LA City Councilmember Curren Price hosted an Open House with the Coalition for Responsible Community Development (CRCD) and Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) on March 4 to inaugurate the CD9 Neighborhood Resource Center. Located at the Historic Serra Library, the new center will offer a range of FREE services to the South LA community.
In 2021, Councilmember Price made it possible for the two nonprofit organizations to lease the former library facility in District 9 for 25 years, at no charge.
“This opportunity enables CRCD and CHIRLA to expand programming and help countless neighbors for generations to come. And what better way to do it than with FREE services!” added Councilmember Price. “I am so thrilled to add this community gem which had lost its luster and now will serve as a place of support for our residents along their respective journeys.”
The CD9 Neighborhood Resource Center is open Monday through Friday at the Historic Serra Library (4255 S. Olive St., Los Angeles 90037).
CRCD will aid youth and adults seeking employment, and assist local entrepreneurs, among other services. Contact CRCD for services at (323) 616-0813 or email info@coalitionrcd.org.
“CRCD is excited to provide services at the CD9 Neighborhood Resource Center,” said CRCD President and CEO Mark Wilson. “This space allows our organization to provide critical services to young people and families in the community. Some of the services we will provide here include employment training and placement, small business support and housing support services. We will be able to provide these services at this site for a very long time thanks to Councilmember Curren Price and his team.”
CHIRLA will offer community education, immigration consultation and legal services, including DACA renewal, Naturalization and removal proceedings, among other services. Call CHIRLA for a free consultation at (213) 201-3797 (by appointment only).
"We are very excited and honored to finally make this hub for services and information accessible to the diverse communities of South Los Angeles,” stated Angelica Salas, CHIRLA Executive Director. “The continued partnership between the office of Councilmember Curren Price, partner organizations and CHIRLA will ensure that those members of our community who have often been ignored or been left to fend on their own, are no longer alone. With the ribbon cutting of this community space, we are reminding community members that we are here for them."
About the Coalition for Responsible Community Development (CRCD):
CRCD’s overall approach is neighborhood-based community development. The nonprofit organization has a long-term commitment to improving the quality of life in South Los Angeles, focusing on youth in the community and assisting them with education, opportunities to pursue career pathways, and meeting basic needs such as adequate housing. CRCD also addresses longstanding neighborhood conditions in South Los Angeles – such as poverty, unemployment, public safety issues, and the lack of affordable housing. Since its founding in 2005 by concerned community members, CRCD has partnered in a combined investment of $125 million in South LA housing and real estate, including 370 units of permanent supportive and affordable housing, plus a community space for support services, youth programs, adult workforce development, reentry services, a drop-in center for homeless youth, and commercial space for social enterprise. CRCD connected more than 3,000 young people with diplomas, jobs, and housing. Learn more at www.coalitionrcd.org.
About the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) :
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) is a California leader with national impact made of diverse immigrant families and individuals who act as agents of social change to achieve a world with freedom of mobility, full human rights, and true participatory democracy. CHIRLA’s mission is to achieve a just society fully inclusive of immigrants. CHIRLA organizes and serves individuals, institutions and coalitions to build power, transform public opinion, and change policies to achieve full human, civil and labor rights. Guided by the power, love, and vision of our community, CHIRLA embraces and drives progressive social change. For 35 years, CHIRLA’s innovative programming in community education, community organizing, legal services, civic engagement, policy and advocacy, and leadership development for youth has served immigrant communities throughout California. CHIRLA was formed in response to the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 which made hiring undocumented workers illegal, thus creating a situation ripe for worker exploitation and abuse that have increased since that time.
