Lost Angels Children’s Project (LACP) is a nonprofit organization that provides innovative vocational training, social enterprise, and traditional outreach programs to disadvantaged youth in distressed communities in the Antelope Valley and Lancaster areas of Los Angeles County. LACP’s 12-week work program is funded by a multi-year grant of $225,000 from the L.L. Foundation for Youth. The program includes a six-week apprenticeship and six weeks of on-the-job training in classic car repair and shop skills, along with soft skills training provided by The Los Angeles County Office of Education. Thanks in part to the L.L. Foundation for Youth grant, scholarships covering the entire tuition amount are provided to those accepted into the program.

According to Cheyanne Capelo, Director of Operations and Development from Lost Angels Children’s Project, “The issue is that basic necessities are needed to be able to complete vocational training…Such a key piece for our program is to help reduce barriers. The L.L. Foundation for Youth grant has allowed LACP to help students overcome barriers to participation in the program by providing assistance with basic necessities such as transportation and housing.” For example, Destiny, a single mother of four coming from an abusive relationship, was able to complete the program with the help of LACP’s grant, which provided her with a deposit and first month’s rent. With the help of the L.L. Foundation for Youth, LACP is able to reduce barriers to participation and change the lives of its students.

Lost Angels Children’s Project has made significant strides in providing vocational training and removing barriers for disadvantaged youth. With the support of L.L. Foundation for Youth, LACP hopes to continue to increase the number of students who can participate in the program and provide more opportunities for BIPOC youth and females. As Cheyanne stated, “Year 1 of 3 years for the [multi-year] grant helped change a lot of students’ lives.”