Today we’d like to introduce you to Amerylus Cooper.
Hi Amerylus, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
In 1964 my father was one of the first African American families to move into a home in the Crenshaw area. That is the home I reside in today. My father believed “family first and community second.” I watched him help his neighbors in different ways and even prepare meals to distribute on Skid Row. I can attribute my unselfish commitment to others to my upbringing, this is what I know. The community around our home has changed over the years but we have not. I decided to open a community center because I recognized there wasn’t a safe place for young people to enjoy their youth. I envisioned a place to play sports, engage in after school activities, and build lifelong relationships.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Project 43 Team Post Centers is located in a former animal hospital and automotive shop. We had to remove endless amounts of debris and renovate the interior and construct the exterior structure. Then the Covid-19 health crisis gripped Los Angeles several months after we initiated our project. Many people did not believe we would be successful under the daunting circumstances but we persisted. When I formed my nonprofit, someone told I would not be eligible for funding until we were in operation for two years. That incorrect information led me to self-finance Project 43. Generous community members, businesses, and friends provided funds and resources during the past two years. I would benefit from the support of individuals with nonprofit management experience.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Project 43 is a start-up resilience hub in South Los Angeles. We are situated in an area along the Crenshaw Blvd corridor without a brand name retail store. We responded by establishing a food pantry and farm stand. Our farm stand has fed over 14,000 people along the corridor and beyond since July 2021. Our food pantry supports a niche group of clients that come and select self-stable items bimonthly. People arrive at Project 43 by all modes of mobility, including wheelchairs. We are developing programs to offer certified programs in culinary arts, computer, and sound engineering that will lead to future employment. We are discussing mental health and wellness programs to be offered by trained practitioners. Recently a doula signed on to offer workshops at our center. Currently, we have eight participants in the infant support program Baby2Baby. Project 43 looks forward to providing comprehensive resources to individuals returning to society: housing, record expungement, job training, and a Career Closet(clothing).
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Project 43 continues to identify the needs of the neighborhood and adjacent communities. We envision firmly establishing our center into a resilience hub. The resilience hub concept is based on providing resources and services to mitigate adverse conditions caused by climate change and emergencies and disasters. Already we offer food resources, we are developing capabilities to produce compost to help regenerate degraded soil in the area, and soon we will begin offering CPR training courses. There is only one other resilience hub in Los Angeles and we recognize that Angelenos would benefit from having more. We believe we will continue to be successful and can accelerate our success with the professional guidance required to augment our fundraising efforts.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://project43la.org/
- Instagram: @project43la
Image Credits
Los Angeles Times photographer for BEHOLD
