Inside the Center 

The Center offers an umbrella of strongly needed services in one location (310.391.0551), addressing the needs of children and their families. What began as a circle of friends around Ms. Johnson’s kitchen table has matured into an agency with 70 employees, serving more than 1500 children annually. Services include: adoption, family support, early care and education, child development, the neighborhood center and the community services center.

By Way of Introduction

On a more personal note: My company is called Voice Made Visible. You may read about us online at www.voicemadevisible.com, where there are reviews of my singing classes posted with my c.v.’s and other information. Additionally, I am in the process of forming a new music label called Thorn Roze with a partner, Donna Pulliam. A percentage of all profits from Thorn Roze will go to supporting kids-at-risk. The Dec. 6 benefit at the Ivy Substation is a "gesture to the universe" of that intention.

Tickets will be sold at the door and cost $20. Musicians include Chazz Frichtel, bass player for Michael McDonald, Nick Fryman, Ann Margaret’s pianist, and MB Gordy, drummer for the Rita Coolidge Group.  Performers include Broadway singer Terri Turco, country singer John Andrew Parks, and performance artist John Fleck among others. The professionals   will be joined by advanced (adult) students of Voice Made Visible. Our vocal education program is open to all members of the community who love to sing.

The Path to Dec. 6 Show

Still being personal: It happens that I also volunteered at McLaren Hall School many years ago, after teaching there through a wonderful outreach program at the Mark Taper Forum. I devised an arts program for the children with the help of the LA Theatre Works. This is something recently learned that I have in common I have in common with Leslie Johnson. Both of us were inspired by our work at McLaren. I very much admire where the inspiration has taken her. Hers is a diverse group, with a paid and volunteer staff. I was impressed on the day I saw the plant for the youngest chlldren, the up-to -5’s. It is a sweet, well kept, well stocked environment. Enough adults are present, and a happy-looking group of youngsters was enjoying learning and playing. The motto of the center is: "Early Intervention and Lifelong Success." Once kids become teens, if they have not been well cared for and well educated, it is a far tougher road to help them develop into people capable healthy and productive social participation. I love the teen population, and I worked in the Los Angeles High Security camps for three years as an artist-educator. From that experience I can confirm that serving children from low-income families when they are much much younger is key.  

Benefits of the Center

The Westside Children’s Center responds to all of the child’s needs. The Center has  a nurse who does regular eye exams, and she teaches the kids about healthy nutrition. Social workers are on the grounds along with pediatricians from UCLA who conduct screenings.

The lowest income families applying are the first to benefit  ~ households earning around $12,000 a year. They are the first priority. Secondly, the Center moves up into a slightly higher income category. The organization is funded by the state of California (around half) and by their fundraising efforts, such as their Mother’s Day Luncheon, a Children’s Arts Show at Sony Studios in October, and an end of the year letter of appeal, gifts from people like us.

Postscript

I am excited about making a contribution from the December concert. I hope that you will turn out for the show at the home of The Actors’ Gang, 9070 Venice Blvd. Box office opens at 8:10, and parking is available across the street, on Culver Boulevard. Even if you can’t make it, I hope that those of you in a position to do so will help me get the word out.   It is not a big theatre, and we should fill every seat. Tickets are reasonably priced.

Mimi Seton can  be contacted at Voice Made Visible,  www.voicemadevisible.com.