The Girl2Girl Leadership Program received a grant of $15,000 from the Women’s Foundation of California and a $2,500 grant from the National Office of Women’s Health to continue the development and support of young women’s leadership. A surprise grant of $5,000 from the Marlborough Student Charitable Fund will also be used to support the effort of this year’s Leadership team. This year G2G will plan and host an HIV Awareness for Women & Girls Day event on March 13th at El Camino College Compton Community Educational Center and work to link up a statewide communications network among young women’s advocacy groups through the internet.
Wednesday, January 28 @ 7:30-9:00pm - RLA Leadership presents an evening with Justin Early, author of StreetChild: An Unpaved Passage
Friday, February 20 @ 10pm-1:30am - RLA’s Fire & Ice Skate Party @ World on Wheels
Saturday, February 21 Oakwood School Glove Affair
Saturday, July 25 OVAHNESS 4
REACH LA’s Holiday Party celebrated the achievements of nine youth from the Ovahness and G2G Leadership programs. Francisco Armenta, Devaughn Sherman, Kyle Butler, Stacy Alford, Peter Singleton, Angelo Martinez, Chris Blades, Vanessa Castellano and Lorena Mendoza were promoted to the 2nd year Leadership tier where they will assume the roles as mentors and facilitators of the remaining and new leaders for 2009. Through out the past year these youth show exemplary efforts in their abilities to educate, motivate and mobilize other youth, adults and community leaders with their knowledge and representation of REACH LA. Members participated and presented at local and national conferences, met with political and health leaders on issues of HIV/AIDS, youth leadership development and reproductive health, worked on social marketing and political campaigns and participated in coalition and collaborative efforts with agencies and organizations. REACH LA acknowledged two milestones - Chris Blades completing his BS degree from CSU Dominguez Hills and the departure of Manager of Young Women’s Health Programs Michelle Horton. REACH LA would like to thank all of the very special people who came out to celebrate with us. 
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REACH LA will be hosting it’s annual holiday party this coming Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2008 from 6pm-9pm, at the RLA office @ 1400 E. Olympic Blvd. Suite 240, downtown LA, 90021. The party is open to leadership members, volunteers, friends and colleagues. This year we will salute REACH LA’s youth leadership in a special ceremony beginning at 7:30pm. Please RSVP by Monday, 12/15 by emailing reachla@earthlink.net or calling 213-622-1650 x100.
G2G’s Young Women’s Health Manager Michelle Horton is leaving REACH LA to work full-time in the mental health field. While working full-time at REACH LA, Michelle obtained her Master of Science in Marital and Family Therapy from CSU Dominguez Hills in June. She has been working part-time on obtaining her clinical hours for licensing with Pacific Clinics, where she has been offered a full-time position. Michelle has been with REACH LA since June 2006 when she was hired to as the Administrative Manager of the Sexual Health Education by Youth (SHEY) program. In 2007, she transitioned into the Manager of Young Women’s Health programs where she oversaw the G2G Workshop and Counseling program. During this time it is estimated that she worked with close to 500+ young women through workshops and one-on-one risk reduction counseling. Her dedication to her work has help REACH LA provide quality service throughout east and south LA. REACH LA wants to convey our fondest wishes Michelle as she continues on her journey. She will be missed!
Girl2Girl’s own Vanessa Castellano was selected by KABC Channel 7 news to be this week’s “Cool Kid” for her work with Watts Healthcare Teen Clinic and REACH LA’s Girl2Girl program. Vanessa was nominated by her sister for her dedication to educating young women about sexual health. KABC reporter Danny Romero visited REACH LA to interview Vanessa and executive director Martha Chono-Helsley. Romero said that the segment would air on 12/4/08 between 4pm-5pm and again on Sunday. 
Vanessa came to REACH LA with a background in reproductive health education. Her sister and brother both work for Watts Healthcare and she had been volunteering at health fairs with them for a few years. This year she joined the Girl2Girl program and enrolled herself in the newly launched RLA Peer Advocate training program. Both a dedicated reproductive health educator and activist, Vanessa helped to produce the “Sex In My City: No Options” poetry slam and completed the RLA Peer Advocate program by passing the California Family Health Council’s Clinic Workers exam and got 20 youth tested for HIV!
Click here to see the video on-line…
The G2G Leaders rocked the house with their brand of public education about reproductive justice and Proposition 4. KPFK-FM radio show host, Kali Alexander, was the evening’s mistress of ceremony. Sixteen poets and writers stepped up to the mic to share their views about reproductive rights, heathcare, empowerment and relationships. The evening’s key note speakers included Crystal Crawford and Liliana Perez brought the personal and political aspects of reproductive justice to light. (more…)
Come join us for an educational evening of reproductive justice poetry and performance.
Friday, October 24th, 2008
7:00pm-9:00pm
$5.00 at the door includes refreshments
Lucy Florence Cultural Center
3351 W. 43rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90008
Please join REACH LA’s Girl2Girl Young Women’s Leadership in education our community about youth and sex in LA. Learn more about the Reproductive Justice movement and Proposition 4 through commentary, poetry and other powerful art forms.
Support the G2G Program by purchasing a G2G T-Shirt for $20 on sale at the event!
The Girl2Girl Leadership team was selected to attend this year’s Women’s Conference in Long Beach on October 22, 2008. The annual event is hosted by First Lady Maria Shriver who put together and extraordinary event featuring guest speakers Jennifer Lopez, Warren Buffet, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Condoleezza Rice, Indra Nooyi, Bono and many others. The G2G Leaders were selected to attend by the Minerva Leadership Program for their dedication to young women’s health and wellness. Each year the Minerva Leadership Program invites 500 young women from across the state to participate in the conference. Sheyna Williams, Terrevia Shirley, Melissa Walker, Lorena Mendoza, Vanessa Castellanos, Kadijah Toliver, G2G alumni Emily Helsley, Alexis Blades and RLA staff Kafi Battersby, Michelle Horton and Martha Chono-Helsley were in attendance. G2G Leaders wish to thank the Women’s Foundation of California for their support.
The G2G Leadership Team were featured on KPFK’s “Some of Us Are Brave” produced by Kali Alexander on September 18, 2008. G2G Leaders were there to talk about Proposition 4, its history and possible impact if passed this November. Producer Kali Alexander worked with RLA event coordinator Alexis Blades to provide the G2G Leadership team with the opportunity to bring issues surrounding Proposition 4 to light, particularly since the majority of G2G Leaders are minors and unable to vote. Vanessa Castellanos, 17, Terrevia Shirley, 17, Jareeia Burdette, 17, Jareeka Burdette, 17, Alexis Blades and G2G Coordinator Kafi Battersby participated in the 30 minute interview show. Click here to and go to “Some of Us Are Brave” 9/18/08 podcast to hear the show.
The Girl2Girl Leadership Program received a grant of $15,000 from the Women’s Foundation of California and a $2,500 grant from the National Office of Women’s Health to continue the development and support of young women’s leadership. A surprise grant of $5,000 from the Marlborough Student Charitable Fund will also be used to support the effort of this year’s Leadership team. This year G2G will plan and host an HIV Awareness for Women & Girls Day event on March 13th at El Camino College Compton Community Educational Center and work to link up a statewide communications network among young women’s advocacy groups through the internet.
