PACT is Refining, Improving, Expanding

PACT, over its 16 years, has not only proven a way for at risk 10-15 year olds to learn the disciplines and rewards of the work ethic. From its beginning in 1994 - 2008, PACT's Work Ethics Education Program (WE) was funded almost totally through the non-school hours operation of the program itself.

Having demonstrated viability through its "bootstrap" years, PACT now has plans to refine, improve and duplicate itself to ensure that many more youngsters can benefit from its Work Ethics program.

With additional funding, PACT plans further implementation of its new non-school hours dropout prevention Lifetime Empowerment Program (LEEP).

Adventure on the High Seas

What This Means

PACT for the first time is actively seeking outside financial support form those individuals, estates, foundations, corporations, churches and government agencies with a priority stake in putting at risk youngsters, at the early ages of 10-15, on the right track and diverting them from street life and gangs, and equipping them to complete high school.

President George Bush Senior, at the 1997 inauguration of America's Promise, the Alliance for Youth, stated there were 15 million youth out of America's mainstream. Carnegie Corporation of New York with its 10-year, $10 million investigation (completed in 1992), proved once and for all the need for innovative, new, non-school hours programs for children in their vulnerable pre-adolescent years.

The Shopping List for WE and LEEP

Monthly Outings- museums, amusement parks, schooner sailing, flying, deepsea fishing, tours; $500-600 each.

Expanded Location- WE meeting/recreation space, computer lab, LEEP classrooms, administrative offices.

Travel/Communication- Sacramento, Washington DC, New York to update child labor exemptions legislation.

The Strict Labor Legislation Passed in 1938 to Protect Working Children have been Perverted Since the 80's into a Recruiting Tool by Gangs of Idle Children Under 16

Additional expenditures will be required to underwrite PACT's role in fostering state and federal legislation, a third Child Labor Exemption - to clarify the opportunity for idle, at risk 10-15 year olds to learn the work ethic through non-profit managed organizations: adult mentored, parent/guardian approved after-school internships, for which they are compensated at the minimum wage.

Current Child Labor restrictions, stemming from the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act, preclude work for almost all children under 16. There are just two blanket exemptions that permit children under 16 to work: the entertainment industry, and family based businesses (which is where Warren Buffet got his start in his fathers brokerage at age 11). Exemption in no way impedes the basic protection of young children from hazardous or exploitive work, as defined in the 1938 law.

Actually, in July 2001 PACT found strong bipartisan support among labor committee legislative aides in both houses of Congress for a proposed non profit managed third exemption. Democrats were satisfied the children under 16 would still be protected. Republicans were pleased with its work ethic emphasis.

Then came 9/11. The proposed benefit for children was lost.
No Lobbyists!

Students in PACT's Work Ethics Program previously went door-to-door selling subscriptions to newspapers like the Los Angeles Times, but PACT is pleased to offer a new, value-packed coupon book featuring some of the finest restaurants and retailers in the area. These coupon books are available only through PACT and feature local businesses that support PACT's mission to provide real-world work experience and enhance youngsters' self-esteem in an effort to break the cycle of gang involvement.

PACT is proud of our partnership with Venice High School, which provided a portion of the printing and binding of our coupon books.

Look for PACT students at your door selling these valuable coupon books beginning in September 2009, and remember, a few moments of your time can make a world of difference to a young person looking to make a change.

Archer Pilates (310) 215-0300	Casa Sanchez (310) 397-9999	Easy Fitness (310) 822-4343	Piknic (310) 496-3966	Shaw Plumbing (310) 496-1968
B&B Hardware (310) 390-9413	CEO Organizer (310) 650-5704	Moti Gur (800) 808-2167	Playa del Rey Florist (310) 821-8984	2 Brothers Auto (310) 202-0047
Billingsley's (310) 477-1426	The Clay Pit (310) 476-4700	Ion Ways (310) 699-9779	Pradeep's (310) 393-1467	Universal Art Gallery (310) 302-8909
Cafe Bruna (310) 823-2430	Del Mar Cleaners (310) 482-0080	Lenzini's Pizza (310) 305-0305	Rees Electronics (310) 475-0859	The UPS Store (310) 915-6580
Cardio Plumbing (310) 398-5421	Dinah's (310) 645-0456	Michael's Cleaners (310) 203-0609	Dr. Schulze's (310) 577-9999	U.S. Bank (800) US BANKS
Yogurt Factory (310) 820-1992	Z Expert (310) 396-7200

Your Support as a Volunteer is Also Welcomed

Volunteers work when where and how they want to, at what they want to work for. We understand that. If it's worth giving your time and your passion to help others "especially children" you must be needed and appreciated; and it all has to fit into your personal schedule and be something you want to do.

We just hope now that you've found us we'll meet. We need you!
If you like kids and agree their very childhood is under siege these days, we welcome you either to come take part with them in PACT's one-on-one child-enriching opportunities or to bring your computer and office skills to the behind the scenes mechanisms that make it all go, helping acculturate at risk kids.

PACT has all sorts of roles for volunteers - of all ages -to sustain, enhance and expand our program.

The What, When, Where, How and Why of Volunteering through PACT

What - tutor, drive, play, file, correspond, answer phones, research, community-school-parental liaison, scheduling, counseling
and fund raising.

When - Your schedule: sporadic or fixed hours, mornings, afternoons evenings, weekends, on call; whenever.

Where - The PACT Center, 12421 Venice Blvd, Suite 7, just West of the intersection with Centinela next to the hand carwash. At museums, beaches, hikes, aquariums, crafts, Raging Waters, Magic Mountain, sailing, fishing, paintball, Lakers etc.

How - Call (310) 313-4119 and/or come visit us. Our current office
hours are Monday through Friday 1:00-6:00 pm. (Maybe you'd like to be a "paid volunteer"? See the page and the other pages of this website.)

Why - Of course you have your own reasons for why you might volunteer to help kids through PACT, but here's ours:

PACT's "why" is to help pilot at risk 10-15 year olds through the most vulnerable period of their young lives: At risk boys and girls, primarily Latino, some African and Asian or White, are typically from large families, often missing a father, living in crowded housing in enclaves where corrosive peers lurk, tempt and threaten. The threat of violence is accepted matter-of-factly as part of everyday life. We take them away from all that to their work in safe neighborhoods.