Juan Torres still recalls the instruction he received back in 1989 as a fourth-grade student attending Wilmington Park Elementary in Wilmington, Ca. It was a time when the gang influence was heating up all around Los Angeles, especially in the Harbor area, so his school elected to bring in the Gang Alternatives Program (GAP) for a special 12-week session.

“It would have been easy for me to join a gang,” said Torres. “But GAP gave me the fundamental tools to stay away from gang life. It opened my eyes to the reality of what my future would be like if I took that path – a future of crime, going to jail, and being locked up with no visitors.”

Today, Torres sports multiple degrees from Long Beach State, including a M.A. in Public Administration, and he serves as Deputy Director for GAP. He’s worked for the nonprofit for 12 years, holding various roles throughout the organization that has grown from a mere seven employees to almost 90, and he’s been identified as the future leader to take the helm when Executive Director Doug Semark retires in 2016.

“Gangs continue to be a big problem in LA and across the country,” said Torres. “But we are connecting with kids and making a difference, empowering more communities to show an alternative life that is positive and leads to bright futures.”

GAP was created in 1986 and initially focused on two key areas: a strong classroom curriculum directed to fourth- and sixth-grade students advising them of the pitfalls of gang life and how to avoid it, and also a graffiti clean-up service. In 2000, the program expanded, looking at broader gang prevention corpus programs and research. Now, GAP delivers training to leaders around the country with its annual Gangfree Life Academy, transferring research and tools to other communities. The third Academy was held in January 2015.

“It brings people from a lot of different walks of life and different parts of the country, all wanting to create constructive and positive change in their respective communities,” said Semark. “Whenever you empower people to do that, it’s a beautiful thing.”

Semark, who previously led the high-profile American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) before transitioning to GAP, said training is the key to success for any nonprofit.

“It’s far better for local people to provide the impetus for change in their neighborhoods, so we invest in training to sustain,” said Semark. “We bring in a small group of people and spend three days with them, teaching everything we know about gang prevention. We provide our intellectual property and certify individuals to plant gang-free enclaves all around the country.”

The group’s signature youth program, which is shared at the Academy, prides itself on speaking to all students, not just at-risk youth, making them socially accountable to one another. The entire class hears the same stories, sings the same songs and participates in the same discussions.

“Those little conversations between kids change lives,” said Semark. “Most people fear peer pressure, but we create positive peer networks where kids are empowered to offer powerful solutions.”

Torres recalls how some of his own friends turned to gangs, but said GAP provided him with tools to resist, and he was able to challenge some of his peers to get them to also turn away from gang life.

“Our toolkit to resist gangs has gotten better through the years,” said Torres. “I am so glad I am now in a position to give back to the community I grew up in – and our goal for GAP is to continue to expand to surrounding communities and be countrywide in the future.”

Semark says he is confident in the team he’s built, and the model for sharing info and training.

“There are good people in every neighborhood,” said Semark. “If you go into neighborhoods with gang-free programs and find the good people, you can create change.”

To learn more about GAP, or to donate to their cause, visit gangfree.org or email contact@gangfree.org.

Erik Miller was skeptical. As a young eighth grade student in 1998, his junior high guidance counselor suggested taking advantage of a mentorship program called Operation Jump Start (OJS) to guide him through the critical high school years.

Miller agreed and was matched.

“At our first meeting, I was thinking this wasn’t going to work out,” he said. “I was this young African-American kid, and they linked me up with a retired Caucasian dentist.”

Fast forward to 2015, however, and Miller continues to stay in touch with Richard Van Gemert, the man who mentored him through his graduation from Millikan High School, and into his days at Woodbury University.

“He’s like a member of our family now,” said Miller, the first in his own family to graduate from college. “He’ll be at my wedding later this spring, and will really always be a part of my life.”

Miller’s story is not a unique one for the OJS community. Since the Long Beach-based nonprofit was founded in 1994, the mission was always to provide long-term mentorship support, thus creating meaningful, rich relationships designed to last for years.

Ideally, a student is paired with a stable, supportive mentor figure for five years, helping kids navigate the challenges of completing high school and applying to college. To date, 137 students have graduated from the organization’s signature College Access Mentoring Program (CAMP) having received at least 360 hours of personal mentoring, 150 hours of enrichment programming, 15 hours of educational case management and 70 hours of SAT preparation classes.

Students and mentors attend monthly events, including college tours, volunteer activities and fun, recreational outings.

As a result of this one-on-one coaching and support, 98 percent of CAMP mentees have continued onto college, and 87 percent have earned a degree or are currently enrolled in college.

Miller, who noted that Van Gemert assisted him with signing up for the SATs, applying for college and providing counsel on school decisions, said he actually benefited most from observing how his mentor behaved in social situations.

“He helped me learn how to act in a crowd, in professional settings and relate to family members,” said Miller, who now serves as OJS’ Director of Community Relations while also maintaining his own architecture firm.

Jasmin Hakes, OJS’ Director of Development, said the students entering the mentorship program must have and maintain good grades. The kids generally come from supportive families, but their parents may not be familiar with the education system, or understand what is involved in applying for colleges, or they might struggle with English.

“These are good kids, and they just need some positive role models to believe in them,” said Hakes. “Our success rate illustrates this long-term mentorship model works.”

Interested mentors go through a thoughtful and comprehensive interview with an OJS case manager, who in turn matches male students with male mentors and female students with female mentors, always considering the students’ specific challenges and goals.

“It’s a huge commitment, but we attract amazing, successful mentors who feel compelled to give back to the community,” said Hakes. “Our mentors consistently tell us they get so much out of the relationship and enjoy seeing these young students grow and succeed.”

Al Regnier, a retired business executive from Rossmoor, became a mentor two years ago to a Long Beach Poly junior.

“I’ve been so impressed with the quality of mentors in this program, as well as the families and kids we support,” said Regnier, who helped his mentee graduate last spring and get into UC Merced. “Being a part of this program has really restored my faith in humanity, and I’m so proud of my own mentee, who has worked so hard to get to where he is today.”

As OJS enters its 21^st year, Hakes says the goal is to secure additional funding so they can bring on more mentors, and sustain the mentoring relationships in existence today. To learn more about Operation Jump Start, or to make an online donation, visit www.operationjumpstart.org.

“It’s wonderful to see an organization like OJS commit to these kids and match the great talent we have in our County with the next generation of leaders and thinkers,” said Supervisor Don Knabe. “It really shows what a difference positive roles models can have on our youth, and what can happen when someone believes in you.”

As you read this blog, an armada of more than two dozen cargo ships sits just off the California coast—unable to unload cargo at either of the two busiest seaports in the United States, because of a labor impasse between the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU).

When operations at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach come to a halt, small-business owners, suppliers, and consumers around the world suffer. Medical supplies cannot reach patients at hospitals, car parts cannot reach manufacturing facilities, and furniture and clothing cannot reach retail stores—potentially costing the national economy nearly $2 billion a day in lost activity.

As the cargo ships remain parked as far as the eye can see, we need to be concerned not just about the impact today, but about losing future business at the Ports. Smaller, rapidly growing seaports in Canada, Mexico and other regions of the United States, threaten to take advantage of the labor strife and slowdowns, and will incentivize shippers to take their business elsewhere. Once we start losing customers at the Ports, it will become incredibly difficult to win them back.

This labor dispute, which has already cost the local economy millions, has far reaching consequences that will severely impact the economic livelihood of our country. The PMA and ILWU must come to a resolution soon, so that the two largest seaports in the Western hemisphere can get back to work.

During budget season at the federal government, you can count on two things: partisan bickering and the threat of consolidating or closing armed forces bases.  And so it is again this year, with rumors swirling around the possibility of either closing or relocating the Los Angeles Air Force Base (LAAFB). While there has been no official announcement, I am deeply concerned about the impact this change could create – both in LA County and on the national stage.  That is why our local leaders must be proactive in keeping this historic base in El Segundo, where it belongs.

While LA is often associated with entertainment and celebrity, our region actually serves as a key hub to our nation’s defense. Over 5,000 people are employed directly by LAAFB, and it creates another 11,700 jobs locally. Additionally, some of our greatest aerospace and defense companies, which depend on supporting  this base, are just miles away. And our county’s community colleges and universities graduate more engineers than anywhere else in the nation, serving as a fabulous pipeline of talent to this local defense infrastructure.

To relocate these military, civilian and contracted employees would not only disrupt our own county, but also the base’s role in our nation’s defense. Inside LAAFB is the country’s highly prized Space and Missile Systems Center (SMSC), providing our military with sophisticated intelligence gathering with space-based surveillance, communications, navigation and meteorology. This technology and the people who work in the SMSC have delivered amazing results during recent wars, and more than ever, we need to rely on these individuals and technology to protect us from the threats we face around the world today.

Together, the LAAFB and SMSC are critical assets to LA County’s economy and our nation’s security. I am asking that the mayors of all 88  cities in Los Angeles County write letters to the secretaries of Defense and the Air Force, to ensure they understand LAAFB must stay in the South Bay. The LA economy will benefit. And most importantly, the nation will benefit by keeping LAAFB in LA.

Three years ago this month, two women probation officers from our County Probation Department came to me about a growing issue they were seeing across our region – the sexual exploitation of young girls for profit.  Like many people, I thought child sex trafficking was occurring in a third world country, not in our community.

Since that time, I am proud of the work we have done to raise awareness, create wraparound services for the victims and increase penalties for those who buy and sell children.  I am grateful to the local law enforcement agencies, non-profit organizations, businesses, and state and federal legislators who have supported us every step of the way!

This weekend, I attended the City of Long Beach’s first Youth Exploitation Safety Symposium, hosted by the Long Beach Human Trafficking Task Force. The City of Long Beach, its police department, non-profits and community organizations, as well as students and parents have become a national model for combating the sexual exploitation of children at a local level.

This powerful PSA was shown at the symposium, and was filmed using students from Long Beach Polytechnic High School who declared themselves not for sale:

Long Beach and other local municipalities are making progress, but we know we have much more work to do.  In 2015, I am focused on the “demand side” of this horrific crime.  We cannot just support the victims, we must stop the exploitation, which begins with exposing and punishing those who buy girls for sex.

I’ve met many young victims and heard the horror stories of what they endure when they are forced into this life.  I have also met many remarkable survivors and I am always struck by their fiery spirit and hope for a better life.

We can all play a role in supporting these young people and ending this exploitation.  How we view this crime and the victims begins with how we speak of them.  So it’s time to change the language.

Last week, I sent a “No Such Thing” bracelet to over 150 local, state, federal, non-profit and business leaders, to encourage them to remove the word “prostitute” and “child prostitute” from their vocabulary.

There is “No Such Thing” as a child prostitute.  Children who are forced to sell themselves night after night on a street corner are not prostitutes.  Children who are brutally beaten by their pimp for not making a quota are not prostitutes.  Children victimized and sexually exploited by grown men are not prostitutes.  There is simply “No Such Thing.”  They are victims, manipulated emotionally and physically into a hellish life.

It’s time to end the sexual exploitation and say: No more. Not in our streets. Not to our young girls.

There are nonprofits designed to deliver food to those in need, and there are nonprofits dedicated to promoting education. New Horizons Caregivers Group (NHCG) has managed to find a unique way to serve both missions.

Based in Hacienda Heights, NHCG was formed in 2003 by Bob and Cathy Jamieson. Bob, who retired from a previous Pasadena nonprofit at 64, decided he wanted to launch his own volunteer organization to help others in his retirement years.  So the husband-wife duo started researching. When they asked the local school district about the biggest problem they faced, officials stated it was challenging to get certain pockets of low-income kids to regularly attend school.

Some parents would keep children home to help babysit younger siblings, and others would hold a child out to support dad’s gardening business if he got behind on jobs.

“There are so many low-income parents and single parents struggling to keep roofs over their heads, gas in their cars and provide meals throughout the week for their families,” said Cathy. “Still, we wanted these same parents to know how important it is to help their kids get the homework done, get to school and get a good education.”

So, the Jaimesons built their mission around helping low-income parents and at-risk children to see the value of education as a means to end poverty.

NHCG’s signature program, FIESTA, stands for Family Incentives Equals Students Taking Action. It incentivizes low-income parents with elementary school children to attend educational parenting classes hosted by the school districts. When the parents show up to one of these classes, they receive a bag of groceries and school supplies valued at $65 to $100.

“The parents walk away with food and supplies for their families to support their meager incomes, but the hope is they also learn some valuable insights about the importance of their child’s education, and how they can support their kids in school,” said Cathy.

The school district takes the lead in orchestrating the monthly parenting classes, while NHCG focuses on securing the free food, goods and school supplies. Hundreds of new backpacks are filled at the start of each school year, and essentials are added throughout the months to ensure students also have the necessary tools and resources to complete special projects and assignments at home.

During the winter months, NHCG secures toys, shoes, blankets and other goods to help families in need around the holidays.

“We partner with Costco, local grocery stores and other retailers who have excess food or product that would otherwise go to waste,” said Cathy. “It has been so great for us to make these connections to end the waste and at the same time help people in need.”

The NHCG often receives letters from appreciative families who have fallen upon hard times.

“Just last week we received a letter from a mother who received some Christmas items from us,” said Cathy. “Her husband was recently laid off and we were able to give her two girls and family some toys and food for the holidays. She wrote to tell us about how grateful she was and what a blessing we were during these difficult days.”

In 2014, NHCG hit $5 million in donated goods to the local community, and the plan is to continue to serve. This year, Cathy said they are supporting five local elementary schools, which equates to serving 200 to 225 low-income families each month.

Results have proven that getting parents involved and giving free products helps the family budget, the children, school attendance, grades and the overall attitude about learning and their school community.

“Encouraging our parents to get in engaged in their child’s education and providing them with free groceries and supplies is a win for our district and a win for the families,” said Anthony Duarte, school board president of the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District. “New Horizons Caregivers Group is providing an invaluable service to the students and families of our school district.”

To learn more about NHCG, visit www.nhcg.org.

For three years, Bonnie and Eric Hendrickson made the long trek from their home in Murrieta, Calif., to Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital Long Beach, helping their young son, Andrew, battle Cystic Fibrosis. Bonnie settled into the hospital 24/7, never wanting to leave her son’s side. Eric spent as many waking hours with the family as possible, but ultimately needed to sleep in his car in the evenings since hospital rules dictated only one parent could stay overnight.

“The 160-mile daily roundtrip was simply not an option,” said Eric. “So we just did what we needed to do for our son – I slept in our suburban and Bonnie stayed with Andrew.”

Daily treatments and special equipment required Andrew to stay in the hospital for four weeks straight, and then the family would drive home for a six-week reprieve. Four weeks in. Six weeks out. Four weeks in. Six weeks out.

But in December 2011, the Hendrickson’s lives changed. Andrew still required treatment, but the opening of the Long Beach Ronald McDonald House meant the family would now have a “home-away-from-home” as they cared for their son.

“The house made our lives so much better during a very trying time,” said Eric. “I had somewhere to sleep during those weeks when Andrew needed treatment, and Bonnie could come over for stretches to get cleaned up and grab a little rest as well. The house, the staff, and the other families gave us a place to recharge so we could be our best for Andrew.”

These days, the Hendrickson’s only occasionally rely on the house since Andrew is doing much better after a lung surgery, but there are many other families in need of similar services.

On any given day, the Long Beach House accommodates 50 or more individuals, supporting families of children undergoing treatment for cancer and other life-threatening illnesses at Miller Children’s Hospital and other nearby hospitals and medical facilities in Los Angeles County and Orange County. Some family members stay for just a night, others for several weeks, but the top goal of the staff and facility is to always ensure families far from home have the resources they need in order to best care for their sick child. To date, the House has already served more than 4,500 people in its three-year history.

“We want every family member to feel welcome during their stay,” said Cheri Bazley, Executive Director of the Long Beach Ronald McDonald House. “We really strive to provide special amenities – sibling support, complimentary robes and slippers, a locked pantry to store dry goods and an individual refrigerator – those small things give families a sense of home.”

And Bazley admits the Long Beach community has stepped up in ways big and small to support as well. The Long Beach Convention Center and Visitor’s Bureau adopted the House in its first year of operation, inviting all of its members and clients to provide meals. Between local hotels, restaurants and various organizations, dinners were covered for families almost every night of the week.

“In 2015, we already have 390 meals committed for our families,” said Bazley. “Beyond the food, dinner is a great way families can meet up in a communal space and connect over what they are going through and engage in some normal conversation.”

The organizations coming to serve also benefit from the experience.

“These groups are able to volunteer and see where their help is going,” said Bazley. “They provide a beautiful meal and share some time with the impacted families – they love it!”

While the House asks families to pay just $25 to $35 per night, the average cost of sustaining the House is $125 per family, per night. In order to make up the difference and continue supporting families in need, the Long Beach Ronald McDonald House relies on philanthropic gifts.

One of the greatest fundraising opportunities, the annual Walk for Kids, will be held on April 12, 2015.

“This one event raises $300,000 in just one day for our House,” said Bazley. “There are so many ways to get involved – you can walk, make a financial pledge, volunteer to help at the event – we are always in need of extra hands.”

Planning meetings and more details will be available soon.

“I’ve walked with my own family in this event and it really is a great opportunity to support a wonderful organization in Long Beach, and also see families and children firsthand who have benefited from the services of the Long Beach Ronald McDonald House,” said Supervisor Don Knabe.

To learn more about the Long Beach Ronald McDonald House, and discover how you can volunteer or utilize the home, visit www.longbeachrmh.org.

As the Los Angeles County Supervisor of the 4^th Supervisorial District, which is home to over two million residents and includes Marina del Rey, I continue to have grave concerns about the City of Los Angeles’ chosen alignment for the Venice Dual-Force Main.  The City’s preferred alignment, which will go through Marina del Rey, will have a significant impact on the Marina’s 9,000 residents, and on the more than one million tourists that visit the Marina every year.

While I understand the need for redundancy in the sewer line, the sheer volume of traffic on Via Marina (16,000 daily traffic trips) versus Pacific Avenue (5,500 daily traffic trips) means that the City’s preferred alignment will negatively impact many more people.

I will continue to oppose the Venice Dual Force Main Project unless there are satisfactory mitigation measures along with a concerted public outreach effort to address and minimize project impacts on County residents and Marina visitors and to keep all affected residents informed.  Possible project impacts include, but are not limited to, noise, traffic and vibrations, all of which can be amplified based on chosen working hours.

I am aware that County staff from the Departments of Beaches and Harbors, Regional Planning, County Counsel and Public Works, have expended considerable resources to address the impacts that the City’s project will have on the Marina, and I urge the City to cooperate with County staff in those efforts.

While I recognize the City’s right to choose any necessary or convenient location for the project (as determined by the Court of Appeals in 2013), it is my sincere hope that, as a good neighbor, the City will seriously consider and sincerely address the significant project concerns raised by the County, its Marina del Rey residents and other stakeholders.