Serving the 'Hood
This Week's Theme: Being a Server
Saturday, May 5, 2001
 1 of 1
Q. How did you, an orphan in East Los Angeles, become a Christian?
A. My mother came here from Mexico but died when I was six. I have only hazy memories of my father. Soon after his affair with my mother, we lost contact with him. My older sister, Yolanda, tried to pick up the slack, but it was too much. When she called a suicide hotline, she was told about a personal relationship with Christ. We began attending a church, and all accepted Christ.
What launched the Harambee Center?
John Perkins founded it in 1983. It's only a mile from the Rose Bowl, but this spot was once called "Blood Corner," with Southern California's highest daytime crime rate. Forty known drug dealers worked within 200 yards of where the center now stands.
We're trying to grow Christian leaders back into the community.
What does the center do?
We're a neighborhood. The neighborhood is running this thing. And we're Christian. ["This thing" is five properties staffed by 17 employees, a number of whom are coming off welfare. Seventy-five kids receive tutoring for their homework; 100 are served in the summer day camp.]
What's the most important thing a "neighborhood" can provide?
Role models. I can think of 50 to 60 men in my life, involved [in mentoring us] to varying degrees. I heard from 60 Latino college students. They were all Christians and they saturated us with a good way of life.
Rudy Carrasco directs Harambee Christian Family Center in Pasadena: rudy@harambee.org.
Adapted from: Lynda Hunter, Single-Parent Family (8/99) 1 of 1
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Jesus, help me to be more like You. Give me a heart of love for my friends, family and people who are lost and hurting.
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