2 City Departments Join in Funds Search
The city of San Fernando’s parks department and Police Department are teaming with two nonprofit groups to apply for grant funds through a state criminal justice program.
One of the nonprofit organizations, El Centro de Amistad, incurred serious budget problems earlier this year when the city decreased by more than $20,000 the amount of federal block grant funds it distributes annually to the agency.
El Centro provides tutoring, counseling and gang-prevention services to San Fernando residents free of charge. Angel Perez, program director at El Centro, said if the state approves the application, most of the funding lost earlier this year could be replaced.
“That’s the reason we’re doing this,” Perez said. “We needed to make up that deficit.”
The Valley Counseling Center, also in San Fernando, is the other nonprofit agency included in the joint application.
Perez said the total amount of the grant request will be about $100,000. The application must be submitted by May 15 to the state’s office of criminal justice planning.
The Police Department is seeking funds to provide an officer for patrol car ride-alongs and other youth activities, Perez said.
Perez said if the money is awarded, part of it will be used to run computer literacy and teen counseling programs at El Centro.
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