CANOGA PARK : Anti-Gang Group’s Funds Drop to $200

Organizers of the west San Fernando Valley’s largest private nonprofit gang intervention program, Keep Youth Doing Something (KYDS), have just $200 left to keep the program going.

KYDS, sponsor of annual softball matches between police officers and at-risk teen-agers, was started with the support of then-City Councilwoman Joy Picus as an effort to combat crime and drug dealing in Lanark Park in Canoga Park. Under the direction of Picus staffer Sandy Kievman, the program grew to sponsor a youth sports league, dances and dinners based in Lanark and Reseda parks involving hundreds of neighborhood children and teen-agers.

When Picus lost her council seat to Laura Chick in July, the KYDS program also lost Kievman as its paid administrator. Kievman has continued to run the program on a volunteer basis, but said she must eventually find another job.

At the same time, the $40,000 federal grant awarded to the program last year has nearly run out.

“It’s been sort of frustrating for me,” Kievman said. “It’s such a wonderful program and there’s no place to put it.”

Chick said Monday that she will not have one of her staff members act as director of the program, adding that she does not want to favor one nonprofit group over others. However, she said she supports the program and hopes to see it expanded Valleywide.

KYDS board members wrote a letter to Mayor Richard Riordan asking him to support the program through creation of a city staff position and are awaiting his response, said Susan Little, spokeswoman for Rep. Anthony Beilenson (D-Woodland Hills), a KYDS board member.

“It (the program) could be run by volunteers,” Little said. “But it really requires a coordinating office, preferably someone at a city office.”

The board is awaiting word on whether there will be more federal money available for KYDS. Meanwhile, Kiev-man said she will try to solicit donations to tide over the program.

“I am going to take some kids with me, and we are going to go knock on doors,” she said.