SOUTH-CENTRAL : Church Gives $10,000 to Anti-Gang Program

A South-Central Los Angeles church on Monday gave $10,000 to the Amer-I-Can Program Inc., a self-esteem course for ex-gang members and convicts run by former football star Jim Brown. The award from Faithful Central Baptist Church is the first contribution Brown’s program has received from a Los Angeles-area church.

The money will pay the salaries of three former gang members from the Amer-I-Can Program, which teaches techniques in life management, including communication skills and job-seeking. An 80-hour curriculum will be offered to about 40 gang members, mostly from the church’s neighborhood around 61st and Hoover streets.

“Our partnership with Amer-I-Can . . . is a must for laying the foundation for a healthy community,” said Faithful Central’s pastor, the Rev. Kenneth C. Ulmer.