Friday, October 06, 2006
Co-FOUNDERS OF 15-YEAR-OLD YOUTH OUT-REACH ORGANIZATION RECEIVE AWARD FROM
COUNTY OFFICIALS
By: Ani Amirkhanian
STAFF WRITER
LOS ANGELES Burbank-based We Care for Youth, a nonprofit organization
serving area teens, received the John Anson Ford Human Relations Award on
Thursday at a luncheon held at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel.
The Los Angeles County
Commission on Human Relations presented the award to the co-founders of the
15-year-old youth outreach organization.
Los Angeles County Supervisor
Michael Antonovich gave the award to We Care for Youth co-founders Linda
Maxwell and Jose Quintanar.
"For me, it's so humbling to
be selected for this award," said Maxwell, as she held back tears. "We just
followed our bliss and our bliss was kids."
We Care for Youth was founded
in 1991 by Maxwell and Quintanar, a former professor at Glendale Community
College.
Maxwell and Quintanar began
mentoring about 20 at-risk teenage girls, all of whom graduated from high
school.
"This award gives us awareness
that we have still been around for 15 years," Quintanar said.
The organization has grown to
serve teens in the Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena areas, Quintanar said.
"When we talk about human
relations, we are talking about survival of the planet," Maxwell said.
We Care for Youth staff
provide outreach services to teens dealing with issues related to peer
pressure, substance abuse and domestic violence.
"I have watched [Maxwell and
Quintanar] work and they are dedicated to community and human relations,"
said Burbank City Councilwoman Marsha Ramos. "They are so deserving of this
award. I'm very happy to see they are recognized."
Ramos worked with We Care for
Youth founders to help develop mediation, dialogue and strategy with teens,
she said.
We Care for Youth was recently
awarded with a $50,000 federal grant. The grant provides project-based
learning programs that focus on building leadership skills, reducing teen
violence and fostering peer and community bonding at Burbank High School.
"Their name alone, under the
guidance and leadership of Linda and Jose, they are sincere and genuine,"
Ramos said. "They do life-changing work."
To date, We Care for Youth has
served nearly 9,000 local teens, Maxwell said.
"We are just one more
response," Maxwell said. "If you've got a kid who needs someone to talk to,
send them to us." |