Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters in Los Angeles has been awarded $260,000 and Helpline Youth Counseling in Norwalk has been awarded $200,000 to provide mentors to children of prisoners. The agencies will recruit, train and match mentors and mentees, providing high-risk youth with caring, responsible and committed positive adult role models.

The grants were announced by Robert Polito, director of the Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters will need to fund another $87,000 through private means towards this special project.

Friends Outside is partnered with both agencies to also provide services under this grant. Additional partners for Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters include Children Youth and Family Collaborative, Volunteers of America Los Angeles, the Office of Restorative Justice for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and St. Raphael Church in Los Angeles. Additional partners of Helpline Youth Counseling are the Long Beach Ministers Alliance, New Harvest Church and Living Proof Ministries of Norwalk.

President George Bush announced awards to grantees nationwide totaling $45.6 million Aug. 3. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services received 581 applications this year for new grant money, from which 164 grantees were selected.

Two million children in the United States have at least one incarcerated parent. Approximately 200,000 of those children are in California. In Los Angeles County, alone, there are at least 55,000 children of incarcerated parents.

Children of incarcerated parents are seven times more likely to become involved in the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems, according to justice system experts. Parental incarceration often leads to stress, trauma, stigmatization and separation problems for children. Through their mentoring programs, Helpline Youth Counseling and Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters will assist youth to increase their resilience and aid in their healthy development.

For more information, contact Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters at (213) 251-9800 or Helpline Youth Counseling at (562) 864-3722.