Making a Difference in Your Community : Volunteers Can Help Boys Stay Out of Trouble

Called the “Boys Town of the West,” Rancho San Antonio in Chatsworth is a nonprofit home that for 60 years has served boys headed for trouble or those already there.

Many of Rancho’s 102 residents, who range in age from 12 to 18, are referred there by probation officers and have histories that include dysfunctional families, substance abuse, gang involvement, truancy and running away.

“A lot of them are deficient in their educational achievements, and tutoring is provided by the Creative Learning Center for targeted boys,” said Kathy Crocker, coordinator of the center at Rancho San Antonio.

About 35 of the residents currently benefit from the center’s activities, which include the volunteer tutorial and one-on-one tutoring programs.

With the help of about ten volunteers ages 20 to 50, the programs use books donated by individuals and businesses, a computer lab and a science center.

Volunteers, who are asked to donate one evening per week from 7 to 9 p.m., regularly tutor boys in English and math and also share their own experiences in the work world in the hope of exposing youngsters to a broader spectrum of life.

The Creative Learning Center also runs Rancho’s Urban Survival Program, which brings in business people to teach kids about running businesses and surviving in the business world.

“The main goal of the Creative Learning Center is to support the high school’s curriculum and to bring every student up to at least the sixth-grade level in math and reading,” Crocker said. “Volunteers are an important part of our program because they help provide individualized academic tutoring.”

The most basic requirement for prospective volunteers is that they be supportive and patient, Crocker said, adding that the rewards of tutoring boys who need and want to learn are intangible, but nonetheless satisfying.

“A great many of these kids are bright, sensitive young men who lack self-esteem and direction,” said volunteer Debra Furie. “The tutorial program at Rancho is an excellent place to begin building.”

To volunteer at Rancho San Antonio’s Creative Learning Center, contact Crocker at (818) 882-6400, Ext. 45.

Other volunteer opportunities:

The nonprofit San Fernando Valley Counseling Center in Northridge, which provides low-cost mental health services, will hold an informational meeting on its volunteer training program on Saturday at 1 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church of Northridge, 18355 Roscoe Blvd. The center is facing an increased demand for services due to the closing of many public mental health agencies and will train people interested in becoming volunteer counselors. For information, call (818) 341-1111.

The Valley Storefront Multiservice Center for Seniors seeks volunteers interested in teaching astrology, graphology, speed reading or art appreciation to active senior citizens. Volunteers are expected to work one or two hours per week. For more information, call Judy Raffel at (818) 984-1380.

The Concerned Businessmen’s Assn. seeks volunteers with a strong interest in eradicating illiteracy in children. Volunteers are asked to spend four hours per week on a local nonprofit literacy project. For more information, call (818) 248-1286.

Big Brothers of Greater Los Angeles seeks men willing to spend half a day each week with a youngster in need of a role model and friend. For more information, call (213) 258-3333.

The Valencia Library in Santa Clarita seeks volunteers to read stories to children in its Storytimes program for preschoolers. Budget problems forced the library to cancel the program for the summer, but the library’s youth services staff is trying to revive it with the help of volunteers. For information on training to volunteer, call (805) 259-8942.

Getting Involved is a weekly listing of volunteering opportunities. Please address prospective listings to Getting Involved, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311. Or fax them to (818-772-3338).