| WE OC67 FAMILY STAND AS SOURCE OF LOVE, PASSION, AND COMMITMENT IN A TRANSFORMED WORLD! |
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| ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: PARENTS OF WATTS Parents of Watts Working with Youth and Adults, Inc. is a non-profit, Los Angeles-based community service organization that sponsors more than a dozen different programs relating to education, job search assistance, job training, voter registration, counseling, drug abuse prevention, and even such basics as the provision of food, clothing, and shelter when necessary. Originally inhabiting one building on Los Angeles' Lou Dillon Avenue, Parents of Watts now owns most of the buildings on that block. The program's services have expanded over the years to provide emergency shelter, housing for the mentally ill, a computer lab and education center, and a residence for college students. Among the organization's innovative conceptions is the "Adopt-a-Bus" program, which employs young African American men, some of whom are convicted felons, as security patrol on local buses. Another of POW's projects is a program for teen mothers. Harris works to restore self-esteem in young mothers through counseling and practical assistance. ABOUT THE FOUNDER: "SWEET ALICE" HARRIS Parents of Watts was founded in 1979 by Alice Harris, better known as "Sweet Alice." She is one of the most influential community leaders of her generation and continues to serve the organization as Executive Director. Alice Harris learned about loneliness and rejection as a child. She did not have many friends; she was known in her neighborhood as "the missionary" because, coming from a religious family, she spent much of her time praying and singing. When Alice became pregnant at the age of 13, she felt further alienated from her family and community. Soon following the birth of her child, she began working for a lady as a nursemaid. This woman asked her a simple question: "What do you want to be when you get older?" This simple question opened up a world of possibilities to Alice, who began to realize her worth as a person. She moved away for a few years and returned in 1958. Several years later, following the Watts riots, Alice Harris began her involvement in the community. She was tired of the substandard living conditions existing in the impoverished Watts area and thus became a vocal crusader for change. For more information about the Parents of Watts, please visit www.parentsofwattsla.org or call (909) 566-7556. |