KoreaTown Youth and Community Center: Inspiring Aspirations and Goals for a Better Future

They say that youth are the hope and strength of society, that they can bring about change and shape the world into a better place. They play an important role in launching us on a new path that will enable us to build a better nation.

Likewise, this organization supports families and children in the areas of education, health, housing, and finances. The KYCC or also known as the KoreaTown Youth and Community center upholds the leading multiservice organization in KoreaTown, this was established in 1975 to support a growing population of at-risk youth in Los Angeles. KYCC's mission is to meet the changing needs of the Korean American community in Los Angeles and the multiethnic Koreatown community. Their programs and services are aimed at recently immigrated, economically disadvantaged youth and families, with the goal of promoting socio economic empowerment. Each year, the organization serves over 11,000 people in eight locations throughout Koreatown, including first generation Asian and Latin American immigrants. The quality programs and services that meet the evolving needs of the K-town community are the Community Economic Development where in it focuses on the financial support services, Clinical services for free mental health services in English, Korean, and Spanish for the youth and families, Environmental services to promote and help beautifying community such as tree planting and clean-ups, Housing that provides them over 200 safe and affordable and secure units throughout central Los Angeles, Kids Town where they give a quality of learning for children ages two to five years, Prevention Education to reduce the use of drugs and alcohol in Koreatown, Pico Union, and Westlake, Youth services for Afterschool and management programs for elementary, middle school, and also for high school students, Recovery services, an outpatient treatment program for people who needs in help in facing drug and alcohol problems, KoreaTown Storytelling Program for intergenerational, multilingual and multiethnic oral history and digital program for the high school students and leader, and lastly, Enhanced Care Management to improve the quality of care and reduce costs for high-risk and high-needs members.

The KYCC organization shows that it is possible to create a safe place to work and live. Their goals and plans for a better community aim to positively shape the nation. They believe that "if the family is healthy, the community will thrive," and through their mission, people will have a hope that the passion for humanity still exists.

References:

https://www.kyccla.org/
https://www.goodera.com/blog/aapi-organizations-to-support
https://www.goodera.com/blog/aapi-organizations-to-support

Photo Courtesy: WorkingNotWorking.com 

Authored by: Nicole Anne Manzo