Located in the heart of poverty, hopelessness, and violence, The Dream Center is surrounded by gang members who actively recruit young children into lives of violence and drugs. Poverty and addictions have sent many to live on the streets.

Each night in Los Angeles, over 11,000 people sleep on the sidewalks. Today in L.A., one of six families is living below the poverty line. The average family income for the poor has declined 24% since 1967.

These individuals are in desperate need of housing, food, and clothing. Community resources are stretched to the breaking point, and most shelters have six-month waiting lists.

The children are the most negatively affected. Nationally, 50% of Caucasian children and 80% of African-American children live in single-parent homes for at least part of their childhood. These children are five times more likely to live below the poverty line than children who live with both parents.

In L.A., the rate of poverty among children is almost 50% higher than the poverty rate among the city’s population as a whole. Most of these children will experience lives of gangs, drugs, crime and illicit sex.

Cities around the country and across the world mirror the situation in L.A. The world will soon have more than 300 cities with populations over one million. Cities will continue to see an increase in crime, drugs and poverty. The problems of the inner city will increasingly affect all Americans.

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