Community center to Get $2.25M in re-distributed police funding

City Councilman Mitch O’Farrell was expected to present a $2.25 million check to a nonprofit community center that works to alleviate poverty Wednesday, with funding re-distributed from the Los Angeles Police Department in the summer of 2020.

The council re-distributed the funds with the intention of investing in underserved communities following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.

O’Farrell said in a statement that the work that began in 2020 to “more thoughtfully and equitably distribute resources in Los Angeles is now coming to fruition.”

“This investment represents our commitment to ensure that thousands of underserved Angelenos, especially our youth, have the support they need to lead long, productive, fulfilling lives that in turn benefit all of society,” O’Farrell added. “We care about you and we believe in you, because we believe in this great city, its amazing potential, and your place in it.”

The Bresee Foundation serves 2,500 adults, 900 middle and high school students and 100 at-risk youth in central Los Angeles each year free of cost. The investment will help the nonprofit assist over 10,000 youth and families over the next few years, according to O’Farrell’s office.

Bresee, entering its fourth decade of operations, provides a number of services that include job training, gang prevention and after-school education.

“When we invest in young people with skills, resources and relationships, they thrive,” said Seth Eklund, executive director of Bresee. “This incredible investment will allow Bresee to serve thousands of Angelenos, transforming lives in the process.”