Resource Center and Supportive Services in Inglewood

Community Safety

Expand existing project, program, or initiative

IWATC's programs are headquartered at our resource center in Inglewood-a community that has not only experienced a long-term history of over-policing, disinvestment, and inequity, but was also among the hardest hit by COVID-19. Over the past three years, homicide rates in Inglewood skyrocketed, adding to an already disproportionate rate of violence (180% higher than the national average). We are also located blocks away from new developments that have displaced and alienated some residents and local businesses. The broader communities we serve also experience some of the poorest indicators of health in LA County-many do not have a high school diploma, experience the highest poverty rates, and suffer from obesity and diabetes based on the Key Indicators of Health report. These statistics, while disheartening, are not surprising. They are a direct result of a lack of investment, education, primary prevention efforts, and other factors that IWATC directly addresses.

IWATC is committed to helping people who have been marginalized by poverty, homelessness, addiction, trauma, criminality, and incarceration. Direct services we will expand include: - Crisis Intervention/Prevention: IWATC engages in crisis intervention, operates a 24-hour crisis hotline, and is active in gang intervention and prevention. - In-reach and Reentry: We are active inside prisons across California and all five juvenile probation camps in LA. Our participants begin their transformation with their mentors/facilitators, and upon release can be picked up by staff and provided with basic necessities and a safe, comfortable home. - LIFE Program: Leading Individuals Forward Everyday is a 30-hour, 15-module evidence-based program addressing restorative justice, conflict resolution, anger management, relapse prevention, and more. We also provide job training, search, and placement assistance. - Case Management: Participants develop individual action plans with mentors/case managers that include 10-day, 30-day, 90-day, 6-month and 1-year goals. Participants are held accountable through consistent engagement and encouragement. - Community Engagement: We offer weekly food drives where participants volunteer and serve more than 4,300 people per month. - Youth Programming: Youth receive the same services with an emphasis on academic support, core life skills, creative outlets, positive recreational opportunities, and violence interruption/intervention.

Through the expansion of our comprehensive reentry, violence reduction, and youth development programming, IWATC will make LA a safer and more inclusive place to live. Our resource center enhances community safety by serving as a hub for engagement and connection, bringing together residents, local organizations, and community agencies and resources. We offer educational programs and workshops on various topics aimed at improving quality of life, advancing core life and coping skills, and reintegrating formerly incarcerated or system-involved youth and adults into mainstream society. Our youth program is crucial for long-term safety, offering mentorship, recreational activities, and skill-building opportunities that empower young people to avoid adverse behaviors and achieve success. In tandem, these efforts improve quality of life, access to supportive services, and opportunities for communities to actively participate in creating a safer Los Angeles.

IWATC will continue to measure the success of our program by evaluating the following outcomes: - We will increase the number of individuals served by expanding our programs and improved organizational and staff capacity (e.g., streamlining operations, additional staff and resources). We will measure success by the number of individuals served each month. - Improved quality of service, sustainability, and stability of our resource center and transitional homes, leading to an increased number of individuals who exit the program successfully (e.g., find permanent housing, become employed, participate in supportive services, do not recidivate, etc.). We will measure success through assessment of individual outcomes. - Increase public awareness of program through outreach. We will measure success through program enrollment, increased sign ups on website, additional donors, number of followers on social media, engagements in community events, and/or new partnerships.