PERSPECTIVE ON REBUILD L.A. : The People’s Effort Progresses : Corporate responses are starting to add up, but renewing Los Angeles’ promise is the work of individuals.

People are impatient. So are we. That is why we are here. The sense of urgency we share moves us to make things happen. The good news is, we see changes happening that will make a fundamental difference in Los Angeles. But we must continue our work with a dogged persistence, and that is what we plan to do.

We have a new vision for our city: to create a community where every resident has an opportunity to work and to own, to be heard and to participate. Our board of directors, task force members, volunteers and staff--the more than 1,000 people involved in the effort--share a dedication to this vision.

Our goals are simple: create jobs, increase access to capital, improve the skills of the workforce, increase the number of local business owners and encourage government to be more responsive to our community. Yes, we want to help the areas damaged by the riots. More important, we want to see positive change for all our low-income neighborhoods.

To meet our goals, we ask every company, large and small, that sells a product in the state of California to make a commitment to this effort. The advantage to our strategy is that, for the first time, RLA looks to the private sector to play a major role. The response has been immediate and it continues.

For example, just in the last two weeks:

* Arco invested $1 million in Founders National Bank, an African-American-owned facility headquartered in South-Central Los Angeles. This money will allow Founders to lend an additional $15 million to the community. And Arco will match additional contributions to this equity fund up to another $1 million.

* Shell Oil will put its first youth training academy at one of its new inner-city superstations. The academy will lead to jobs for the students; the superstation will be built by minority contractors.

* RLA delivered new General Motors vans to 10 community organizations in the Los Angeles area. The vans were loaded with food, clothes and gifts from various companies.

* Chevron is giving $1.3 million for a training center in South-Central, to be owned and operated by the Opportunities Industrialization Center.

* Marriott Hotels will open a culinary arts training school at the Chevron-funded center.

* The New York Stock Exchange and its member companies sponsored a day of education programs to raise money for a new elementary school at the Museum of Science and Industry and for the citywide volunteer network coordinated by RLA.

* The Irvine Foundation announced $2.8 million in grants to a number of community organizations that are active in the inner city.

* The Asian Business League donated the proceeds from their fund-raiser to two community organizations: the Korean Youth Center and United Cambodian Center.

* More than 100 children at Plaza de la Raza in East Los Angeles cheered Yamaha’s donation of a new piano to their community center.

Every one of these events represents the spirit of RLA, its directors, volunteers and staff at work. They typify our emphasis on people, not on buildings. In some of these developments, our role was hands-on; in others, our role was merely to inspire. Each commitment, no matter the size, brings us closer to realizing our vision.

A few additional facts: RLA is a five-year effort. RLA is not the government. We cannot pass laws, raise taxes, control the courts or the police. We do not give grants or directly provide capital for businesses. There is no preference in RLA for dealing with large companies. There is no preference for working with certain organizations. There is no preference for one group over another.

There is, however, a desire to get results by encouraging people and businesses to participate. We are a predominantly volunteer group drawn from all walks of life and all segments of our society. We are a mobilizing force that brings the private sector, the community and the government together for the first time to even the odds for the poorest parts of the city.

With each passing day, we become more convinced that Los Angeles remains a city of destiny. Its strength is its people. We are unmatched in the world in the variety, courage, resourcefulness and creativity of our population.

We invite you to join us as we celebrate the New Year and the rebirth of Los Angeles.