When I first started Girls & Gangs I had no sense of direction, I was 16 years old. I wasn't making good choices, but I was referred to Girls & Gangs by court order. Attending my first meeting was one of the best decisions I had ever made in my life. I went from hardly ever attending school to attending regularly, from fighting to resolving, from being mislead to questioning my self "who am I?" and eventually finding myself and who I want to become, a successful woman with realistic goals. They helped me understand that just because you did something in the past and made the wrong decision it doesn’t mean that you can’t change it. Everyone deserves a second chance at life and that it doesn’t make you who you are, you decide who you are and what you want to be.
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- EIN 95-4722690
- info@girlsandgangs.org
- 1(213)346-3270
- 1000 N Alameda St Ste 240 Los Angeles CA 90012 USA
- www.girlsandgangs.org
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Nonprofit Overview
Causes: Children & Youth, Crime & Law, Crime & Legal-Related, Youth Development Programs, Youth Violence Prevention
Mission: The mission of Girls & Gangs is to provide support and advocacy for girls and young women involved with the juvenile justice system by providing them with opportunities to envision and build successful lives.
Geographic areas served: Los Angeles County
Programs: Securing My Future (SMF)- SMF workshops are offered to girls in LA County Probation Camps Jo-seph Scott and Kenyon Scudder located in Santa Clarita and are designed to encourage self-reflection, attitude and behavior change and to provide specific documents and information the girls need for school, employment and meeting their conditions of probation.
Moving Forward- Moving Forward is offered to girls immediately following incarceration. These workshops address the issues most pertinent to the average girl released from camp or juvenile hall. Workshop include Anger Management, Job Readiness/Financial Literacy, and Reproductive Health. Seeking Our Unlimited Lives (S.O.U.L) is a component of Moving Forward that exposes girls to the expressive arts. Parents are invited to participate in weekly workshops that are intended to im-prove communication with their daughters. Case Management– A minimum of one year of intensive case management services are provided to girls who complete SMF and are scheduled to enroll in Moving Forward and/or Mentoring upon release from incarcera-tion. Girls receive individual attention and are referred to counseling, medical services, education op-portunities and any other service needed to help girls reach their full potential. Mentoring- The Mentoring Program provides 1:1 gender specific mentoring with girls, ages 14-18, involved with the LA County Department of Probation. The program provides structured, trusting relationships with adult volunteers who offer the girls guidance, support, and encouragement aimed at developing pro-social behaviors and competencies. These mentoring relationships help the girls develop skills and attitudes necessary to reduce their risk of recidivism and decrease delinquent behavior.
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This organization's nonprofit status may have been revoked or it may have merged with another organization or ceased operations.