|
Home
News
/ Calendar
About GAP
History
Staff
Board of Directors
Information
for Educators
GAP for Students
Parent Education
Information
About Gangs
Graffiti Abatement:
Office of Community Beautification
Links to Agencies
Funding Information
Contribute
Online 
Contact GAP
Graffiti Hotline: 311
|
|
A Message from
our Executive Director
Thanks for stopping by our Web site! Spring 2008 is around the corner, and with it comes one of the busiest times of the year at GAP. Our classroom advisors are busy in the classrooms, our after school advisors and tutors are on school campuses in the afternoon, and our crew supervisors are adjusting their schedules to the changing season and conditions.
The Gang Alternatives Program
is many things: gang prevention, community clean up, parent training,
after school activities, community events, referral services, gangfree.org
Web site, and more. GAP is also people working together to accomplish
as a group what none of us can accomplish alone. This Web site is about
the work that we do, the programs we run, the people and communities we
serve, and about us.
We encourage you to become a
part of gangfree.org and part of the GAP family. Click around the site
and learn all you can. If you'd like to know more about us, send us an
e-mail and let us know what you're thinking about and what you'd like
to know. If you have gangs in your neighborhood or gang-related problems
in your family, we can help. If you'd like GAP services in your school,
community, church, club, or county, ask us how that can be possible.
Working together, we can make
a gang free lifestyle a reality for you, for your family, for your neighborhood,
and for your town. GAP is an organization on the grow, but, more importantly,
it's an idea on the grow: when it comes to the gang lifestyle, "I
can do better than that!"
Douglas L. Semark, Ph.D.
GAP Executive Director
dougsemark@gangfree.org
Funding
The GAP Board of Directors unanimously approved the 2007-2008 fiscal year budget of $2.8 million plus. The budget represents an increase year-to-year, which is gratifying in the face of 20% cuts in some federal, state, and municipal dollars. Some federal HUD dollars have been eliminated completely. While some nonprofits and social service agencies are really feeling the pinch, GAP is pleased to report that its position is strong and its finances are stable.
In the coming year, additional challenges loom, but we are optimistic about all the opportunities in front of us. Through excellent performance and high quality, our work will continue unabated, and GAP will finish the year in its strongest financial position ever. We recently added contracts with Los Angeles County and other funders which will raise GAP's annual budget well beyond the three million dollar mark.
As a sign of good things to come, GAP exceeded its hiring goals for the year, already surpassing 70 employees. However, in any nonprofit environment, change is the only constant, and as funding runs out for some programs that have sunset funding, some positions will be eliminated or consolidated.
Community Clean
Up
By Mario Martinez, Director
 As
Director of Community Clean Up, I have the privilege to serve with hard
working, dedicated staff members who spend their days cleaning up graffiti
and improving the neighborhood for residents. GAP Community Clean Up Crews
eliminate over six million square feet of graffiti annually and perform
over 440 clean ups. We also remove over 950,000 pounds of illegally dumped
materials a year. In addition to staff members, GAP uses volunteers referred
by the courts to assist in clean up efforts. If you are interesting in
volunteering, please call the GAP office or local Volunteer Center.
Our operations in CD 14 and CD 9 are now housed in the downtown Arts District, and we are happy to be a strong part of the vibrant Arts and Boyle
Heights communities. GAP works with Mr. Huizar and his staff on many important Boyle Heights events, and we look forward to collaborating on even more enterprises. Assistant Manager Isidro Ruan is in charge of the facility there.
Education
By Donna Trahan, M.A., Director
 The Education Department is busy with the traditional school programs and the after school programs. The after school programs filled up quickly this year, and waiting lists are already in place. GAP runs five after school programs in Wilmington, Gardena, and Carson. ASP Manager Victor Medina is a traveling man these days, with so many sites to visit and so many staff members to look after.
This past summer was spent reviewing and rewriting significant portions of the curriculum, and the new curriculum is now implemented in the schools. We also improved our skills, with extra training and professional development. We also worked with the Weed and Seed Summer Youth Employment Program to provide two pre-employment skills training sessions.
The Parent Project® and Teen Project® continue to be offered at a number of sites, and GAP is investigating a brand new, expanded Teen Project® curriculum.
Our Alternative Services for Youth program continues to draw participants, some of whom now have graduated from the program and gone on to college. ASY Manager Kelli Micheau reports adding several participants in early 2008.
Assistant Director of Education, Jessica Martinez, continues to take on new responsibilities and helps the department keep its edge of excellence.
Business
/ Administration
By David Tynes, Director of Operations
 As
the Director of Operations, my responsibilities are to organize and
improve
the office environment as well as oversee the bookkeeping. With the help
of bookkeeper Lee Harmon and ED Doug Semark, we'll be getting our new
office server and database set up. The server will be the leading edge
Apple XServe, and we will be implementing the number one cross-platform
database, FileMaker Pro 8.
Application Architects of Indiana is moving ahead with its $25,000 worth of pro bono work for the building of our own
FileMaker Pro 8 database solution. Much of the coding will be done in Sacramento. The lead programmer visited GAP in December.
We are also deploying Virtual Timeclock® software through our four offices and are in the initial stages of implementing a company calendar and contact database solution, also based on FileMaker Pro 8.
GAP added a number of Blackberry devices to keep executive staff in touch at all times.
 |
| Daisy Ybarra and Doug Semark promote GAP at the Boyle Heights Public Safety Forum. |
GAP's Recent
Accomplishments
- Doug Semark was
a main clinical presenter at LAUSD's DIS Staff Training in Gang Prevention/Intervention
for Mental Health staff. About 100 District professionals attended this
course, which resulted in four CEUs for the attendees from the CA Board
of Behavioral Sciences.
- Doug Semark served as interim chair of the LAUSD Human Relations Council during the adoption of the Council's bylaws, which he helped to write.
- Donna Trahan, Victor Medina, and after school staff members attended Beyond the Bell mandatory training that was hosted by GAP at its Wilmington Administration Center. Over 30 attendees from various agencies attended.
- This year's After School Program site coordinators are Cherie Ellis, Adlaide Nobles, Connie Jackson, and Hortencia Dominguez. Manager Victor Medina will name the fifth site coordinator soon.
- Doug Semark is heading the Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment committee for the federal Weed and Seed program administered by LAPD Harbor Division.
- The 2007 Business and Community Recognition Breakfast at the Home Depot Center was a success. The silent auction and other fundraising activities brought in several thousand dollars, and the awards given to the donors were well received. Carson Mayor Jim Dear welcomed the attendees, and the new Director of Gang Reduction and Youth Development for the City of Los Angeles, Rev. Jeff Carr, was the speaker.
- Doug Semark will be presenting at the State of California's Paraeducators Conference in April. His three hour workshop will focus on gang and violence reduction in elementary and middle schools.
- Doug Semark and SueAnn Abena attended a meeting at SA Recycling on Terminal Island, Port of Los Angeles. The newly formed company is a merger of SIMS Hugo Neu and other companies. SA awarded $10,000 to GAP.
- Some of GAP's summer youth employees participated in the filming of GAP's public service announcement and will be seen (briefly) in the finished products.
- Daisy Ybarra continues to represent GAP at the Watts Gang Task Force and the Harbor City Task Force.
- Through the generous permission of the Grand Heritage Foundation, GAP will be abel to place two trucks and equipment in San Pedro to offer quicker response times and more immediate presence in graffiti abatement. With funds that have been promised by CD 15 and Janice Hahn, GAP hopes to soon implement additional services to the San pedro and Wilmington communities.
.
Calendar of Upcoming
Events
January 24, 2008
GAP Board Meeting, Wilmington Administration Center, 7:30 AM
February 12, 2008
UCLA/RAND Community Advisory Board, Carson City Hall, 12 Noon
February 15, 2008
CD 14 Graffiti Meeting, Boyle Heights District Office
February 18, 2008
President's Day
February 28, 2008
GAP Executive Committee Meeting, Wilmington Administration Center, 7:30 AM
March 13 , 2008
GAP Board Meeting, Wilmington Administration Center, 7:30 AM
March 22, 2008
"Bridging the Gap" Fundraiser, Carson Civic Center, Carson, 6:00 PM
|
