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Speaker 2: Well, hello there, I know it's been a minute, right,
Speaker 2: We're getting back in the swing of things. It's kind
Speaker 2: of like that thing in life you have to just
Speaker 2: put one foot in front of the other, and then
Speaker 2: one foot front of the other, and you realize that
Speaker 2: when you go inch by inch life's ascent because we
Speaker 2: all know that when you go yard by yard, life
Speaker 2: is hard. And I'm so excited about this conversation. We've
Speaker 2: had the executive director, Pam McClay join us a couple
Speaker 2: of times to talk about the work that she's doing
Speaker 2: with her organization, Living Advantage, and how they are truly
Speaker 2: the moms and dads of Foster Youth, which is so
Speaker 2: important because when we say the children are the future,
Speaker 2: well then we have to ask ourselves, well, what are
Speaker 2: our children looking like? Because that's an indication of what
Speaker 2: our future will be like. And so with this conversation,
Speaker 2: we're going to discuss how now the organization is stepping
Speaker 2: on to a new feed and that is the opening
Speaker 2: of the Living Advantage Youth Center. So without further ado,
Speaker 2: please help me welcome. We have Katie and Summer with
Speaker 2: Living Advantage.
Speaker 3: Hey, John, thank you.
Speaker 2: With each of you, can you just briefly share who
Speaker 2: you are and what do you do with Living Advantage
Speaker 2: and we can start with you Katie.
Speaker 3: Awesome.
Speaker 5: Yeah, So my name is Katie everybody, and I am
Speaker 5: the communications director.
Speaker 3: I've got many hats though in.
Speaker 5: A nonprofit you kind of work in all different parts
Speaker 5: of the organization, but with this event, it's kind of
Speaker 5: me in Summer or just taking full force making sure
Speaker 5: it happens, making sure we have the people that we
Speaker 5: want there, the speakers, all that kind of stuff all
Speaker 5: set in place, just for an enjoyable experience for the
Speaker 5: community to come out and see it.
Speaker 1: Awesome. Yes, and what about you Summer.
Speaker 6: Yeah. So I'm also working in the communication and strategic partnerships,
Speaker 6: working with some of our donors, speaking with some of
Speaker 6: the some of the people that we like to have
Speaker 6: support us, which is great. I'm just building those and
Speaker 6: I'm also just Katie's right hand woman.
Speaker 3: Yes, whatever I need, Summer does it.
Speaker 2: So for anybody that's unclear, now, I did just say
Speaker 2: that Living Advantage are the moms and dads of Foster Youth.
Speaker 1: Can you guys just go a little bit of detail
Speaker 1: of what.
Speaker 2: Living Advantage, who are, what Living Advantage is, and what
Speaker 2: you all do.
Speaker 3: Yeah. So we're actually in our thirty first year. Now.
Speaker 5: Last year we did the whole thirtieth anniversary, the big celebration,
Speaker 5: but now we're actually entering that thirty first year and
Speaker 5: it's a great time because you know, for the past
Speaker 5: thirty years we've been dealing with foster youth group homes,
Speaker 5: working with youth in the foster care system, providing them
Speaker 5: life skills, just anything they need to become successful adults.
Speaker 5: But now we're transitioning into opening a youth center. So
Speaker 5: now we're going to have a lot more services that
Speaker 5: are more in person and more hands on, community center.
Speaker 3: All that kind of stuff.
Speaker 5: So it's going to be a whole new, little little
Speaker 5: phase for us in our thirty first year. But we're
Speaker 5: super excited. We're moving to Crenshaw area, so we actually
Speaker 5: for LA people.
Speaker 3: We are in the USC.
Speaker 5: Area right now, so we're working with the kids mainly
Speaker 5: it's South LA. But we're moving to a new section
Speaker 5: the city and Crunshaw, new group of youths with different problems,
Speaker 5: different needs, and so we're excited to reach that new population.
Speaker 2: Okay, so just like we can rewind a little bit,
Speaker 2: this is so awesome with this youth center opening up.
Speaker 2: What is the dire need when we talk about foster youth,
Speaker 2: what is it that they need? I think sometimes we
Speaker 2: don't understand that oftentimes these young people don't have anywhere
Speaker 2: to go. Sometimes when they're dispersed in different homes, they
Speaker 2: don't have any identification, so then that you know, puts
Speaker 2: a restriction on them from even getting employment. So therefore,
Speaker 2: how can they really move forward in life? And how
Speaker 2: are you guys helping to mend that.
Speaker 3: Bridge somewhere you want to take this?
Speaker 6: Yeah, absolutely, so there I think number one, there's there's
Speaker 6: like you mentioned, there's a lack of stability and there's
Speaker 6: a lack of guidance. I think sometimes that foster youth experience.
Speaker 6: So we're here to teach them life skills, actual practical
Speaker 6: life skills to whether it's housing, employment, whether it's education.
Speaker 6: We're here to provide and kind of and give them
Speaker 6: the resources that they need to be able to make
Speaker 6: those steps to take care of themselves. And apart from that,
Speaker 6: even with the records, I mean, we kind of are
Speaker 6: there from the beginning I said. I think I mentioned
Speaker 6: earlier we had middle school to age about like twenty five.
Speaker 6: Because even once you're write, even once you've gotten you know,
Speaker 6: you're eighteen, you rather that you still you're still young,
Speaker 6: you're a child. If you kind of put back to
Speaker 6: that age and you're supposed to, it's hard when you're
Speaker 6: already at a disadvantage and you're supposed to go out
Speaker 6: and kind of make a life for yourself, they still
Speaker 6: need someone to show them the way. So that's kind
Speaker 6: of where we're living. Advantage happens, and that's again why
Speaker 6: they call them moms and dads at fosters. You know,
Speaker 6: when you have a problem, you who do you go to?
Speaker 6: You go to your parents. So now if you are
Speaker 6: not able to do that, you still need someone to
Speaker 6: give you that guidance. So we're here to help out
Speaker 6: with those practical skills.
Speaker 5: Yeah, and John, you mentioned too, the identification, and that's
Speaker 5: like a big thing that we like to do. We
Speaker 5: are programs called e lock Box and so basically a
Speaker 5: lot of people don't know this, but foster youth.
Speaker 3: Have to move a lot.
Speaker 5: I can't remember the stats, but they move a lot
Speaker 5: of times during their time in foster care. And so
Speaker 5: when they're moving from house to house, sometimes they have
Speaker 5: time to move things and pick up all their stuff.
Speaker 5: Sometimes they don't. And so when they're moving background all
Speaker 5: of their like identification documents, a lot of times they
Speaker 5: get left behind. And so we all know it's hard
Speaker 5: to get a driver's license in general is hard to
Speaker 5: get you know, you lose your birth certificate, you lose
Speaker 5: Social Security card. All of that stuff is hard to
Speaker 5: get just for a person even with you know, a
Speaker 5: privileged background, a person who has resources. Now take these kids,
Speaker 5: they don't even know how to get that situated.
Speaker 3: Where do we go? How do like, how do you
Speaker 3: even get approach.
Speaker 5: That once you once you leave that behind. And so
Speaker 5: that's where we hear at living Advantage coming in and
Speaker 5: take them by the hand and just show them exactly
Speaker 5: where they're supposed to go, which departments. You know, we
Speaker 5: have contracts with La County Probation, La County as a whole,
Speaker 5: so we're able to direct them to the areas to
Speaker 5: get those those important documents, because there are things that
Speaker 5: you probably don't think about every day, but they're real pain.
Speaker 5: I mean, you can't even get a job, you can't
Speaker 5: even really do anything without those important documents.
Speaker 6: I think the stat is like seven they move seven
Speaker 6: to twenty times on average, So it's kind of insane.
Speaker 6: And the other reason is because I'm looking at it
Speaker 6: right now, I'm like, I haven't pulled up.
Speaker 1: I'm like, oh wow, it's good.
Speaker 2: I mean, you know, we just think about anything where
Speaker 2: whether you're starting a new diet plan, a workout regimen,
Speaker 2: even a new job. There has to be a level
Speaker 2: of consistency. And if we're talking about building the future,
Speaker 2: like you say, what are the.
Speaker 1: Tools that young people need?
Speaker 6: You know?
Speaker 2: I was talking to a friend of mine at once,
Speaker 2: and she grew up in Foster Youth and when we
Speaker 2: were first met, I would call and we would tech.
Speaker 1: And now one day I called. She was like, I
Speaker 1: don't know who this is, and I'm like, I was
Speaker 1: almost offended.
Speaker 2: I'm like, girl, like what and she said, she said,
Speaker 2: because growing up she was moved around so much, she
Speaker 2: didn't feel it was a need to save people's numbers
Speaker 2: in her phone because she'd move and she wouldn't talk.
Speaker 1: To them or see them anymore.
Speaker 2: And immediately my heart dropped, I mean because immediately that's
Speaker 2: you know, I heard bells and whistles of abandonment, rejection,
Speaker 2: and that whole idea of not being wanted. That's to me,
Speaker 2: that just takes it to another level. So, but thank
Speaker 2: goodness for organizations such as Living Advantage. You guys are
Speaker 2: opening up the Youth Center. It's taking place on Thursday,
Speaker 2: May thirtieth and opening up on Crenshaw Boulevard.
Speaker 1: And what can we expect with this.
Speaker 5: Event, Well, we can expect, so it's going to be
Speaker 5: a whole rubin cutting. That's how we're going to start
Speaker 5: it off. So we'll have like the Beverly Hills Chambers
Speaker 5: actually doing the cutting for us as members of the Chamber,
Speaker 5: and so they're helping us celebrate this milestone because after
Speaker 5: the thirtieth will be open. So it's gonna be the
Speaker 5: big scissors, the whole ribbon cutting. It's gonna be really cool.
Speaker 5: So we're gonna cut that ribbon and then we're all
Speaker 5: going to walk in upstairs. You'll get to see the
Speaker 5: different areas and it's gonna be very techy because that's
Speaker 5: what our ed Pamela, she really wants our youth to
Speaker 5: be pursuing careers in tech because that is the future.
Speaker 5: And so we're gonna have we have several different rooms
Speaker 5: in the center, so because we expect a lot of
Speaker 5: people to come, everyone's going to be kind of in
Speaker 5: different rooms. But there is a tee, there's a bunch
Speaker 5: of TVs in every room, so you're still going to
Speaker 5: be part of the action even if you're not in
Speaker 5: the main room. And yeah, well we're gonna have special guests.
Speaker 5: The Chamber Chamber, the Krinsaw Chamber of Commerce is also
Speaker 5: going to be there. That President JC Lacy is going
Speaker 5: to be speaking. We have a super cool state resolution
Speaker 5: presentation from Isaac Bryan's office, which will be awesome.
Speaker 3: He's a California representative.
Speaker 1: And then we also have dealings with a foster youth.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I want to foster care or he that's one
Speaker 3: of his priorities.
Speaker 5: So he's yeah, very close to home. I'm super excited
Speaker 5: about this. We also have people from our Keys Dawson's
Speaker 5: office coming out, Holly Mitchell's. So yeah, it's gonna be
Speaker 5: a really really exciting ceremony. You'll get to see the center,
Speaker 5: You'll get to see all.
Speaker 3: The tech that we're incorporating.
Speaker 5: We're gonna have a gaming area, which actually Summer is
Speaker 5: kind of working on too because she's a gamer, so
Speaker 5: somewhere I don't know if you want to talk about
Speaker 5: some of.
Speaker 6: That those pieces Patty Pimola was interested in, I mean,
Speaker 6: kids love games in general, so I think she was
Speaker 6: interested in what's a way that kids can learn more
Speaker 6: about tech and in general, like even just make money
Speaker 6: off the game. We can do that now with like
Speaker 6: these East sports leagues and scholarships and their scholarships for education.
Speaker 6: So I think that's something that she wants to lean into,
Speaker 6: and I think that would be absolutely incredible. I think
Speaker 6: that would get kids, not kids, you know, they're they're teenagers,
Speaker 6: but it would get them interested too. So that's something
Speaker 6: we're looking into. And that's just fun, and that's just
Speaker 6: fun in general.
Speaker 2: That is so awesome because oftentimes, you know, I think
Speaker 2: when individuals coming up in underserved communities and just because
Speaker 2: of not having the foundation, it's always been the notion
Speaker 2: of they've been a few steps behind. But like you said,
Speaker 2: introducing this organization and these programs that you offer are
Speaker 2: giving them the leverage to actually step ahead. So a
Speaker 2: lot of the work that you've been doing outside of
Speaker 2: the youth center opening and prior to it, what's going
Speaker 2: to make the work that you do different or how
Speaker 2: is it going to enhance now that there's an actual
Speaker 2: physical location for the youth.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 5: So, I mean with our virtual services, we've always been
Speaker 5: kind of ahead of the curve, you know, Pamela Reed,
Speaker 5: she's she said, she you know, was doing virtual services
Speaker 5: even before the pandemic, even before Zoom became a thing.
Speaker 5: She's always been that kind of thinking. But we also
Speaker 5: realized that, you know, virtual doesn't work for everyone. Sometimes
Speaker 5: it's hard to connect some areas. It's just like with
Speaker 5: some of her group homes too, We've noticed it's like
Speaker 5: getting all of those kids in one room on a
Speaker 5: computer can be hard to do without, you know, with
Speaker 5: the staff problems and all that kind of stuff. So
Speaker 5: having a place that's in person is just another way
Speaker 5: to reach more youths. So you know, we have a
Speaker 5: really big reach because of virtual, but then it's also
Speaker 5: limitation as well, so we're able to gather more more
Speaker 5: of the kids you know, in the community. And also
Speaker 5: with it being it's going to be right a couple
Speaker 5: of blocks from Crunshaw High so it's very close walking distance.
Speaker 5: You know, Lamert Parks right down the street. It's a
Speaker 5: very centralized area. So a lot of kids can you know,
Speaker 5: if they're able to learn about it and we have
Speaker 5: our outreach efforts and if all that successful, they're all
Speaker 5: going to see, oh cool, I can just go down
Speaker 5: the street.
Speaker 3: Let me learn how to do some gaming with summer
Speaker 3: or you know, let me.
Speaker 5: Do these different pieces and you know, tutoring and mentorship.
Speaker 5: You know, they need cal fresh sign ups like any
Speaker 5: of that stuff. Oh wow, you just drop in, drop
Speaker 5: into the center.
Speaker 3: Yeah wow. Kids just need a place to go to.
Speaker 6: You know, it's better than just there's so many alternatives
Speaker 6: to what you could be doing, and it can you can.
Speaker 3: Get into trouble.
Speaker 6: So it's just a place where you can actually just
Speaker 6: go and there's always going to be something of value
Speaker 6: for you to either learn or to participate in one
Speaker 6: year at the Youth Center.
Speaker 2: So at the Youth Center, who's part of the staff.
Speaker 2: Are there teachers from LAUSD, are there specialized technicians? How
Speaker 2: are these being set up? And also what are the
Speaker 2: hours that the youth can go there from what time
Speaker 2: to what time? And is it seven days a week
Speaker 2: or only during the week.
Speaker 3: Yeah, very good question.
Speaker 5: So our staff and we are still kind of hiring
Speaker 5: staff for that, but we are having our case managers
Speaker 5: and tutors and I think we are looking for some
Speaker 5: mental health professionals to work in the center as well.
Speaker 5: But for now it's going to be very much kind
Speaker 5: of like scheduled like right after school, having kids come by.
Speaker 3: But that is the goal to you know, get to
Speaker 3: have more staff.
Speaker 5: So that we can stay open, you know, through the weekend.
Speaker 5: We can have that seven days, but for now it's
Speaker 5: looking like it's going to be you know, after school hours,
Speaker 5: dropping in just during the week.
Speaker 2: Okay, so about in the evening now we're now we're
Speaker 2: talking about getting the staff. Well, I got a couple
Speaker 2: of things. Everything's running first and foremost. You said something,
Speaker 2: especially with this economy right now, with so many individuals
Speaker 2: looking for jobs, how can people apply and where can
Speaker 2: they find this information?
Speaker 3: Yeah, so we're on. We're on.
Speaker 5: Indeed, that's our main one where people can apply, but
Speaker 5: you can always call our office line. You can visit
Speaker 5: our website Living Advantage in dot org. Our phone numbers
Speaker 5: three two three seven, three one six, we're seven to one,
Speaker 5: you know it. Just just give us a call because
Speaker 5: we are looking for we want very qualified individuals.
Speaker 3: Because you know, we've had a lot of people apply.
Speaker 5: They don't have a lot of experience, they don't really
Speaker 5: have a desire to work with youth, and so I mean,
Speaker 5: we'll forego like the experience if there's like a passion
Speaker 5: behind working with youth. But we just some of the applicants.
Speaker 5: It's just been tough hiring. I know, a lot of
Speaker 5: businesses are having the same problems. Yeah, it's like you're
Speaker 5: getting all these applicants. Tons of people are applying, but
Speaker 5: just you know, the passion's not there. They're just looking
Speaker 5: for something to work at. They're not really looking for
Speaker 5: something that because when you're working with kids, you cannot
Speaker 5: have people just coming in and leaving. You really need,
Speaker 5: especially with our population with foster youth, like you were
Speaker 5: saying to on earlier, like they need stability, they need
Speaker 5: someone who's gonna be with them for all this time,
Speaker 5: because it's you know, what's the point if you know
Speaker 5: they're let down by other people throughout their journey and
Speaker 5: then us who are here to serve these youth are
Speaker 5: you know it's a different person every week kind of
Speaker 5: thing like that's that's not acceptable and that's not what
Speaker 5: we're looking for.
Speaker 1: That was powerful right there, what you said.
Speaker 2: And I do want to highlight that because I'm always
Speaker 2: trying to figure out how we can bridge opportunities, how
Speaker 2: we can highlight different experiences. And so if you are
Speaker 2: looking and you want to help out the youth, or
Speaker 2: you're looking for some extra change and you know you
Speaker 2: have a gift in that area, understand what's going to
Speaker 2: be required of you. I definitely think it's great to
Speaker 2: always offer opportunities for individuals, but it's also important to
Speaker 2: know what you're showing up to the table for and
Speaker 2: if it's serving you what you need, what you thought
Speaker 2: you were in for. Because I think that that's so important,
Speaker 2: that support and it needs to be consistent.
Speaker 1: So thank you for highlighting on that.
Speaker 2: So they can go ahead and check out the website
Speaker 2: Living Advantage dot ink dot.
Speaker 3: Org, Living Advantage inc dot org.
Speaker 2: Yes, Living Advantage Incorporated. And then also so why they
Speaker 2: can check out the website they have the job postings
Speaker 2: on Indeed, another thing, so if you're hiring this staff,
Speaker 2: how much is this going to cost?
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's gonna cost a lot.
Speaker 2: So I'm saying for if a youth wants to sign up,
Speaker 2: do you have to pay to be a partner?
Speaker 3: Oh?
Speaker 1: This is absolutely free?
Speaker 3: No no, no, no, this is free.
Speaker 2: So why wouldn't somebody come after school to this program
Speaker 2: or to this youth center?
Speaker 3: Exactly? Yeah.
Speaker 5: I think our biggest thing is outreach and that's what
Speaker 5: we really are. Our new case manager, her name's also Amila, actually,
Speaker 5: who's going to be heading up that Youth Center project.
Speaker 3: She's been working with.
Speaker 5: Different events, different areas, just trying to get flyers out
Speaker 5: to you just to know about it, because you know,
Speaker 5: we can have all of these things, but if nobody
Speaker 5: knows about it, then you know, what's the point. And
Speaker 5: so that's been a huge part of like living advantages.
Speaker 5: That's why we're always about outreach. We're always about you know,
Speaker 5: a lot of our supporters like, oh, we get all
Speaker 5: these emails, but it's like we need to be sending
Speaker 5: all this stuff out because there's no point in doing
Speaker 5: this stuff know one else about.
Speaker 1: It, right. I love that that.
Speaker 2: I was Actually I just hosted an event over with
Speaker 2: Crenshaw YMCA with the executive director Aaron Hall, and then
Speaker 2: also with the organization called Solo Robotics, and they had
Speaker 2: it was just the South LA Youth Showdown, and so
Speaker 2: there were teams set up where they had the prime
Speaker 2: and the majors and they were actually building robots to
Speaker 2: complete different tasks. So immediately when you guys said how
Speaker 2: you're into the whole tech space or gaming, because that
Speaker 2: is the future of everything. I want to see if
Speaker 2: it's a way that I can help introduce you guys
Speaker 2: to build that relationship.
Speaker 5: Yeah, that'd be super cool because having you know, a
Speaker 5: little robotics area in the center, Yeah, that would be
Speaker 5: awesome to have.
Speaker 3: Like maybe if that group.
Speaker 5: Comes out and does you know times scheduled things and
Speaker 5: we can you know, advertise to our kids like, hey,
Speaker 5: come out today, like we're having this, you know, this
Speaker 5: building robots like something that you probably wouldn't think of normally,
Speaker 5: but that's like a career path you could choose to
Speaker 5: get them excited about it.
Speaker 6: And we're always looking for collaborations in partnerships and donors
Speaker 6: and people in the community. We it's it's a great
Speaker 6: place to be in because we are open to anyone
Speaker 6: who wants to help and there's always a way to
Speaker 6: help them.
Speaker 1: There's always a need open.
Speaker 5: Yeah, whenever someone reaches out, we're like, let's see if
Speaker 5: we can make it happen.
Speaker 3: We don't, we don't really use no around here.
Speaker 5: We're like, whatever you bring to us, we will try
Speaker 5: and make it happen. Because you know, that's that's what
Speaker 5: this is all about. It's all about a united community.
Speaker 5: There's you know, we because we think about it too.
Speaker 3: With the foster youth.
Speaker 5: There are so many different agencies, different organizations. You've got
Speaker 5: adoption agencies, got service more agencies. But it all needs
Speaker 5: to be connected because there's so many different pieces to
Speaker 5: this that you know, youth are missing out in one
Speaker 5: area and so we'll.
Speaker 3: Do a lot of referrals too.
Speaker 5: With that are other organizations that we work with because
Speaker 5: you know, that's that's the whole thing. As long as
Speaker 5: the youth reaches out to someone, then we need to
Speaker 5: make sure that all other needs are met. And so
Speaker 5: we'll work with other organizations and their collaborations just to
Speaker 5: make sure that we can make sure this kid succeeds.
Speaker 2: Right, because that's the goal, this is the end game.
Speaker 2: We had to work together.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Right, In case you're wondering, we're discussing the Living Advantaged
Speaker 2: Youth Center. It's opening up on May thirtieth, which is
Speaker 2: a Thursday at forty seven hundred Crenshaw Boulevard. Now, for
Speaker 2: people who are wondering, how close or how far are
Speaker 2: you from the Crenshaw Mall.
Speaker 5: Just south probably like a couple of minutes. Honestly, it's
Speaker 5: just keep get rolling down past Limmert Park before it's
Speaker 5: right before Slawson. Okay, it between Slawson and for you
Speaker 5: where that Chase Bank corner.
Speaker 2: Is what that is?
Speaker 6: But yeah, right night down the street from Bohood minutes
Speaker 6: five minutes right there, okay, let logo right.
Speaker 3: There, so green.
Speaker 1: You talking about food, I like to right right.
Speaker 3: Right next to churches chicken too. Your church's chicken on
Speaker 3: one side on the other.
Speaker 2: Twenty okay, So in case you're wondering, it's right there
Speaker 2: in the area. It's right there in the community, you
Speaker 2: know oftentimes, And that's the reason Jennifer Lashley I need
Speaker 2: to have for on vitamin D because we need to
Speaker 2: shed light more on individuals who are working towards our future,
Speaker 2: especially when we're talking about young people right well, she
Speaker 2: is the executive director of the CEO, founder of Solo Robotics,
Speaker 2: who have this thing. She says, I've been in the
Speaker 2: education system for over twenty years. I've seen how tech
Speaker 2: is the way to go. Why is it that whenever
Speaker 2: I'm involved in the STEM program, which is science, Technology,
Speaker 2: Engineering math, I never see us? And so she decided
Speaker 2: to start her organization, which was back in twenty nineteen
Speaker 2: and now she's serving over thirteen schools and so what
Speaker 2: it highlights to me is now we need to branch
Speaker 2: it over so that these young people cannot live to
Speaker 2: their advantage or if they know someone because everybody knows
Speaker 2: someone else, right, So I just have to say thank
Speaker 2: you once again. I'm wondering too. I'm just thinking of
Speaker 2: Aaron Hall with YMCA. What does that look like with
Speaker 2: you dealing with other organizations such as that. Is there
Speaker 2: a way to bridge or how you guys can work together.
Speaker 1: There's always a way. That was so poetic.
Speaker 6: I was like, Yo, we're not in this is this
Speaker 6: is this is We're not in the space of competition
Speaker 6: at all. This is this is nonprofits and we're all helping.
Speaker 6: We all have the same goals. So there is always
Speaker 6: always a way.
Speaker 2: Hey, because otherwise we would be talking about things that
Speaker 2: serve as a disadvantage, but we're living advantage. You better
Speaker 2: catch you while it's hot. I just want to say
Speaker 2: to you guys. Really, you guys just lit something inside
Speaker 2: of me, and I want to say thank you.
Speaker 1: I have I have to.
Speaker 2: I'm following up with my listeners now, but it's been
Speaker 2: a while since I've been able to just record an
Speaker 2: episode just because everything is going to going on.
Speaker 1: But having this conversation.
Speaker 2: With you this is a reminder why I do what
Speaker 2: I do, Why I think it's so important for resources.
Speaker 2: Why I'm like, we need to shed light because it's
Speaker 2: not that it's not there, we just don't know it's there.
Speaker 2: It's just like going in the room with the lights
Speaker 2: off and you can't see. Well, just flick the switch,
Speaker 2: Just create an idea. Just figure out how we can
Speaker 2: introduce somebody else to another opportunity that can serve them.
Speaker 1: And the more people that know, the more we can grow, right, right,
Speaker 1: And a lot.
Speaker 5: Of times you don't know if you don't ask, So
Speaker 5: like there's not a stupid question. You guys can give
Speaker 5: us a call and you know, we'll see if it's possible.
Speaker 5: But like there's no harm in reaching out and just
Speaker 5: seeing if that's.
Speaker 3: Something that you know that you need.
Speaker 5: And a lot of times, i mean, California gives a
Speaker 5: lot of benefits to people and so a lot of
Speaker 5: people struggling, like we can help you, We can help you.
Speaker 3: You just got a call.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's it. So okay, you're saying, I got a call, Katie.
Speaker 1: I'm waiting for the number.
Speaker 5: Oh three two three seven three one six four seven
Speaker 5: to one, And.
Speaker 1: What about an email in case they want to send
Speaker 1: you an email.
Speaker 5: Yeah, we email is a great one too, So outreach
Speaker 5: this is a worthy outreach department.
Speaker 3: I'm super simple.
Speaker 5: So outreach at Living Advantage i nc dot org just
Speaker 5: like our website.
Speaker 3: So just Living Advantage Inc. Dot a worg. But with
Speaker 3: the outreach in the front.
Speaker 2: You got to catch it, okay, So come on out
Speaker 2: if you know a young person that can use the support,
Speaker 2: a young person that has a bright future. But again,
Speaker 2: they don't know, they don't have the lights on, they
Speaker 2: don't know what to ask, they don't know who to
Speaker 2: reach out to. Please check out Living Advantage and get
Speaker 2: introduced because on Thursday, March May thirtieth, they will be
Speaker 2: opening up the Living Advantage Youth Center. Yes, the moms
Speaker 2: and dads of Foster Youth are here to offer consistency,
Speaker 2: are here to offer support, are here to offer opportunity
Speaker 2: so that you can create the possibility. Okay, so each
Speaker 2: one teach one. Now, each one are going to reach one.
Speaker 2: So lastly, before you all head out of here, are
Speaker 2: there any last words that you want to give to
Speaker 2: encourage people to come out? On May thirtieth at forty
Speaker 2: seven hundred Crenshaw Boulevard for the opening of the Living
Speaker 2: Advantage Incorporated Youth Center.
Speaker 5: Well, it's going to be free, so I know a
Speaker 5: lot of people that really brings it in.
Speaker 3: It's a free event. There's going to be food.
Speaker 1: Okay, you know I was going to cut you off
Speaker 1: right there. That was the first thing I had to ask,
Speaker 1: because you're telling me to come over to this event.
Speaker 1: Feed miss will feed me.
Speaker 3: Yeah, And we're going to be doing some raffles too.
Speaker 3: We've got some stuff.
Speaker 5: From the La Clippers, some cool shirts, some bibbleheads, some
Speaker 5: full merch.
Speaker 3: That will be raffling off.
Speaker 5: We've got a John and Vinnie's gift card too, so
Speaker 5: you get some pizza if you want to get that
Speaker 5: gift card.
Speaker 3: So yeah, definitely come out for this.
Speaker 2: So not only is somebody going to be abreast about
Speaker 2: the organization, the wonderful opportunities that are going to be provided,
Speaker 2: the wonderful food that's going to get in your belly,
Speaker 2: they get telling me they can walk away and win
Speaker 2: some things, are you kidding me? On top of the
Speaker 2: networking that's going to take place of people that are
Speaker 2: going places and reaching for things, it's a win win.
Speaker 1: So then what time do they need to be there.
Speaker 3: So we recommend you come for evening part.
Speaker 5: It's gonna be an all day open house, so you
Speaker 5: can come whenever just to check out the center. Sorry's
Speaker 5: so we're starting at ten, so ten am you can
Speaker 5: come by and get some You could come to each
Speaker 5: section two.
Speaker 3: Actually want your girl, get your whole meal for the day.
Speaker 3: But yeah, we'll have some astrees in the morning.
Speaker 5: Then at lunch it's sandwiches. Yeah, we got some from
Speaker 5: Mike's Deli on Slosson. We've got them catering some sandwiches
Speaker 5: Mikes highly likely and then highly likely cafe.
Speaker 3: They're giving us some chicken sliders.
Speaker 5: And I think some like other appetizers things today.
Speaker 3: I don't even know a fancy.
Speaker 2: Wait.
Speaker 3: Aute critic as sent it free.
Speaker 6: So, oh it's a platter, you know the platters that
Speaker 6: have like the vegetables and the dipping sauces and that's
Speaker 6: what it is.
Speaker 3: Okay, it's like RBS.
Speaker 2: Okay, okay, okay, Yeah, so that all the nuts and fruit.
Speaker 1: But you know, you get your veggies.
Speaker 6: I'm not veg Yeah, you got the chicken slidders and
Speaker 6: you got the sandwich.
Speaker 3: You got some stuff to some veggies. Look, you got
Speaker 3: it all.
Speaker 2: I mean, honestly, it's just like, what do you want?
Speaker 2: We'll show up, Okay, get gets it?
Speaker 1: The evening come on.
Speaker 5: Literally and so then yeah, our evening parts starts around
Speaker 5: six thirty is when the actual ceremony is, so you
Speaker 5: want to get there a little bit early. You want
Speaker 5: to get their around six. But we're gonna have fog
Speaker 5: to chow. It is going to be having some of
Speaker 5: their appetizers. So if you've been to our event before
Speaker 5: which we host that Fogo, a lot of their appetizers
Speaker 5: are coming back.
Speaker 3: To this event.
Speaker 5: Yeah, so that's gonna be yeah, super cool. And then
Speaker 5: we got a couple of catering places. I think we're
Speaker 5: gonna have a taco truck come out.
Speaker 3: Are you serious? Yeah? Please for sure? Food?
Speaker 6: Yeah yeah.
Speaker 1: Wait a minute and wait a minute, wait a minute.
Speaker 2: See this kind of information is very helpful for me
Speaker 2: because this is going to have me decide what outfit
Speaker 2: I'm not gonna wear, because I need to make sure
Speaker 2: that whatever I am eating, honey, that I can hold
Speaker 2: it with the outfit.
Speaker 1: I need to have room to breathe because y'all have
Speaker 1: some things to eat. I'm just saying so I'm going
Speaker 1: to be there.
Speaker 2: I'm going to invite some people out to be there,
Speaker 2: and I hope that you are able to be there,
Speaker 2: and wherever you're listening, perhaps share with somebody else if
Speaker 2: they are in the Los Angeles area. Heck if there
Speaker 2: are any part of California, honestly, because this is an
Speaker 2: event that's going to be worth traveling too.
Speaker 1: Okay, you said you need the opportunity, We'll hear me.
Speaker 1: Here are the resources.
Speaker 2: Okay, all right, Well, thank you Katie, Thank you Summer
Speaker 2: so much for joining us on Vitamin D. Thank you
Speaker 2: for the work that you do and continuing to help
Speaker 2: support the moms and dad of Foster Youth.
Speaker 5: Well, thank you don for yeah letting us share our story,
Speaker 5: share about our big event.
Speaker 3: It's beautiful.
Speaker 1: Thank you.
Speaker 2: Okay, so see you guys, May Thirtie, have a good one.
Speaker 3: Take care.
Speaker 1: We don't just leave yet. I didn't even ask you.
Speaker 2: Is there another organization or person that you would like
Speaker 2: to throw the baton to to also be a guest
Speaker 2: on Vitamin D. Somebody that's doing some great work in
Speaker 2: the community, somebody that should be highlighting the community, another organization,
Speaker 2: because I would love to reach out.
Speaker 5: Yeah, so I would say, Doctor Theon Gordon. She is
Speaker 5: the executive director of the she Ready Foundation, and we
Speaker 5: actually are partnering with them. That's Tiffany Hattish's organization. A
Speaker 5: lot of people know her thing, but her thing is
Speaker 5: the luggage. And so with foster youth, they often move
Speaker 5: and so they sometimes don't get a suitcase, they don't
Speaker 5: have luggage.
Speaker 3: So it's thrown in a trash bag.
Speaker 5: So their organization works to provide luggage and so but
Speaker 5: we actually are doing in the Uth Center. We're gonna
Speaker 5: have a luggage in the library room in the center.
Speaker 5: So any kids that come by that, you know, we're
Speaker 5: like I'm going to be moving soon, or like I'm
Speaker 5: moving to a different group home and I don't really
Speaker 5: have anything, They're gonna have the opportunity to get luggage
Speaker 5: right there. And so Doctor Theon, she's doing great work.
Speaker 5: She's I can't I don't even know how many years
Speaker 5: she's worked in this business, but she's been doing some
Speaker 5: awesome things with our organization but also just for the
Speaker 5: foster youth population.
Speaker 3: So we work together a lot. But I'd passed up.
Speaker 3: It's onto her, all right.
Speaker 1: So doctor, how do you say your last name again,
Speaker 1: the ra theon Gordon.
Speaker 2: Theon Gordon. Okay, so doctor Gordon sounds like camp next. Okay,
Speaker 2: thank you so very much. Also, I want to encourage
Speaker 2: you that if you have any questions or if you'd
Speaker 2: like to be a guest, be sure to send an
Speaker 2: email to Vitamin D at Dawn Dai speaks dot com.
Speaker 2: Remember to tell somebody to tell somebody else that vitalin
Speaker 2: D is here and we're shedding.
Speaker 1: Light on the things that matter.
Speaker 2: Also, be sure to follow us on all social media
Speaker 2: at Vitamin D Dawn Day and of course you can
Speaker 2: follow me personally at Dawn Dai Speaks. That's Dawn Day Speaks.
Speaker 2: All right, well, it's time to get out of here.
Speaker 2: Remember we're here for a good time, not a long time.
Speaker 2: We have to make account and always remember you at
Speaker 2: your greatest ass at get
Speaker 4: Your vitam Indy right here with me and get excited
Speaker 4: about your life.