What are students in South Central Los Angeles up to these days?  For most, scarce opportunities to do something productive have left them home alone, with endless weeks of watching T.V. or playing video games.

Congressman Isadore Hall III

Summer school has been shut down in most schools due to budget cuts.  Summer programs are of limited enrollment. Adults struggle to get jobs leaving teens with jobs not a reality.

But students at L.A. Academy vow not to let these circumstances get them down.  They are working every day to raise the $1895 dollars they will need to pay for their educational trip to Washington D.C. in April of 2012.

Some are selling See’s Candy, some are writing to ask for donations, many are performing old fashioned jobs like mowing lawns and babysitting to raise cash.

But these students are a special group.  When the parents and students overheard a grandmother sharing the pain and turmoil at not being able to raise the $99 deposit for the trip for her granddaughter, they got together and volunteered to make the deposit for her.  This, from families who can barely scrape the deposit themselves.

We will be canvassing the neighborhood for business sponsorships in the next few weeks but are thrilled by the phone call we received from Congressman Isadore Hall III’s office asking how he can support our endeavor.  It is a true fact that it takes a village to raise a child, and we appreciate the support offered by Congressman Hall.

Care to help?  Contact Martha Infante at 323-270-0588.  Thanks for reading!