Here’s what happens when you empower people: On Saturday, August 27th, 2011, A Better LA partner, Advocates for Peace and Urban Unity (APUU) held its 4th annual back-to-school event at Algin Sutton Park, hosting about 1,500 kids and parents. The guests enjoyed food, games, and over 800 kids received backpacks with school supplies, that were donated by several corporate sponsors, including Wells Fargo, Toyota, Girl Skateboards, Office Depot and more. Several happy adults walked away with new appliances that were donated by Southern California Edison, and all families received non-perishable food items courtesy of the donors to A Foundation For Kids.

By supporting A Better LA you are investing in every part of a child’s life and have an impact greater than you can ever imagine. Please donate now to help keep our kids safe.

Price: $350 per golfer
$65 just dinner

Time: 11am golf tournament
5pm celebrity dinner

For more info and a list of the athlete celebrities anticipated to attend visit: http://4kidsfoundation.org/

Reserve your seats here: http://fs7.formsite.com/jcarlos1/form5/index.html

Sponsorships are also available!
Call (909) 923-0415 for more information and to make reservations

A Foundation for Kids is a great partner for A Better LA and supports a monthly Feed the Need program as well as all of our events in the community.

Come out for a chance to meet Pete and golf!

Scan Me!

Check out pictures from the last Feed the Need event http://www.flickr.com/photos/abetterla/sets/72157626326930561/

Join us on July 2nd for another Feed the Need event.

Communities to be served – Nickerson Gardens, Jordan Downs & Imperial Courts

We are hoping to serve over 500 families that day.

Thanks to our donors, Unified Grocers, McLane FoodService, Ralston Cereals and Pepsico.

The World Bank has invited A Better LA to enter their global discussion on conflict. We have submitted a number of responses to the website and have been featured on their homepage! Please enjoy another blog post, created by USC student blogger, Janet Edbrooke.

As a young man, former Los Angeles gang member Paul Carrillo struggled through the hardships that we are trying so hard to prevent for our youth today. After seeing some of the worst aspects of conflict, he saw the light and decided to make a change. Paul has turned his life around completely, and he is now working to ensure as many kids as possible avoid his former situation. Paul spoke to us about what the reality of conflict was in his life, and what he views as the solution for change.

Q: Describe the conflict in your life before you decided to make a change.
A: I was a Los Angeles Gang member. I joined at 15 years old and was in a leadership role by the age of 19. I started my own faction within the gang. I recruited heavily and organized much of the gang’s operations.

Q: What would you say was your absolute low point?
I had just beaten a murder case, my girlfriend was pregnant, my close friend was murdered, and I was back in jail for assault with a deadly weapon.

Q: When did you realize you needed to change? What was your inspiration to do so?
I never wanted my children to be raised how I was – around gangs, drugs, abuse, violence, etc. My mother was my main example for change, and the birth of my daughter and my relationship with my step-son were my reasons to change.

Q: How did you make that change a reality?
A: I changed my mentality and focused on hard work, dedication and, most importantly, putting my life and trust in God’s hands.

Q: Could you describe the positive things you’re doing with your life now?
A: I’m still in school, plus I’m a youth counselor, gang intervention worker, and addiction counselor. I have worked with kids involved with gangs for 10 years. I’ve worked with kids at schools, juvenile halls, hospitals, and the streets of LA. I have my own non-profit now called Southern California Crossroads, and we do gang counseling at Lennox Middle School. We also do a lot of work with A Better LA.

Q: What sort of change have you seen in your community as a result of what you do?
A: Well it is a roller coaster ride. The issues of violence and drugs are so enormous throughout our country that a person like me can feel as if my work is not having a major impact. However, when I see the results of my work in the individuals that I have assisted, I am reassured that my work does count, and is making a difference. In this line of work you have to be ready to take the good with the bad. There are many ups and downs. Some people will change, some will not.

Q: Why do you think grassroots efforts like yours are so effective?
A: We can reach the kids that outsiders cannot. The kids love and respect people who are from their home town, so it is easier for us to gain their trust

Please continue to view and vote for our posts at www.conflictconvo.com. The top contributors will be invited to attend the final Conflict Convo with the World Bank in Washington D.C.

The World Bank has launched a website to engage a global discussion on conflict. Throughout history, conflict has challenged mankind and will continue to do so until we work together and communicate as a global community. The World Bank has invited A Better LA to enter this dicussion and contribute our unique outlook on conflict and strategies for resolving it. We believe that our methods of addressing conflict are universally applicable and hope that by sharing our voice we can help become part of the solution. Here is one of our recent blog posts, created by USC student blogger, Janet Edbrooke.

What is Conflict?

Conflict is a problem that is occurring in our own backyard. Conflict is junior high school children being afraid to walk to school because they are afraid of the violence that they will encounter. Conflict is daily fights breaking out over walking space due to the bottleneck caused by fourteen hundred children used to violence trying to get out of school. Conflict is children hopping the fence to leave school and break into homes in order to steal iPods and video games. Conflict is a preparatory high school being known not as preparation for college but for life in prison. Conflict is a high school producing four current death row inmates and countless inmates for life. Conflict is a janitor being out of a job because he felt the need to arm himself due to threats made by junior high school gang members. Conflict is a child sitting in prison because he brought a gun to school in order to defend his sister against the mother of a girl she was fighting with. Conflict is a young boy being shot in the head by a thirty-nine year old gang member while he is trying to retrieve his baseball glove from the field so that he can play ball and make something of himself.

Conflict, however, is something which can be resolved through change.

Change is a former gang leader stepping up to stop kids in his neighborhood from following in his footsteps. Change is that man considering each of the children his own, and saying that he would give up all of his tomorrows to make sure the kids have a good day today. Change is a committed team of adults creating the CURE program and monitoring the streets to ensure a “Safe Passage” for children walking to school. Change is an increase in attendance levels because children feel comfortable. Change is a drop in early morning burglaries because children are in school, not out on the surrounding streets. Change is a faculty that won’t allow disruptive students to take away from the education of children who want to learn. Change is problem children not being sent home on suspension to get into even more trouble, but rather placing them in a program where they will receive special attention to ensure they succeed. Change is a student being excited to arrive at school to learn and eager to share how well she’s doing in school and how long she’s been trouble-free. Change is a strong tutoring program that causes a tremendous increase in student grades, allowing a huge percentage of the senior class to graduate with a 4.0 grade point average. Change is kids channeling their energy into athletic programs and school work. Change is children greeting adults each morning with words like “Good morning Mr. Robinson, how are you?” or “Hey coach, I’m gonna play for you next year!” instead of greeting them only with a menacing stare. Change is young athletes feeling a commitment to their sports team, not their gang. Change is a high school being known for its athletic programs, with running backs signing to top schools like Oregon and USC. Change is a six year period of peace in what was formerly one of the most dangerous hot spots of gang violence, allowing for a 75% drop in homicides and a 43% reduction in aggravated assaults. Change is what is creating A Better LA.

Please continue to view and vote for our posts at www.conflictconvo.com. The top contributors will be invited to attend the final Conflict Convo with the World Bank in Washington D.C.

A Better LA invites you to an intimate and inspiring lunch gathering on March 16th on the USC campus, entitled “Changing The Game.” A Better LA will salute and hear from our most innovative leaders who are changing the way we look at the crossroads of business and making the world a better place, in a big way.

Some of today’s most influential and impactful leaders will be in the room, including at a pre-reception. Joining the discussion will be Seattle Seahawks Coach and A Better LA founder Pete Carroll, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, Sheriff Lee Baca, President & CEO of AEG, Timothy Leiweke, emcee Pat Haden, Emmy Award winning journalist Lu Parker, and other special and surprise guests. They will share stories about what innovation means to them and how courage and doing the right thing matter more than ever, particularly in business.

Proceeds from the lunch benefit A Better LA, and its campaign to keep kids in our inner-cities safe and thriving.

A Better LA would like to thank everyone who came out in support of  Bowl For A Better LA at Lucky Strike on October 22, 2010. We would especially like to thank Whitney Port and the entire Port family for helping to make the event such a success. DJ Caroline D’Amore played awesome music throughout the night, adding to the already lively atmosphere. Celebrity guests danced and bowled until midnight all in the name of A Better LA’s new campaign to Keep Kids Safe. The Blind Side’s Quinton Aaron (who brought his own bowling ball) was having such a good time he stayed all night and didn’t want to leave, even after the event ended! Guests enjoyed delicious food and drinks as they got a chance to meet and bowl with their favorite celebrities including, the cast of MTV’s The Buried Life, Taylor Armstrong from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Vienna Girardi. Click HERE to see an exclusive inside look of the night!

Through the success of this event we were able to reach hundreds of kids in the inner-cities and keep them safe.  A Better LA is saving lives every day through the efforts of our Keep Kids Safe campaign. For just $3.40 you too can keep 1 kid safe for 1 day. Join Whitney Port and the rest of the team and DONATE now!

This is an easy and economical way to send out personalized greeting cards to family, friends, business associates, etc and all for cheaper than you would spend on a card at the store. Your friends will appreciate you and so will A Better LA when you use this fun, easy and high quality service -https://www.sendoutcards.com/storefront/abetterla/

Please try it out and let us know what you think. Feel free to pass along the link to other people. They also have programs that allow further discounts on the cost per card that benefit A Better LA even more! Contact us if you are interested in learning more.

Thanks for your continuing support of A Better LA.