United Way Changes Site for East L.A. Youth Funds

After proposing to base a summer program for East Los Angeles children and teen-agers at the financially troubled Cleland House on Dozier Street, the United Way decided instead this week to fund a similar program at another social center.

United Way officials said they decided to base their summer program at the Eastside Boys and Girls Club because Eastside’s proposed program offered more activities for youths than Cleland’s more broad-based summer program.

But the move was called a “huge stab in the back” by Richard Martinez, chairman of the board of directors of Cleland House, which lost its United Way funding last month over allegations of fiscal mismanagement and poorly run programs.

“I think it was a tragic mistake on the part of United Way to change its mind when they virtually promised us that the program would he housed in our agency,” Martinez said.

The decision was the latest in a string of setbacks for the 68-year-old Cleland House, which at one time was called “the heart of the community.” Last month the Latino social agency was informed by United Way that it would no longer receive its annual $163,000 allocation from the charity. That funding provided almost all of Cleland House’s operating budget.

The United Way’s action came after negotiations between the charitable agency and Cleland House broke down amid logistical problems, said Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Ed Avila, who is vice chairman of Eastside’s board of directors.

“Cleland has a full facility for the entire community,” Avila said. “We wanted something strictly for the kids set up as quickly as possible. This just happened to work out this way.”

The Eastside club, in the 300 block of North McDonnell Avenue, will receive $44,000 to provide summer recreational and arts programs for about 200 youngsters ages 7 to 17, said John Birke, chairman of United Way’s allocations committee. Birke said the program will be in full operation Monday.

“It will give them an alternative to hanging out in the streets,” Birke said. “With the start of summer vacation, the summer months are crucial because teens are idle. This gives them something constructive to do.”

Eastside was selected by a task force of community representatives from East Los Angeles, including the leadership of Cleland House. The selection, however, was made before the United Way board decided not to fund the summer program at Cleland.

During an interview with The Times last month, Carlos Solis, then chairman of the allocations committee for United Way, said the summer youth program would “hopefully be housed at the Cleland House.”

But Solis said this week that myriad logistical problems between Eastside and Cleland prompted United Way’s decision.

“We were getting bogged down trying to make arrangements between the two agencies, and it started to delay the summer program,” Solis said. “We decided it would be in the best interests of the kids to start the program as soon as possible.”

Martinez said he had hoped that Cleland House would be able to offer a comprehensive recreational program for the community--with a summer youth program as part of its schedule.

“Now, thanks to the decision, we are going to have to drain the swimming pool and lock up the agency during the day,” he said. “I sort of feel like Scrooge.”

Gil Silva, executive director of the Eastside Boys and Girls Club, said his agency will be able to work with youths not served this summer by Cleland.

“We have a lot of programs that will be of interest to kids in the community,” Silva said. ‘We will provide pickup van transportation for the younger children. All their needs will be met.”