LOS ANGELES, Calif. — This June, Los Angeles will host the U.S. Open Golf Championship for the first time in 75 years. As part of the U.S. Open partners’ commitment to expanding access to the sport in the host community, the U.S. Golf Association (USGA), Southern California Golf Association (SCGA), and the Los Angeles Country Club have joined together to create the Fore Youth Foundation and contribute an initial donation of $7 million to the Maggie Hathaway Golf Course in South Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell’s motion to accept the donation and direct the Department of Parks and Recreation to create a plan with Fore Youth Foundation and partners, for investing money raised towards improving the golf course and expanding access to diverse communities in South Los Angeles and neighboring areas.

“Maggie Mae Hathaway broke barriers to bring the joy and excitement of golf to Black people and communities of color. I am proud that this investment helps further the vision of this golf course that is a treasured community asset in the heart of South LA. I want to thank the Fore Youth Foundation and all our U.S. Open Community Legacy Project partners involved, for working to create a truly lasting and impactful legacy—one that invests directly in people and communities that were once excluded from the game” said Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell.

“The Los Angeles Country Club worked with the USGA and SCGA to launch the FORE Youth: 2023 U.S. Open Community Legacy Project to ensure that the impact of this year’s championship is felt long past this spring through improvements at the County’s Maggie Hathaway golf course in South Los Angeles and expanded youth programming across the County,” said Gene Sykes, President of the Los Angeles Country Club. “We are grateful for Supervisor Mitchell’s support and are excited to work with the County Department of Parks and Recreation to build on its strong commitment to diversify and grow the sport of golf, and to provide recreational opportunities that improve social, academic and professional outcomes for young people.”

“As an organization committed to expanding diversity and access to golf, we’re excited to see this level of investment in a course that is perfect for learning the game. Maggie Hathaway is a community gem, and once renovated, it will be able to serve an even broader community” said Glen Porter, CEO Southern Area Youth Programs, Inc (SAYPI) & WSGA Southern Area Vice President. “We’re proud to continue to work with the project partners, County Parks, and Supervisor Mitchell’s office to make a lasting impact for future generations of golfers.”

Maggie Hathaway Golf Course, first opened in 1962, it is a 9-hole, 1,008-yard, Par-3 located next to Jesse Owens Park near the intersection of Western Ave. & Century Blvd that hosts an annual average of over 20,000 rounds of golf. The scope of the Legacy Project is anticipated to include a new practice pitching area and putting green, reconfiguration and renovation of the driving range, restoration of existing buildings, youth development partnerships and maintenance of the improved amenities over time.

“The U.S. Open Community Legacy Project at Maggie Hathaway Golf Course, highlights that investing in public golf courses ensures affordability and access for youth and players of all levels,” said Norma E. García-González, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. “The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation is thrilled by this dynamic public-private partnership aimed at creating a legacy of greater access and inclusivity to the sport of golf, especially among communities of high need, youth of color, and women and girls.”

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell provided the following statement on the reported death of a teen in LA County’s Juvenile Hall. 

“I want to extend my deepest condolences to all those impacted by this tragic loss of life. This is the heartbreaking manifestation of the crisis within our juvenile justice system. From preventing drugs from entering our system to limited staffing that impacts the safety of the young people in our juvenile halls and the women and men that work there – we must contend with every contributing factor to this crisis to prevent any more lives from being taken. It is inexcusable for a young person to die of an overdose within the care and custody of Los Angeles County’s juvenile halls.  

I am in full support of a thorough investigation of this tragedy that is followed by swift and substantive action from the Probation Department to ensure that the young people in its care are provided with the appropriate programs, services, as well as stronger measures to prevent harm.”

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — In an effort to expand proven solutions in breaking the cycle between incarceration and homelessness – that acutely impacts people with severe mental illness in the Los Angeles County jail system, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a motion presented by Supervisors Holly J. Mitchell and Lindsey P. Horvath that calls for sustainably increasing the number of beds within the Office of Diversion and Reentry (ODR) Housing. The motion directs the Chief Executive Office in collaboration with ODR to create a timeline and list of potential funding resources available in Fiscal Year of 2024-25 to get to a minimum of 1,000 slots for appropriate care and permanent housing that will be provided by ODR.

“The crisis in our jail system requires sustainable investments in the strategies we know are working. Developing a funding roadmap is crucial in ensuring County-led solutions like the Office of Diversion and Reentry Housing have the ability to add housing and support services to accommodate new clients who are best served in the community and not in our jails” said Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, Second District.

“Our Board’s commitment to a Care First, Jails Last vision for Los Angeles County means we must quickly expand community-based treatment, services, and housing to safely divert individuals who are ready at every possible juncture from the criminal justice system,” said Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, Third District. “I am proud to join Supervisor Mitchell on this action to responsibly and expeditiously expand the Office of Diversion and Re-entry, which is an essential component of the system of care the County needs to serve our most vulnerable residents. Both ODR’s community-based competency restoration work, as well as its clinical diversion program, continue to receive well-deserved praise from the Courts, community stakeholders, and justice reform advocates.” 

LA County has the largest jail population in the world with close to 14,000 people incarcerated. Last year, it was reported that nearly 39 percent of the people in County jails were suffering from severe mental health needs. In 2015, the Board of Supervisors created ODR to reduce the number of people incarcerated in County jails with mental health and/or substance abuse use disorders who are at risk of homelessness. Several studies have shown that ODR’s programming has the ability to successfully stabilize individuals and equip them with the tools necessary to rejoin their communities.

To read the full motion, click here.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Today, Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell joined Nicole Avant, daughter of the late and prolific philanthropist, Jacqueline Avant, the MLK Health and Wellness Community Development Corporation and over 100 special guests to commemorate the name unveiling for the Jacqueline Avant Children & Family Center (The Center) located in the Watts-Willowbrook community.

The three-story and 50,000 sq. ft. Center will serve as a national model for programs that address the complex needs of at-risk children struggling with trauma, health, and mental health problems. The first floor is now open, and the second floor will open to the community this summer. The third floor will be finished by the end of this year.

“It was an honor to join the Avant family for this special day. I cannot think of a better way to uplift Jacqueline Avant’s legacy. She dedicated her life to supporting and investing in a brighter future for the children of South LA,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, Second District. “The Jacqueline Avant Children & Family Center is a welcomed community asset to the Second District that furthers our commitment to support children and families in accessing a multitude of health and mental health resources.”

“My family and I are thrilled and honored to celebrate the unveiling of the Jacqueline Avant Children and Family Center,” said Nicole Avant. “For over 50 years, my mom was dedicated to the mental, physical, and spiritual health of the children and families in South Los Angeles and was on a mission to improve the quality of life for those less fortunate. This new state of the art facility is evidence that my mother’s vision and her commitment to serving others has come to fruition and nothing makes me prouder.”

The County of Los Angeles invested $55 million to build the new Center that will serve thousands of children and teens, including many who are entering or involved with the County’s foster care system.

Thanks to the generosity of friends and supporters of Jacqueline Avant, and in partnership with the MLK Health and Wellness Community Development Corporation, furniture, electronics, artwork, books, and equipment were purchased to support the operations of the first floor Pediatric Clinic, and additional funds have been dedicated to support programming, a playground and wrap-around services for the youth served at The Center.

“We have been awed by the outpouring of generosity among Jacqueline Avant’s closest friends and supporters,” said Linda Griego, Founder of the MLK Health and Wellness Community Development Corporation. “The MLK CDC Board of Directors are honored to partner with Supervisor Mitchell and the County of Los Angeles to ensure that Jacqueline Avant’s dedication to uplifting the lives of the most vulnerable children and young people in South Los Angeles can continue within the building that now celebrates her contributions and will forever uphold her legacy.”

The Center will also house an Autism Wellness Center run by the Special Needs Network and a federally qualified health clinic operated by St. John Well Child Center on the second floor. On the third floor, the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health will operate a crisis stabilization unit for children ages 3-12 that will be the first in the County to serve this population.

To view photos from the event, click here.