On Saturday, November 02, 2013 at 9 am, several students from the Norwalk Sheriff’s Station PRIDE Youth Intervention Program participated in a community service project. This project consisted of cleaning up the area adjacent to the rail tracks from the San Gabriel River bed to Hoxie Ave in Norwalk. This is parallels the Target store on Firestone Blvd, just west of the 605 Freeway. This area was identified by the program leader, Sgt. Brian Doyle, as in need of a serious clean-up.
“There was so much trash that I wasn’t sure we were going to be able to complete the task, but the students really stepped up and got the job done” says Sgt. Doyle. “The students wanted to give back to the community that supports them so much, so we chose to do a clean-up day.” “I was impressed by all the students by their hard work and willingness to give back” says Sgt. Doyle. “We received so much praise from the shoppers at Target who saw what we were doing. The staff at Target also came out and provided us with water, snacks, rakes and trash bags.” “It was truly a good day” says Sgt. Doyle. “We cleaned up that entire area, so now the community won’t have to look at the mess.”
The PRIDE Youth Intervention Program is a 12 week program for “at-risk” youths between the ages of 12-17. The program consists of two components. The first focuses on the negative reality of life “scared straight” and the consequences of their choices. The second focuses on “positive alternatives” and shows the students what they can achieve if they work hard in school and stay away from gangs and drugs.
If you would like more information about the PRIDE program, please contact Sgt. Brian Doyle at (562)466-5455.
