San Pedro gets funding for social services

LOS ANGELES - San Pedro will receive nearly $7.5 million to fund two projects, Supervisor Don Knabe announced this week.The projects are part of a larger investment of nearly $13 million that Knabe will be announcing for five separate projects in the South Bay over the next three weeks. Approximately $2.48 million will be used for an "extreme makeover" of the San Pedro Service Center. The center, which opened in 1972, has continued to expand its service while receiving almost zero upgrades, officials said. The center's renovation will make it compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Also renovations include an expansion and upgrade of its existing restrooms; reconfiguration of the existing senior citizens room; addition of an 800-square foot multipurpose room; and a 1,350-square foot addition that will house two daycare classrooms with restrooms, storage areas and a corridor. Meanwhile, $4.9 million will help expand San Pedro's Harbor Interfaith Services. A new three-story building will serve 13,000 homeless and working poor people, officials said. The new building will include a food pantry, office space for case workers, indoor playground, nursery, after-school program space and specialized facilities for homeless children. The building's total price tag is $10 million, and Harbor Interfaith Services will launch a fundraising campaign to raise the remaining money. Funding for both of the San Pedro projects were unanimously approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors this week. "There is tremendous need across the county for programs and facilities that are helping children, families and seniors," Knabe said. "Programs like the Service Center and Harbor Interfaith are helping meet that need in San Pedro, so I am honored to commit funding that will be used to help expand these programs and ultimately expand how we help those members of our community who are most in need."

********** Published: October 9, 2009 - Volume 8 - Issue 25