22 Youth Agencies Given $130,000 by L.A. Times Fund

In response to the Northridge earthquake, more than $130,000 from the Los Angeles Times Fund was given to 22 youth agencies in the San Fernando Valley and other quake-affected areas on Monday.

The funds will go toward earthquake repairs at the various facilities, including an indoor swimming pool and dance studio, in addition to replacing damaged equipment.

The award in the greatest amount--$15,000--was given to My Friend’s Place, a Hollywood organization providing homeless youth with a drop-in center and several outreach efforts, including substance abuse, legal assistance and educational programs and a medical clinic. The funds will be used to help repair the front and back walls of the center located on North Cherokee Avenue.

Since 1944, the Times Fund has granted more than $15 million to nonprofit agencies in Southern California that serve underprivileged youth. Due to a successful fund-raising year, special one-time grants for earthquake damage were possible, said Jeffrey S. Klein, president of The Times Valley and Ventura editions.

“When you don’t have a building to work out of that’s safe or computers that don’t work or your food panty is empty because of the earthquake, your program can’t go on,” Klein said.

The Boys & Girls Club of the Santa Clarita Valley was given $12,000. The Pacific Lodge Boys’ Home, San Fernando Valley Child Guidance Clinic and the YWCA of Greater Los Angeles each received $10,000.

In other awards, the Boys and Girls Club of San Fernando Valley received $7,000, and the Volunteer League of the San Fernando Valley and Five Acres, a treatment center in Altadena for abused and neglected children, each were granted $6,000.

The West Valley Branch of the YWCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles received $5,600 and the Human Services Network was given $5,365. Grants of $5,000 were awarded the Children’s Hunger Fund, Mid San Fernando Valley Branch of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, Weingart East LA YMCA, San Fernando Valley Girl Scout Council, Boy Scouts of America Western LA County Council and the Lula Washington Contemporary Dance Foundation.

In addition, the Inter-Agency Drug Abuse Recovery Programs were given $3,600, Optimist Youth Homes were awarded $3,467 and El Proyecto Del Barrio received $3,000. The North Valley Family YMCA and the Assistance League of Whittier were each given $2,000 and the Angeles Girl Scout Council received $1,000.

The Times also anticipates giving Southern California nonprofit organizations more than $250,000 in profits from its “4:31” earthquake book within a month, Klein said.