LOS ANGELES, Calif. (December 20, 2013) – The Gang Alternatives Program (GAP) has been selected as one of the fourteen Los Angeles Harbor Area organizations to receive proceeds from the successful 2013 Valero Texas Open and Benefit for Children Golf Classic, and GAP is a proud recipient of $20,000.00 of the $250,000 total proceeds. Funds GAP has received will go towards my Gangfree Life® programs and our upcoming Gangfree Life® Academy, which is a 3-day, all day training scheduled to be held on January 29th through January 31st.
The Gangfree Life® Academy is the first of its kind to provide specialized certification and training in gang prevention for local and national community liaisons whose roles serves as advocates, educators, mentors, outreach workers, and role models in their communities, and who understand the need of having successful violence prevention programs. Valero Refinery has been a front runner in GAP’s innovative Gangfree Life® programs such as the Students With Accessible Training, Mobile Learning Vehicle (SWAT-MLV), and we are happy that Valero has stepped up to the plate once again as an Academy Founder for our upcoming Gangfree Life® Academy.
The Gang Alternatives Program has championed the advancement of over 6,000 children and 25,000 families per year in Los Angeles County by providing them with “best practice” approaches to violence prevention and reducing crime by changing the individual, the family, the community, and the cultural influences to eliminate the base of gang membership by having a generation of young people say “no” to gangs and “yes” to a positive lifestyle. With a presence in nearly one-fourth of the elementary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, GAP provides a school-based gang prevention curriculum for 2nd, 4th, and 6th grades. STEP UP! Afterschool Program, a proven effective Parent Project® and Teen Education Program, and a Summer Youth Employment program. In addition, GAP provides a graffiti abatement program in Los Angeles City and County, bulky item pick up services, and community clean up services.
