Sgt. Dan Cohen, leader of the Gang Task Force in the Santa Maria Police Department, will speak at a Youth Gang Prevention Workshop presented by Peoples’ Self-Help Housing at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 15 at Los Adobes de Maria 2 housing complex, 1148 W. Boone St. in Santa Maria. Refreshments will be served.
The public is invited to attend this free session hosted by the Youth Education Enhancement Program of People’s Self-Help Housing.
Sgt. Cohen and two fellow officers will speak to parents about how to recognize at-risk behaviors and share the indications and warning signs of gang involvement. The goal of the presentation is to increase community awareness and aid parents in keeping their children away from gangs.
This workshop is funded in part by a Community Development Block Grant from the City of Santa Maria.
The Youth Education Enhancement Program offers after-school education programs for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. YEEP strives to improve grades, sharpen study skills, promote high school graduation and continued education, and foster parent participation in their children’s academic life. The program is designed to enhance the child’s learning experience with art, music, and cultural activities, in addition to workshops with guest speakers.
For more information about Peoples’ Self-Help Housing or the June 15 Gang Prevention Workshop, call youth education manager Rochelle Rose at 805.962.5152 x227 or Santa Maria lead educator Cami Waller at 805.741.9349.
— Rochelle Rose is the fund development director and youth education manager for Peoples’s Self-Help Housing.