Tony Brown Wins Local Hero Award by Creating a Safe Haven

Bank of America names HOLA’s Executive Director a “Local Hero” for his work in providing a safe haven for thousands of at-risk kids.

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A SAFE HAVEN

Tony Brown decided to choose a path that would help troubled kids in his tough Los Angeles neighborhood.

“I wanted something more fulfilling in my life. And I felt like if I could get to kids before they made… bad choices …, then that would be pretty fulfilling.”

—Tony Brown

Brown decided to quit his job in the private sector and get involved with the nonprofit Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA), a haven for at-risk youth in the city’s Rampart District. Heart of Los Angeles provides a variety of programs for kids — from computer skills and college prep classes, to music, art and sports. Today, Brown serves as the organization’s executive director. “I realized that these kids were at risk each and every day, so this was precisely where I needed to be,” he said.

Brown’s involvement has benefited thousands of kids, ages 6 to 19, all over Los Angeles. The Heart staff and Brown think of themselves as a family, “creating a safe place for kids to come and advance their lives through academics, arts and athletics,” he said.

He credits his success to the people who believed in him at an early age, and told him so. Now he tries to provide that same mentoring to the youth at Heart of Los Angeles. “I really am thankful to all the people who said, ‘You can do it.’ Part of me feels very lucky that I have the job that I do, and I can come to a place like Heart of Los Angeles where I get to pass that [along to kids.]”

Looking to the Future
The future of Heart of Los Angles looks bright, according to Brown. He intends to hand off the torch to a new generation of adults who care about the youth of Los Angeles as much as he does, and those adults may be people Brown already knows. “I hope in the future that I won’t have this job because there will be an alumnus who is running the program who’s taking it to the next level,” he said.

Brown believes that the children from today’s Heart of Los Angeles class will be addressing tomorrow’s challenges. “They’re precisely the ones I want helping to solve problems in other neighborhoods because they know what it takes.”

Brown realizes that one person can create opportunity, but chooses to focus on a larger ripple effect. “Not only can one person make a difference, but of the 2,300 kids we have here, if they all made a difference, imagine how incredible the City of Los Angeles would be,” Brown said.

Reaching More Kids
For his work with troubled kids, Bank of America provided Brown with a Local Hero award. Brown is one of hundreds around the country who have received awards as part of the bank’s Neighborhood Excellence Initiative. The executive director is quick to point out that the award, which will assist Brown in serving more youth from the Los Angeles area, would not have been possible without his colleagues. “There are so many incredible people who make this place special. I feel lucky that I get to be with them,” he said.

Brown plans to use the recognition to send a message to the kids at Heart of Los Angeles that giving back to your community has its rewards. “I think it’s great (that I won) because I’m trying to teach my kids to do the right thing. And a lot of times, the kids look for validation.” By honoring his work, Brown said the award shows the city’s most at-risk kids that this is exactly what they’re supposed to be doing, too.