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NEXT ON YOUR COMMUNITY PLAYGROUND
Living Advantage Inc.'s
Pamela Clay and Willie Macc
Sunday, August 24, 2008, 6:30am
Pamela Clay, Executive Director & Willie Macc, Actor and 2008-09 National Spokesperson, talk to us about Living Advantage Inc. and how they have figured out a way to help at-risk foster youth on the road to success. They created a convenient way to be more involved in the community to make the lives easier for our less fortunate youth. http://www.livingadvantageinc.org/
Willie Macc and DJ Nate 
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 Organization looks to help foster youth store their key records
By Cynthia E. Griffin
Our Weekly Staff Writer
America runs on paper work.
You need your birth certificate, identification card, social security card, immunization records, diploma and much more just to get many things accomplished.
If you are a child in the foster care system, keeping track of these and other personal records can be a challenge that is at the least - irritating, and at its worst - a hindrance to progress.
Awareness of this problem is exactly what prompted Pamela Clay and Eugenia Wilson to conceive of a Web site that enables youth currently in, as well as those who have emancipated from, foster care to keep track of their “life records.”
“We had group homes for 12 years, and sometimes we found records weren’t being transferred with the kids. This would delay them getting into school. They would have to repeat classes and re-do immunization shots. We found this created more behavioral problems,” explained Wilson, who is the assistant executive director of Living Advantage Inc., the non-profit entity that is the parent company for the Internet service.
Wilson said Clay came up with idea for the Web site
“The goal is to gather and maintain vital documents. We also want to insure that youth have a place to go, where they can (always access) their life documents,” explained Clay, who is executive director of Living Advantage.
Among the documents she intends to keep on the secured Web site are school and immunization records, a copy of their birth certificate and social security cards as well as critical telephone numbers they might need.
For those young people, who do not have copies of such records, Clay said her organization will gather them and put them on the site. Then Clay and Wilson and their staff will teach the youth how to access the information.
Clay wants the service aspect of the web site to go live in March, but before that can happen, she is working with various law enforcement officials to insure that it will be predator proof, and is raising approximately $60,000 she projects it will take to begin with an approximate client base of 100 youngsters. A pilot has been made by Visual Concept.com and they are ready and excited about serving the youth!! “It will cost us an average of $400 per child per year to maintain the Web site, and we want to start with incarcerated youth,” Clay said. In addition to serving as a database for foster youth, www.myLAspace.orgClay and Wilson have made www.livingadvantageinc.orga virtual community where business leaders and individuals in the community can be educated and informed of foster issues, but most importantly where they can network and become Supporters of this program. Response to the idea by officials working with foster youth has been positive and Living Advantage has received a Memorandum of Understanding and recommendation letter from the Los Angeles County of Education, Foster Youth Services stating they will do all in their working power to assist and make this program a part of their system. Now the key is raising money to fully fund the concept. To get more information about Living Advantage or to become a supporter, visit the Web site www.LivingAdvantageInc.org or call (323) 731-6471.
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Living Advantage ESPN Interview
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