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C.U.R.E.

Common Unity Reaching Everyone

 

C.U.R.E. Programs

CURE has named its approach as “Developing Effective Empowerment for Progress” (DEEP).    While special emphasis is placed on the prevention and mitigation of violent gang activity, this program also reunites young men and women with their neighborhoods and communities through a process of forgiveness, reconciliation and restoration founded on the African principals of UMBUTU - I am what I am because of who we ALL are. 

Peace Making & Cease Fires:  As demonstrated by their amazing success, CURE staff, as prior perpetrators and victims of violence, are experts at peace making and cease fires –  crucial first steps to transforming a neighborhood.  CURE realizes that peacemaking is NOT deal-making.  Peacemaking is a function of relationships built upon respect and integrity.  Commitment to peace requires a commitment to dialogue, debate and discussion as a means to reach consensus and peace within our neighborhoods.  CURE’s peace-making approaches are led by “facilitative leaders,” who are trained to facilitate discussion and, ultimately, consensus agreements that all parties participate in and can live with.

 On February 22nd 2007 in the presence of the Young People of the Probation Department the No Child unharmed peace treaty was signed by members of  the Raymond Cripps and Athens Bloods in the presence of Rabbi Cooper of the Weisenthal Center, ending a long standing feud in the West Athens Area.

 On On Saturday June 30, 2007 there was a Prayer Breakfast for Peace. In attendance was  representatives from C.U.R.E., United Peace Officers Against Crime, Honor Drama Ensemble, and Pastor Boreal who was the guest speaker.  The meeting was an astounding success.  The purpose of the Prayer Breakfast was to create dialogue among gang factions who have been at odds for decades.  In attendance were the following gang factions and each had a spokesmen or leader present:

The Prayer Breakfast was held without incident there were sworn enemies in the room who for decades caused great pain and suffering throughout Los Angeles County

Butterflies Program: Butterflies Program builds leadership skills in at-risk middle-school girls. It offers structured workshops that challenge the girls to think about themselves, their community, economic equity, and identity.

Training For Outreach Workers:  CURE members, Reynaldo Reaser, Gary Robinson, Shonda Ollison and Renee Reaser are currently going through ABLA’s Institute and Outreach Workers Training program, developed  and facilitated by Maximum Force Enterprises.

About PHD:  Pride Honor & Discipline, or PHD, is a program to teach at-risk-youth daily life skills, self respect, volunteering, helping others and being helpful citizens in and around their communities. CURE teaches the youth to value and respect becoming a community “PhD” by weekly role playing and real life experiences with the public. This program lasts 8 weeks per session.

Safe Passage:  Our young people should not have to be afraid to walk to and from their community schools. They cannot learn if they are too afraid to go to school. “Safe Passage” trains young men and women to participate in a program that provides “safe passage” from school through the neighborhoods surrounding participating schools, performing the role of a type of neighborhood watch on behalf of its children.  Trained adults are positioned at strategic locations around the school providing a perimeter of support to the school and surrounding neighborhoods.

Youth Sports/Prevention And Community Building Programs:  Even with violence reduced and the highest risk individuals transforming themselves through effective programs, long-term success depends on also reaching our kids through prevention programs and efforts to empower the community to come together around a common vision for a healthy neighborhood.  CURE implements a number of activities to reach this goal.

California Cowboys Youth Football and Cheerleading (CCYF&C) Programs connect with underserved youth, particularly ethnic minorities and girls, who have not been exposed to amateur sports. Boys and girls have the opportunity to learn and enhance their sportsmanship, physical health and positive vision through the mentorship of professional coaches and college student athletes. CCYF&C encourages children ages 6-14 to participate in various sports recreational activities, as well as organized teams, and stresses the importance of participation rather than simply winning. Through CCYF&C Programs our youth are mentored in moral behavior and learn how to engage with others in a positive way.   CURE also will implement programs involving other sports.

British Academy Film Television Arts. Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) brought the groundbreaking screening room to Helen Keller Park in 2005.  Since its inception, BAFTA/LA has screened over eighteen films, brought international stars, producers and directors of stage, screen and television to Helen Keller Park, including amongst others: Gavin Hood, Tony Bill, Ali Macgraw, Jeff Silver, The Rock, Elijah Kelley, and the cast of “The Great Debaters.” BAFTA/LA and CURE’s collaboration with Hollywood Outdoor Movies (www.hollywoodoutdoormovies.com) brings state of the art projection facilities to a community in which there are no theaters within a 15 miles radius. CURE’s goal is to provide positive images and stories to our youth to bring hope of a better future to their lives.  Helen Keller Park now has the only micro movie theater in the entire County.  Through BAFTA/LA, our youth will be introduced to possible careers in the film industry through their relationships with other student film programs.  Through CURE’s relationship with Bafta/LA, Helen Keller Park also recently received 8 state of the art computers linking young people to the rest of the world through the internet