MID-CITY AREA : Community Groups Awarded Grants

Several community organizations working with Latinos and Asian Americans in Pico-Union, Westlake, Koreatown, Temple-Beaudry, Chinatown and East Hollywood have received grants from the California Community Foundation to support their work.

Through its Community Bridges Program developed in response to last year’s riots, the nonprofit foundation selected 16 community groups in Los Angeles County for grants to fund programs addressing a variety of issues, including safety, affordable housing, tenants’ rights and political organizing.

An advisory panel of community leaders selected the 16 organizations from 375 applicants. The organizations will share $244,600; additional grants are planned as part of the four-year program.

The Mid-City area organizations that received grants are:

* New Economics for Women--a $25,000 grant to establish and train a dispute resolution team for residents of the multiethnic Casa Loma apartment complex.

* Inquilinos Unidos--a $17,000 grant to fund efforts to educate and organize low-income renters in Pico-Union and Downtown with the goal of improving substandard housing conditions.

* Korean American Coalition--a $7,000 grant to fund efforts to improve leadership and planning skills for the staff and board of the organization, which seeks to represent the interests of the Korean American community.

* Pico Union Improvement Assn.--a $25,000 grant to fund safety patrols, clean-up campaigns and neighborhood organizing efforts.

* Proyecto Educativo--a $3,500 grant to pay for staff training in proposal writing and the development of a fund-raising plan for the organization, which works with recent immigrants and provides literacy training.

* Search to Involve Pilipino Americans; American Thai Institute and Chinatown Service Center--a $7,000 joint grant to develop a program to help residents of several neighborhoods deal with crime and housing problems.

Information: (213) 413-4042.