Center for At-Risk Youth Offers Classes, Counseling and Hope

(NDFY) on Lankershim Boulevard has been offering free and essential services for local at-risk youth and their families for many years. Over the coming weeks, it hopes to increase its donor base with two events in the Los Angeles area, as well as make significant improvements to its North Hollywood location.

The agency began in 1976 and used to be located in Van Nuys; it moved to North Hollywood about two and a half years ago, according to program director Timothy Brown. It works in partnership with LAUSD campuses, and offers counselling services, help for children in foster care, tutoring, homework help, literacy classes, and after-school programs, as well as environmental services such as its graffiti removal project.

Brown told Patch that the organization is funded by a mix of government funds and private donors. Over the past year, said Brown, the agency served between 6,000-7,000 at-risk youth in the San Fernando Valley area.

According to Brown, NDFY has big plans for the immediate future, including a Children's Day in Van Nuys, a gala at the Skirball Center, and an ambitious project to turn the lower ground floor of the North Hollywood center into a fitness center, sound stage and dance floor.

This Saturday, September 17, NDFY is participating in the San Fernando Valley Children's Day at Woodley Park in Van Nuys to raise awareness for its work. Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson) is slated to attend, and there will be food trucks, rock climbing, a police helicopter, carnival rides and music (see the flier above or by )

Also, on October 6 NDFY will be hosting a gala awards ceremony at the Skirball Cultural Center to honor community members for their work with at-risk youth, including Dodgers first baseman James Loney.

New Directions for Youth, 7315 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood. Tel: 818-503-6330.