Fresno, CA (March 3, 2008,) On Tuesday, March 4th, at 8:30AM in Council Chambers Councilmember Henry T. Perea will proudly participate in the ceremonial check presentation of a $10,000 grant provided by Gap Inc.to Fresno United Neighborhoods (FUN) to help Fresno’s teens. The money will be used to start the ‘Teen Fresno’ project which will be located at the new Dickey Youth Development Center under construction at 1515 E Divisadero and will provided hands-on training in leadership, technology and video production. Teens will also receive resume and other work place mentorship as well as the opportunity to participate in a Teen Fresno magazine and web page.

The idea for this project began when Councilmember Henry T. Perea and Director of Parks, After School, Recreation & Community Services Randy Cooper got involved in the Riverpark curfew controversy and became aware of the many concerns area youth have. Teens were then invited to speak before council so that other City officials could hear their concerns and the City could tailor programs to address those needs. This grant will be instrumental in providing services that are lacking in Fresno as well as promote existing services that teens felt were not readily accessible or well known.

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