that children are given all that they need to thrive. This includes a quality education, nutritious food and exercise, a safe and nurturing environment and the chance to give back to their community.
“We strive to create an environment of love, compassion, safety and respect. In order to better serve our youth, we have developed a strong network of partners who provide our children and families with all that they need to become engaged and proactive in their communities,” said founder Melissa Wyatt.
“FFSC was created at a divine moment in my life, when I dared to step out on faith. It was a time when I knew deep in my heart that this organization would be able to help thousands of youth, not only in South Los Angeles but everywhere. I want to make sure that our youth are being provided with the basic necessities such as quality education, an opportunity to flourish in a safe and nurturing environment, and an opportunity to build self-confidence and self-esteem,” said Wyatt.
A key component of the foundation is the Second Chances Mentoring Program, which aims to build long-lasting relationships between youth and mentors, fostering each youth’s individual growth and potential. The vision of the program is to provide successful mentoring relationships for all children who need and want them, contributing to brighter futures, better schools and stronger communities for all.
One specialized mentoring offering Second Chances provides is the All of Me program, which focuses on six to eight weeks of curriculum/activities throughout the year. The segment expand youth’s knowledge base by providing significant exposure to real-life work experiences, hands-on activities that challenge their decision-making processes, and intense cross-cultural volunteer projects locally and abroad. The components are mentoring, literacy, leadership, life skills, and civic and service learning or volunteering, where participants will need to put together a community service event at the end of their six- to eight-week session.
The program was designed to develop the self-confidence, life and leadership skills of youth through interactive learning, in-class discussions and presentations, workshops, and exploratory field trips. Upon conclusion, participants will be able to demonstrate their understanding and knowledge of a leader’s core essentials.
They will also gain access to tools and resources to use to apply to college, and achieve success in life.
In addition to mentoring, Second Chances provides a number of other services to youth including hosting a monthly outing with some health and educational aspect. The goal was to convey that everyone should have access to insurance, exercise, healthy food, community support, and preventative services every day and not just during a health fair.
For more information on the organization and upcoming community events, visit the website at www.ffscinc.com.
The Girls Club of Los Angeles is a nonprofit agency that meets the needs of underprivileged and at-risk children, youth and their families living in South Los Angeles. The organization is an advocate and community change agent working to provide children, youth and families with the skills to overcome the challenges they face.
A new community plan for the West Adams, Baldwin Hills, Leimert Park and Hyde Park communities is proposing to roll back current limits on the number of stand-alone fast food restaurants in Council District 10 for up to 20 years.
In 2008, the City Council passed an ordinance restricting new fast food restaurants from being constructed within 0.5 miles of an existing fast food restaurant.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The 28th annual Kingdom Day Parade will be held in South Los Angeles Saturday under the theme “His Dream Will Never Die” and with Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp serving as celebrity grand marshal.
Southern California’s largest Martin Luther King Jr. Day observance will begin at 10:15 a.m. at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Western Avenue in South Los Angeles, head west on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to Crenshaw Boulevard, then south to Vernon Avenue, concluding at Leimert Park.
The Falcons Youth and Family Service organization (FYFS) is a natural progression of the Southern California Falcons Youth Football and Cheer Program. In the spring of 2005 Keith and Karen Johnson formed the Southern California Falcons a youth football and cheer organization. The goal of the program was to use sports as a vehicle to introduce and reinforce the concept of strong character, positive values, personal responsibility, social responsibility and academic excellence.
“A single bracelet does not jingle”—proverb, Congo
Yams, rice, corn, black-eyed peas, peanuts, okra, melon and other crops came to America hundreds of years ago, because slave traders shipped their human cargo complete with their native cuisine, in order to keep them alive.
Later, on plantations where the master ate the bacon, ham and sausage from “high on the hog,” slaves were given the fattier parts of the pig. And while the folks in the big house ate turnips, the slaves got the tougher greens.
