Church Plans Annual Anti-Gang Rally
Arleta Foursquare Church will host its annual San Fernando Valley Street Beat Rally on Saturday with hopes of turning young people away from the street life and toward the Christian way.
With what’s billed as positive rap music, carnival games, puppet shows and mariachi bands, the congregation intends to spread a message of hope and peace in an area that has battled gang-bangers and drug dealers, said Armando Portillo, the church’s pastor and event organizer.
Provision, the church’s food distribution program, plans to give away enough food to feed 2,000 families, Portillo said. Clothing and toys for 700 children will also be distributed, he said.
Last year, about 3,000 people dropped by the concert and street fair.
The event runs from 3 to 11 p.m. in front of the church at 8025 Wheatland Ave. For more information, call (818) 504-2552.
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