A Look at AFSC Work in LA

On Monday July 18th I had the pleasure of getting a tour of just some of the work that Crystal Gonzales facilitates in the LA area. We started in South Central LA, and eventually made our way the AFSC's downtown office.

Crystal has worked with youth in South Central to develop, design, and build community gardens. Some may not know that South Central in the largest food desert in the country. There are fast food joints spread out and tons of corner stores with really poor quality food that lacks the nutrients humans need to thrive. The community gardens Crystal organizes around are perfect spaces to begin conversations about building stronger communities. If youth can take a piece of discarded dirt, a chunk of an abandoned lot, and turn it into a thriving, organic, nutritious food producing garden then I suppose they can facilitate other changes they want to see in their communities.


Crystal also brought me to AFSC's downtown office. I was excited to discover that they also do an art contest for youth, and they just happen to have all the pieces up. I did a quick run with my flip cam of all the pieces so if you really want to see each one, be prepared to press pause a lot.


Crystal also brought me to Homegirl Cafe, which is attached to Homeboy industries. I gotta say that touring Homeboy industries had a huge impact on me. The process by which criminalized youth have to go thru to emerge so difficult that most fall through the cracks. I've experienced this first hand, and lost a lot of friends that didn't get out so easy. Homeboy/Homegirl Industies really understands not only the need to rehabilitating the thinking process that keeps us stuck, but also understands that need for direct services. "Nothing stops a bullet like a job" is one of their sayings. Atlanta badly needs something like Homeboy Industries.

I should also mention that Crystal took me by this space called the Metabolic Lab, and I must say they're doing some pretty rad stuff there. If you're in LA, or just visiting, make sure you peep it.


Tim Franzen
American Friends Service Committee

From Atlanta to LA

On Saturday July 16th I had the pleasure of traveling to AFSC's LA office to participate in an entitled, "Migrant Youth Voices;From Atlanta to LA. Several short film's chronicling the stories of struggle from migrant youth in Atlanta and LA were shown. I was on hand to discuss the state of anti-immigration legislation HB87 and talk about how folks in Cali could support the struggle to defeat the racist anti-immigrant law.

Several Georgia Youth from AFSC's Migrant Youth Voice Project will be joined the discussion via Skype. During the skype session several undocumented youth in LA, along with their parents, made a point to have face time with folks in Georgia via skype. I wasn't the only one in the room with a lump in my throat and a few tears in my eyes. Truly a lovely evening.

Big thanks to Crystal Gonzales and Anthony Marsh for organizing the event.


Tim Franzen
American Friends Service Committee

Go AFSC Los Angeles

An Intern at the LA AFSC office created this video chronicling the work coming out of the office out there. The short clip is a good taste of the LA office's flavor. Major props to our LA folks!