Youth Start Sprucing Up 5th District Parks

Cleaning and repairing the restrooms, benches and tables and improving the landscaping around community buildings in the 5th Council District parks are at the top of my “to do list” this summer and in order to help me get the work done, I has requested that a half dozen youth be assigned to my “sprucing up our parks” project.

Long Beach has received funding through the federal Recovery Act 2009 to employ young adults, ages 14 - 24, 20 - 25 hours a week beginning July 13 through August 31 for up to 200 hours explains Schipske. I have coordinated a work plan with the City’s Parks, Recreation and Marine Department that will allow 5 to 8 youth to work with me to fix up Pan Am, Wardlow and Heartwell parks this summer.

We started on Monday and the young workers made a lot of progress in one day on the first building we're working on in Pan Am Park.

Working on improving the parks will give these young people not only a summer job but a way to make a real difference in the community in which they live.

The Pacific Gateway Workforce Investment Network will provide wages, worker’s compensation insurance, a job coach and all required administrative procedures. The Summer Youth Employment Training Program is administered by the Pacific Gateway Workforce Investment Network’s Youth Opportunity Center.