About Us

Local Needs

ShareFest serves at-risk Latino and African American youth ages 11-18 from the Harbor Gateway and Wilmington areas of Los Angeles. Wilmington-Las Crucas (“Ghost town”) and Harbor Gateway were identified as the areas having the most pressing needs. In Wilmington, robbery is 69 percent and rape 5 percent higher than the L.A. County average. Additionally, 404 cases of aggravated assault and 16 homicides were reported in Wilmington last year.

Gang and drug-dealing activity in the area is very high; the LAPD performed a raid in the area, netting over 60 suspected individuals. The Las Crucas area is populated primarily by Latino and African-American residents. The major gang in the area, “East Side Pain,” controls most of the drug-dealing and creates an environment of hopelessness for youth. From January 2005 to May 2007, the police made a total of 312 drug-related arrests.

The social environment in Wilmington represents a low income and distressed community permeated with rampant drug dealing and racial tensions between Latinos and African Americans. The schools that youth attend score ones and twos out of ten on the statewide Academic Performance Index further reflecting the social stress inherent in the area served. Windy Warren, vice principal of the major high school in Wilmington said her students are pitted against the stereotype that no matter what they do, they can't succeed.

Creating a better community which supports improved academic achievement and lifelong success is our main goal.

Here is a list of just some of the needs in our community:

  • In L.A., one of every five children lives in poverty
  • Our county hosts nearly 38 percent of California’s foster care children, approximately 30,000 kids.
  • The Los Angeles Unified School District’s graduation rate is at least 25 percent lower than the national average
  • More than 60 percent of Latino and African American students fail to graduate.
  • More than 40,000 people belong to one of the 700 gangs in L.A.
  • Nearly 63 percent of hate crimes committed by gang members were violent and racially related.

Take a look at some articles below highlighting the problems in our community and why ShareFest is compelled to be an agent of change.

 

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