Mentoring Program for Troubled Girls Receives $2,000 Grant

City Impact, a multicultural community organization that operates youth programs throughout Ventura County, has received a $2,000 grant for its girls’ mentoring program.

Safeco Insurance Co. awarded the grant to City Impact to help its Las Angelitas Mentoring program.

Las Angelitas has been providing prevention and educational programs for troubled girls in Oxnard, Ventura and Fillmore for years.

About 150 girls in the county are involved.

Each participant is assigned a female mentor who works with her for a year. The role models help with school leadership groups, career development activities and field trips to local companies.

City Impact Assistant Director Jim Gilmer said the program is linked with student assistance groups that meet on campus. Girls who participate go on field trips to the Santa Barbara Museum or the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles.

In their meetings on campus, the girls talk about self-esteem, family relationships, drugs and alcohol, and pregnancy prevention.

“Much of our success is just being a listening ear most of the time,” Gilmer said. “We’ve seen kids double their grade-point average from F to C. When kids know they are cared for, and they get attention, they respond.”

According to City Impact, attendance of those in the program increased by 76%. Gilmer said one of the most valuable lessons the group provides is showing girls the possibilities.

“We might take them to Amgen to see a Latina agent, and say, look, she came from the barrio and she was able to do that,” Gilmer said.

To volunteer or get more information, call City Impact Director Betty Alvarez Ham or Gilmer at 983-3636.