Los Angeles YWCA Awarded $82 mil To Fund Job Corps Urban Campus Housing
LOS ANGELES, -- The YWCA Greater Los Angeles (YWCA GLA) has a history of embarking on Herculean endeavors in the name of service and protecting the least of us within the larger community. Building on its 115 year mission to eliminate racism, empower women, champion human rights and strengthen all Americans' access to the American Dream, YWCA GLA CEO Faye Washington was proud to announce the award of an $82 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant for the YWCA GLA Job Corps housing. Washington considers this award representative of her long time vision of "raising the expectation" and "changing the paradigm" of how non profit fundraising is done. Washington said, "It requires just as much work to pursue a million dollar grant as it does a 100 million dollar grant and because of the urgency of our mission to move our community forward, I am not afraid of the extra 'zeros.' My vision is to create fundraising partnerships that sustain a generation." The U.S. Department of Labor signed a groundbreaking 20-year, $82 million lease agreement for the YWCA GLA Urban Campus facility. This development is part of the $700 billion-plus stimulus package that was recently approved by Congress and is part of what President Obama has called "shovel ready" projects. Shovel ready projects refer to projects that have all planning and approvals complete and are ready to begin construction. The funds will go toward the development of the YWCA Job Corps' Urban Campus, located in downtown Los Angeles. The Urban Campus will be centered in the heart of downtown Los Angeles' South Park business district. The 154,000 square foot building will contain a state of the art library, computer lab, modernized medical and dental clinic and infirmary, classrooms and residential units for 400 students. Construction of the new building is the second milestone in a three-phase YWCA GLA Urban Campus Master Plan to include commercial/retail uses and affordable housing. Over 900 jobs will be generated by the construction related costs for the new building. Washington says, "One of the most groundbreaking endeavors of the construction activity is that the Job Corps students will actually participate in the construction of the building. We have approximately 60 apprenticeship slots for our Job Corps students to actively participate in the construction of their new campus." The YWCA GLA Urban Campus Master Plan provides for transitional housing for up to 24 months, while participants obtain jobs and implement the successful life skills they have learned. The YWCA GLA has served the LA area since 1894 and began administering the Los Angeles Job Corps Program in 1965. It provides residential and non-residential programming at no cost to homeless, emancipated, and at-risk youth ages 16-24. Job Corps employs a holistic career development training model that integrates the teaching of academic, vocational, employability skills, social competencies and wellness/health services. It leverages formal and informal partnerships with many businesses, employers, training facilities and community organizations to deliver its comprehensive service model, which includes job placement. Washington explained, "This center is strategically located to job centers at the hub of the downtown Los Angeles renaissance. Local downtown businesses will greatly benefit from our highly trained Job Corps graduates as future employees to remain competitive. We are even set up to allow local businesses who are serious about hiring our Job Corps students to provide us with training modules, so the students graduate with skills specific to their needs." Construction of the seven-story building begins this month and will conclude in the fall of 2011. "This plan meets the objectives of all parties; job placement, economic stability and societal benefits derived from individuals gainfully employed. When construction begins this month, we will enter into an exciting new phase for the YWCA GLA and the downtown area." Washington added, "Now that our building is funded and paid for, I invite local businesses to partner with us on the funding of the programming. Charitable giving is the ultimate investment in our community, our country's quality of life, competitiveness and humanitarian leadership." For more information on becoming a part of this exciting endeavor, please visit www.ywcagla.org or call 213-365-2991, ext 1328. SOURCE The YWCA Greater Los AngelesYWCA Greater Los Angeles Earns $82 Million Labor Department Stimulus Grant to Fund Job Corps Campus Housing
Grant will Bring Construction Jobs to Downtown Los Angeles and Empower Local At-Risk Youth to Become Stable, Employed, Self Sufficient Citizens
