By Hamidatun Karapetian
Poverty is a reality with which many families contend. When I began the Inner City School Project in October 2011, the unemployment rate in Los Angeles was 12%. At that time, of the more than 50,000 homeless people countywide, 6,066 were under the age of 18. Currently, 4.8% of school children in California are homeless. (see details). Years of budget cuts have eliminated the use of school buses for field trips for LA’s children, let alone supplies once considered core to learning such as pencils, paper, and textbooks. Just recently, I heard that the Los Angeles Unified School District has told schools to plan for how they could cut their budgets again by 30%. That is not good news for schools!
As a veteran teacher, a publisher of books for educational use, and a mother of four children, I have always valued education and keep it in mind when I consider how I can contribute to positive growth in areas in which I live. Through the latihan has come my inspiration for many of my life’s projects, and my current endeavor to bring supplies to inner city school children is no exception. One day, I remembered a school at which I had substituted years ago, and I called the principal to see if her students needed school supplies. She was surprised but admitted that, yes, of course, they did. They needed pencils; boxes and boxes of pencils. After that, I identified three further schools in the inner city, each surrounded by missions, drug addicts, and prostitutes. I called each of them and found each as surprised as the first and each as in need of supplies.
Although these supplies are clearly necessary, education is not just about books and pencils, it is also about basic survival. Without clothes and food, no child can learn. The Inner City School Project has grown over the last 5 years. It is now serving two Early Childhood Centers (in downtown Los Angeles and South Central Los Angeles) plus a kindergarten near the Early Childhood Center downtown.
These children are from 2 to 5 years old and the parents are predominantly Hispanic. The majority of their families are below 70% of the state median income for a family, with most living on less than $10,000 a year, working 1 to 3 jobs, if they can get one. Most are single parent homes, usually a single mom with a few kids. The principal at one of the Early Childhood Centers said one mother sews buttons on for a factory and is paid 10 cents a button!
I now have a grant from Susila Dharma as well as 501c3 non-profit status. I seek donations of books, new clothes and shoes, art and school supplies, as well as food, such as dry beans, pasta and rice. Donations are tax-deductible and we will send for your taxes.
Cash donations are welcome and the Facebook page with a Pay Pal donation button to make it easy! I paid for an ad for 2 days, communicating with 2000 people about the project. I posted on my daughter’s Facebook page, suggesting her friends might like to knit winter hats for kids or buy a child’s t-shirt for the project when they are in a store like Target. Anyone else can do that too!
I also communicate with my local Subud group, asking for donations – in-kind and monetary – and I collect these generous gifts, spending the monetary donations on supplies that have to be purchased from stores and then delivered.
This project can function in Subud groups across the country, as there are poor people and underfunded schools in any variety of communities nationwide. Again, my process began with calling schools in my area and asking them to identify supplies that they need – both for academics and for the personal needs of highly disadvantaged students.
If you would like to donate funds to this effort, please go to Pay Pal on Facebook or write checks to Inner City Schools Project and mail to Hamidatun Karapetian, 5438 Village Green, Los Angeles, CA 90016. If you would like to donate something specific, please write to me at hamidatun1969@gmail.com to let me know what you would like to donate.
The Inner City School Project is enlivening schools and individuals. Thanks to all who have contributed thus far. I encourage those of you who are so inclined and able to do so in the future. It feels deeply rewarding to enact philanthropy at this level: to clearly impact the daily lives of children, growing and learning in schools close by.