CableCares L.A. VolunteersWill Aid an ‘Oasis’ for Kids

A Place Called Home, the
recipient of volunteer work and
fundraising by CableCares at this
week’s Cable Connection–Spring,
is a South Central Los Angeles
haven for kids ages 8 to 20 in that
troubled part of the city.

It’s painted bright blue on the
outside but, according to executive
director Jonathan Zeichner, “the inside
is a lot of different colors.”

CableCares embraced APCH
because of a strong existing relationship
with Time Warner Cable,
the dominant local operator.
May is a big month for APCH: On
the weekend of May 1 to 2 there
were about 300 volunteers on site
cleaning up and doing various
projects. On May 11, Zeichner is
hoping another 200 people from
CableCares will come and paint
an artist-designed mural, build
planters and other beautifying
activities.

The Wire asked Zeichner how
APCH — whose services include
homework tutoring and mentoring,
a nutrition program providing
more than 5,000 meals a month, a
college-prep program, theater, fitness
and gardening programs —
was faring these days.

“The demand is higher than
ever,” he said. “The neighborhood
that we’re in is a very historically
rich neighborhood in terms
of culture but a very challenged
neighborhood in terms of gang
violence, crime, poverty, unemployment,
bad schools, all that.
A Place Called Home really is an
oasis in a tough neighborhood
where kids are exposed to a lot of
opportunities to get into trouble,
and there is a lot of trouble.

“We’re doing great, we’re thriving,”
he said. “We unfortunately
have a waiting list of kids who
want to be in the program, but
we’re working on expanding. We’re
facing the same kinds of financial
challenges that every other nonprofit is these days, and we’ve taken
some budget cuts. But we’re
actually doing more with less.”

APCH’s in-house band, 29 Live,
will help entertain the crowds at
Tuesday night’s “Battle of the
Bands” fundraiser. It’s an “amazing”
band that’s played at The
House of Blues, Zeichner said.