Our mission is to provide creative arts mentoring to institutionalized at-risk children and youths, ages 5 to 21, who have been abused, neglected, abandoned or are involved in the juvenile justice system. There are over 60,000 children who are taken from their homes per month in Los Angeles, because of abuse, neglect and abandonment. Many of these children end up in the juvenile justice system and later become career criminals. We've provided a variety of mentoring programs to thousands of these youngsters who live in more than 50 different court-ordered residential care facilities, in the Los Angeles and Orlando areas.
Creative arts are the focus of the mentoring projects.
The artistic projects have a very therapeutic effect. Our programs enhance the children's skills, develop self-esteem, confidence and teamwork. For many of them, this is the first time that they've successfully worked with others to create something positive. Screenwriter Quentin Peebles helps Gabriel with his script Professional writers, artists, photographers, musicians, dancers, filmmakers and other creative individuals volunteer as mentors. They work closely with the children, usually on a weekly basis, teaching them the basics of their art.