Community Coalition (CoCo)
www.cocosouthla.org
Community Coalition is a fixture in the South LA community, having been around for 20 years. It tackles both economic and social issues, such as fighting drug abuse, working to improve schools and making neighborhoods safe from crime. One focus has been to get tougher policies in place to remove “nuisance” businesses, such as motels and liquor stores, that may contribute to crime and substance abuse. The Community Coalition is sponsoring a South LA Action Conference on March 19 that will feature Congresswoman Karen Bass, one of the founders of CoCo, as the guest speaker.
Watts Labor Action Committee (WLAC)
www.wlcac.org
WLAC was founded in 1965, the year of the Watts Riots, by Ted Watson, who worked at Ford Motor Company and was a member of the United Auto Workers union. Its mission was to fight poverty and improve the quality of life in the Watts and South Central neighborhoods. The organization’s work is varied: from providing low-income housing, to make social services available, to fostering the cultural and artistic life of the community.
SCOPE (Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education)
www.scopela.org
SCOPE’s evolution stems from the 1992 uprising in Los Angeles. It’s dedicated to building a grassroots movement among low-income residents of South LA and beyond to address poverty and disenfranchisement. SCOPE has led a campaign to bring green jobs to inner-city residents who need jobs.
SAJE (Strategic Actions for a Just Economy) 
www.saje.net
SAJE was founded in 1996. It works on a broad range of community organizing projects, but it has concentrated much of its efforts on the Figueroa Corridor, organizing for tenants’ rights and ensuring that gentrification doesn’t displace long-term, low-income residents in the area. It has negotiated agreements with institutions such as USC, LAUSD and AEG to protect community members in the neighborhood.
Esperanza Community Housing Corporation
www.esperanzacommunityhousing.org
Esperanza was founded in 1989 after an organizing effort by local residents in the Figueroa Corridor area. It has five concentrations: housing, health, economic development, education and arts & science. One of its signature programs is training residents as health promoters who become health advocates for people in the surrounding community.
Please consider referencing Mini Twelve Step on this site. Mini Twelve Step provides residential and outpatient alcohol and drug rehab services to women and women with children. The residential program offers beds, services and education for up to six months to women, parenting and non-parenting. Women with small children are able to come into treatment with child to preserve the bond and avoid children entering the system unnecessarily. Prevention and intensive outpatient and aftercare services are provided along a continuum of care that includes transitional housing. For more information call: 323-813-0200 HELPLINE: 677-646-4127
Thank you Intersections for listing Community Coalition in your list. Community Coalition works with South LA residents to bring about real change in the community and it’s great to see Intersections bringing USC student talent into the community to report on all the news that is often overlooked by mainstream media.
Carla Guerrero
Communications Assistant