CBM CARES® Los Angeles and the Concerned Black Men chapter of Los Angeles co-hosted 30 boys of color at a meet and greet with Federal Judge Andre Birotte Jr., Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey and Public Defender Ronald Brown, as well as Los Angeles Fire Chief Daryl L. Osby. The daylong event began with introductions and tours and ended with lunch sponsored by the Office of the Los Angeles District Attorney. That lunch was prepared by firemen from the Los Angeles Fire Department. Every boy received a special certificate, parting gifts as well as an opportunity to talk with leaders about their work.

“We are really fortunate to have influential leaders who care about Black Male Achievement,” said Maurice Buntin, CBM CARES® Los Angeles Program Manager. “They are providing an opportunity for our boys to learn about the justice system and possible career paths.”

Boys from Animo Western and Phillis Wheatley Middle School

Although each participating leader operates departments that are staffed by no less than 2000 personnel, they were able to carve out time for CBM CARES® Mentoring Initiative and CBM Chapter boys. The district attorney’s staff even treated the boys to freshly baked cookies at her office. These public officials knew the importance of reaching the next generation of youth and putting kids first.

The CBM CARES® Los Angeles office conducts an intervention-based mentoring program in 5 school locations in the city: KIPP Academy of Opportunity, KIPP Scholar Academy 1, Animo Western Middle school, KIPP Scholar Academy 2, and Animo Phillis Wheatley Middle School. The Los Angeles site is one of nine offices located around the nation reaching boys of color during and after school. The year-round mentoring program provides nearly 100 boys in Los Angeles County with one-to-one and group male mentors. The male mentors commit time monthly to attend a variety of enrichment activities and events designed to help boys stay in school and achieve academically.

“We’ve seen time and again how mentoring really does make the difference.” Said CBM Los Angeles Chapter President, Mark Anderson. “It’s a real treat for me to support these boy.”

“It’s going to take galvanized leadership like this to help our boys and young men of color succeed,” said Jeannette Simon, CBM CARES® Mentoring Director. Simon is a mentoring veteran who understands the benefits of consistent mentoring in a child’s life.

Nationally, the CBM CARES® National Mentoring Initiative serves 8000 boys in more than 30 schools in 9 cities across the country. Principal funding comes from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Department of Justice. In September the program was awarded an additional $1 Million OJJDP Grant to support 300 more boys in three new sites in Baltimore, Chicago and Boston.

Concerned Black Men works to ensure that every child has a responsible caring adult in his or her life.