Center for Hope Background

The children and young adults that grew up in this environment are well aware that these crimes are occurring everyday. Some of their parents take matters into their own hands and make sure that their children do not fall into this path of violent crime. They sign their children up for the Center for Hope.

The Center for Hope is now an enrichment program funded by the county, but it first began as an afterschool program. The kids they service are between the ages of 11 and 21. The program was originally put together as a program to combat gang violence which is the population they are supposed to target but there is so much overlap. The center provides thousands of different programs for the children and young adults that attend.

As a director, Jack pushes the students to be involved in trade classes because a lot of the kids are not ready to go to college and they end of failing out. “When they come back the gang is waiting for them,” he said.