The Literacy Center
To the world you may be only one person, but to one person you may be the world.
- Heather Cortez
Our Mission
Friends of St. Lawrence - Watts Youth Center empowers the children and families of Watts through educational, advocacy, and enrichment programs.
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Our Commitment
Friends strives to live out its mission by being an active and supportive presence in Watts.
Friends primary objective is to provide educational opportunities and support the children and families of Watts, regardless of age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender or religious beliefs. Friends provides vital services to the any of the area’s 40,000 citizens who need them. These services help children and families feel empowered by their own resilience, determination, and entrepreneurial spirit. Our mission drives us to constantly seek to broaden and enrich learning opportunities for the Watts community.
Our History
In 1999, Father Peter Banks founded Friends of St. Lawrence-Watts Youth Center because he recognized that education increases a child's chance at a fair shot at equality and is the gateway to economic security. Children who achieve success in school grow confident in themselves and their future. Fr. Peter sees the possibilities for our Watts community and wants them to have equitable chances to take advantage of the opportunities available; opportunities that come from a strong foundation in education. Linda Northrup became Friends first director in 2003. Under the direction of Linda Northup, Friends of St. Lawrence-Watts Youth Center grew to serve a major role within a neighborhood that traditionally has suffered from lack of investment in the people who live there. Linda recognized that not only was it fundamental to administer support, but also to understand and evaluate the constantly changing needs of the people Friends serves. With that understanding Friends created empowering programs which made Friends a safe space for the community to receive the help children and families need the most.
Our Vision
Our core belief is that education is the great equalizer and the lever against systemic barriers.
Friends of St. Lawrence-Watts Youth Center is a nonprofit organization located in the heart of South Los Angeles. Friends is a hub of activity providing scholarships for elementary and high school students, offering adult English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, advocating for families dealing with legal problems, rendering tax advice and mentoring students through their high school years.
Friends' Literacy Center improves the reading scores of children who are performing below grade level. We offer a comprehensive reading program that pairs each of our children with a teen tutor/mentor from their own neighborhood in Watts.
Thanks to our strong community of supporters and hard working recipients, we are increasingly seeing our efforts coming full circle.
