FAQs

What is our CALL TO ACTION?   Why P.S I Love You?

There are many small and large issues facing inner city children in California that may permantly affect their emotional, physical and mental development.  These issues include but are certainly not limited to lack of support both emotionally and physically, financial instability, physical abuse, alcohol and drug abuse, gang violence, lack of quality nutrition, obesity, disregard for authority, unsupportive family structure and/or single-parent homes. 

Many children return  to an empty home after school and are often left to handle their daily lives without any help from others. Many schools are often overcrowded and each teach (as much as they want to) cannot support the specific needs os each individual child. Even at home, loving grandparents who are care takers are many times unaware of the child's current issues and environment therefore have little control over the help they need to stay happy, healthy and productive. Children who don’t perform well in school may look to other avenues of support and confidence because of low self esteem, being bored or even angry.  At the end of it all, some children who slip through the cracks of any family or school system can end up becoming more angry, depressed, closed up, non productive, get involved in gangs, go through life illiterate, in jail, and or even worse.

“The reality is that students in my community face many obstacles and have persevered through some particularly harsh experiences.  It is extremely empowering for them to know that they possess the key to their own feelings and can change their mood and thereby change their course in life.” -3rd Grade School Teacher

A. Issues in School: 
How can a child gain motivation to continue concentrating on his studies when he has to fend for himself after school? California schools are consumed with gangs, violence, drugs, and peer pressure. P.S I Love You creates a way for these children to cope with their daily lives with skills that can be used both during and after-school. With programs such as Yoga123 children are provided with ways to express themselves that lead to healthier lives.

Children in the California school system also face issues with nutrition and health. In a survey conducted by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, only 51% of children participate in P.E classes at least once a week, while the amount of children in California schools who worked out for more than twenty minutes three times a week went from 60.8% in 1997 to 58.8% in 2004.[1]   Becasue of a lack of organized exercise and healthy release for chidlren, there may be an increase in violence.

“An estimated 270,000 guns are taken to schools in the United States every day”
- The Virtual Psychology Classroom   www.allpsych.com/journal/schoolviolence.htm1

"During the 12 week program of Yoga123,  I have watched the kids as they become healthier, stronger, more peaceful and relaxed.”  Jen Hughs, Teacher at Roosevelt Elementary, Compton

B. Issues at Home:
Inner-city children face many issues at home. Children must deal with poverty and they often come home to an empty house. Currently, 8 million children live in single-parent homes.[2] This brings about issues of neglect and fear. They must cook and clean, and oftentimes take care of their younger siblings. The unsupervised time children spend alone can be damaging. These children often seek alternative means of entertainment.
When a parent is not present, children are often raised by their grandparents or a single grandparent. The biggest group of children raised by their grandparents is preschoolers up to age 6. This figure reached 51% in 1998. The second biggest group was 29% of children ages 6 to 11, followed by 20% of those aged 12 to 17.[3]
Children also face other issues, such as violence in the household. 2,700,000 children are physically, mentally, or sexually assaulted by their parents every year.[4] These children often mimic their parents and tend to become violent once they become adults. Children who are exposed to violence or abuse in the household are most likely to be delinquent.[5]
Children living in the inner city face many different obstacles. As a result of the surrounding environment in their schools and homes, children who grow up in these areas often find themselves stuck in a situation that they cannot control.

P.S I Love You’s goal is to empower and inspire these children by teaching skills to help them in their everyday lives, to reduce stress, to influence successful individuals and help them develop healthy minds, positive attitudes and strong bodies.

“One student out of ten in our school systems comes home to an empty house”
“70% of juvenile defenders come from single parent homes” - Statistics www.teen-violence.com

Being Abused or Neglected as a Child:
Likelihood of arrest as a juvenile -- up 53%
Likelihood of arrest as an adult -- up 38%
Likelihood of arrest for a violent crime -- up 38% - http://gangsandkids.com/gstats.html

“Single family homes or children living with grandparents often have to deal with poverty. Nearly 80% of American children living in single-parent families will experience poverty before they turn 18. Below is a chart from the National Center for Children in Poverty age 18 and under. According to this survey, an estimated 889,000 families in California only have a mother present, 127,000 families have a father present, and 81,000 do not have any parents present” - The Virtual Psychology Classroom

"When PS I Love you Foundation's program are implemented as after-school programs like at our school, it gives chidlren somthing to look forward to and it is productive and educational."  Jason Homles, Principal at Jefferson Elementary Lennox

“National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) report of 2002, in California 43% of children under the age of six live in low-income families and 41% of children older than six live in low-income families”
NCCP National Center for Children in Poverty. (2002).

“One student out of ten in our school systems comes home to an empty house”
And “70% of juvenile defenders come from single parent homes”
- Statistics from www.teen-violence.com

“The Yoga123 program creates a place to talk about things like sharing, loving, friendship, truth & competence. Sometimes these elements are not addressed in school or even in their own family.”- Yoga 1,2,3 Instructor Danay Divirgilo

“In a study conducted by the Los Angeles Police Department, there were a total of 2,377 children arrested between the ages of 10 to 15 year olds for violating Narcotic Drug Laws.” (10/18/04).

“3,000,000 Crimes are committed in our 85,000 schools per year”.
““Nine percent of eight graders carry a gun, knife, or club to school at least once a month.”
- Statistics from www.teen-violence.com

It’s so worthwhile to integrate social skills and character education into the curriculum. This program does that seamlessly. The mood cards are an excellent opportunity for students to express themselves.” -Elementary School Teacher

“Two-thirds of all inner-city male youth believe that they can make more money from crime than from legitimate work”. “In a study conducted by the Los Angeles Police Department, there were a total of 2,377 children arrested between the ages of 10 to 15 year olds for violating Narcotic Drug Laws.” (10/18/04).