Sharefest Community Development Inc.

Sharefest's mission is “Building strong South Bay communities by fostering volunteerism and preparing youth to lead positive change.” Sharefest began with Workday–an effort to bring the community together through volunteer service projects. Volunteers from the community clean, build, refurbish, paint and improve schools, parks, and other public facilities in neighborhoods compromised by gang violence and neglect. In December 2006, 14-year-old Cheryl Green was shot and killed in Los Angeles' Harbor Gateway area. In response to this event - and the endemic interracial violence it represented - a Task Force was formed through Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn's Office to address public safety and ways for community stakeholders to keep youth away from gangs, drugs, and guns. It was at the urging of the Task Force and a direct result of its community needs assessment that Sharefest launched the Youth Development Academy (YDA) -- first in the summer of 2007 and then year-round in 2009.

The YDA serves more than 450 disadvantaged teenagers annually with year-round programming that includes:

1) School-Based YDA, an after-school program serving 200+ students at four Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Continuation High Schools: Avalon (Wilmington), Angel's Gate (San Pedro), Patton (Harbor City), and Simon Rodia (South Gate).
2) Summer YDA, a 4-week program for 200+ middle and high school students (ages 11-18) held on the campus of California State University Dominguez Hills. The Summer YDA fosters the positive development of students by linking them with mentor/role models, healthy activities, and a network of supportive peers during summer months when they would otherwise be lacking a structured environment.
3) Youth Leadership Council, a group of 30-50 high school students – primarily drawn from the Summer YDA – who meet throughout the year to identify, research and implement solutions to problems in their community.

We continue to conduct our annual Workday, which is a critical part of our youth development framework, as it: 1) Creates an opportunity for YDA students to lead service projects and work side-by-side with corporate and civic partners as part of a community effort; 2) Builds our relationships with corporate, government, and faith/community-based organizations, who provide the 2,500+ volunteers and extraordinary financial and in-kind support that make Workday possible; 3) Models the approach to community service that is central to our youth development philosophy; and, 4) Improves the facilities used by disadvantaged kids. Most Workday projects are at public schools and, in 2018, 57% of the 27,000+ students at the schools we improved were from families that qualify for Free/Reduced lunch.

Sharefest has received numerous awards and commendations from political leaders, business groups and civic organizations. Most recently, we were honored as the LAUSD Board of Education Partner of the Month and named the 2017 Nonprofit of the Year by the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce. See http://sharefestinc.org/awards-and-recognition/ for a complete list.
Sharefest has a unique opportunity to create a new resource for underserved youth in the South Bay/Harbor region-converting a former jail into a Youth Development Center.The Center will offer an alternative to other youth development programs in the area, with social change and community improvement the animating forces behind the programming. It will become the headquarters of our Youth Leadership Council, support the expansion of our Continuation School programs, and give us the capacity and flexibility to initiate new programming based on the needs of the youth. See the space: http://sharefestinc.org/youth/ydc/