The Hollywood/LA Beautification Team (HBT), Koreatown Youth & Community Center (KYCC), Los Angeles Conservation Corps (LACC), Northeast Trees (NET) are co-hosting a local tree planting event to celebrate the multiple job creation and community health benefits that have been realized through projects completed by the four non-profit groups. The projects are funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The tree plantings will be conducted by students, volunteers and organizational staff. Numerous elected officials have been invited to attend and participate. The event will take place at the Foshay Learning Center, located at Western Ave and Exposition Blvd. on Monday December 5th at 9am.
The goals of the American Recovery and Reinvest Act were to create new jobs, save existing ones, spur economic activity, and invest in long-term growth. Combined, these four groups received over $1.6 million in ARRA grants administered by California ReLeaf in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service. These grants have supported more than 34,000 employment hours contributed to the LA work force by teaching green job skills to at-risk youth and cleaning the county’s air and water through the planting, care and maintenance of over 21,000 trees since April, 2010. The Foshay Learning Center tree-planting embodies all of the goals of the ARRA and further demonstrates the need to sustain these efforts after the ARRA projects have been completed.