Boys’ Home Residents Inspired by Work World : ‘Reach-Out Day’ Touches Troubled Teens

His last experience with the police had been a bad one.

The 15-year-old boy remembers being called to a school office and being immediately grabbed by a policeman sitting inside the room. The officer twisted his arm and warned him to never again step that close to a policeman.

The boy ignored that admonition Wednesday when he signed up for a Career Day program organized by Woodland Hills businessmen for juvenile delinquents from the Pacific Lodge Boys’ Home.

Although 50 other boys living under court order at the 62-year-old rehabilitation center picked such places as computer firms, advertising agencies and retail businesses to visit, the 15-year-old asked to go to the West Valley police station in Reseda.

‘I’ve Learned a Lot’

“I figured this time it wouldn’t be such a negative experience,” he said. “Before, I’d been doing drugs and breaking into houses and I got caught. I’ve learned a lot about myself since then.”

Wednesday, he said he learned a lot about the police, too. “I’d thought they all were mean. But I saw that most policemen are nice. I have a different attitude about them now,” he said.

“I think he saw that there are friendly policemen and ones who really do like to help people,” said Los Angeles Police Capt. Bayan Lewis, the boy’s host for the day. “They may have had run-ins with the law, but we want to show them there are more facets to policemen and to them than they have seen in the past.”

The day also proved an eye-opener for many of the 38 Woodland Hills Chamber of Commerce members who opened their shops and offices for what has become an annual “reach-out day” for the boys’ home.

The Pacific Lodge Boys’ Home houses 84 boys ranging in age from 13 to 18 who have either gotten in trouble with the law because of minor criminal activity or been taken from their homes because of family problems. As wards of the court, their names are withheld by the lodge.

Visit to State Farm

Insurance agent Mort Polak took a 16-year-old black youth to meet clients and executives of State Farm’s regional insurance headquarters in Westlake Village.

“I wanted to specifically introduce him to some of the top-level black administrators at State Farm,” Polak said. “These kids have a very poor image of business. Their only experience may have been when they’ve ripped a businessman off or had a difficult time with him.”

Bette Hall, a computer company office services supervisor, introduced the 16-year-old who visited her VG Systems company headquarters to everyone, from top engineers to assembly technicians.

“They talked about how much schooling was involved for entry-level positions. It was a completely different environment for him, experiencing a business environment. Who knows? He may have been a future employee.”

Taste of ‘Real Life’

Rose Goldwater, owner of Quality Instant Printing in Woodland Hills, assigned her print shop employees to give the three boys visiting her firm hands-on experience with printing presses and paste-up graphics work.

“It gives the boys a little taste of what real life is like,” Goldwater said. “And it’s good for the community to see these aren’t just boys in trouble. They’re basically good boys.”

At the Marriott Hotel in Warner Center, a 15-year-old wore a hard hat of his own for a top-to-bottom tour of the $70-million construction project. His personal guide was Brian Clarke, project manager in charge of construction for the 473-room high-rise.

“A lot of our kids come from homes where parents don’t even work,” said Becky Dennis, a therapist assigned to counsel 18 of the Lodge’s residents. She said that, besides showing youths what the work world is like, “This program makes them feel special. They’re treated like VIPs.”