About A Place Called Home.

Mission

To provide at-risk youth with a secure, positive family environment where they can regain hope and belief, earn trust and self-respect and learn skills to lead to a productive lifestyle free of the gangs, drugs and poverty that surround them. We help inner city youth find their dreams through educational enrichment.

Vision

In the next 5 years, we would like A Place Called Home to impact the community with:

• A decline in violent and gang related activities
• An increase in High School graduates
• An increase in college entrants and graduates
• An increase in gainfully employed community members
• Better awareness of health issues in community
• A community give-back campaign where community contributes to the success of APCH
• All programs "certified" as "model or ideal" for after school programming
• Community activists who fight for their rights in housing, jobs and other issues
• A community with more technological access, learning ability and success
• Thousands more children reaching their academic, creative and social potential through APCH programs

History

A Place Called Home (APCH) was started in 1993 by Founder and President Deborah Constance. It was created to give the gang affected youth of the impoverished inner-city a place where they could come after school, get a snack, do their homework, watch TV, play with their friends, and be with people that care about them - basic rights that all kids should have. From this fundamental concept, APCH grew at an exponential rate and now offers its' youth members many programs including an all-day school in collaboration with the Los Angeles Unified School District; computer lab; music; art; dance; tutoring and mentoring. APCH began working with twelve inner-city children in a basement of a church. In September of 1996, with a growth in membership to 400, APCH moved to its present location -- a 10,000 square foot facility.

In April of 1997 APCH was recognized at the Presidents' Summit as one of the "top 50 teaching examples" in the United States and in April, 2003 APCH was awarded with the President's America's Promise Award honoring it as one of the "safest places for children". And in 2007, APCH was honored to be awarded with Bank of America’s Neighborhood Excellence Award recognizing the Center as a model program contributing to the community-at-large.