Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Adam Schiff announced that he successfully secured funding for the City of San Gabriel’s library improvement project and the Asian Youth Center (AYC) of San Gabriel. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Schiff pressed for the funding that will support and expand the services at the library and assist with renovations at the Asian Youth Center.
The funding was included in the Foreign Operations Appropriations/Consolidated Appropriations bill (H.R. 2764). This bill is also known as the omnibus appropriations bill for the Fiscal Year 2008, because it packages together several funding measures into one single bill. The omnibus was necessary due to both the inability of the Senate to pass individual funding measures and the President’s vetoes.
Rep. Schiff worked hard to ensure the Appropriations Committee included $147,000 for the Asian Youth Center (AYC) of San Gabriel for renovations to the facility. The funding will be used to renovate, improve and furnish its 6,000 square foot youth center facility which will provide more space for the important programs the center organizes.
The AYC is a 17-year-old, community-based, non-profit organization with a mission to meet the emerging education, social service, and health needs of low-income, at-risk, and immigrant youth in Los Angeles County. Its initiatives and services are provided in Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin), Vietnamese, Spanish, and English to more than 5,000 children and teens annually. AYC provides services at its youth center in San Gabriel, a children’s annex building in San Gabriel, a satellite office housed in the Los Angeles City Cypress Community Center, and 20 on-site elementary, middle, and high schools.
“As a long-time mentor through the Big Brother program, I know firsthand how important youth programs can be in helping young people achieve their full potential,” said Schiff. “This funding represents an important investment in our future. Our youth are our most valuable resource, and these funds will help provide them with the tools they need to grow and succeed.”
“The Asian Youth Center is grateful to Congressman Adam Schiff for the long-term impact that this money will bring to our agency and the community,” commented May To, Executive Director of the Asian Youth Center, earlier this year when the bill passed out of committee. “Facility renovations will allow AYC to provide additional services, reach more youth and help move the next generation of Americans toward successful adulthood," she said.
The bill also includes $192,000 for the City of San Gabriel’s library improvement project. The San Gabriel Library will use the funds to support and expand the services which the library can provide the public, with a particular emphasis on services to youth and school-related activities. This project will help increase the level of library use by providing students with computers and other necessary tools to do research assignments.
“I am delighted that San Gabriel will receive the funds for improvements to the library,” said Schiff. “With the rapid development of technology, libraries are no longer just filled with books, journals and magazines. They contain computers, multimedia equipment, and other resources that help keep citizens better informed. This funding will ensure that the San Gabriel Library can better keep pace with technology advancements.”
“San Gabriel is delighted to hear that our community's County library will receive $192,000 in federal funding for critically needed improvements and technology upgrades that will help bring our library into the 21st Century,” said Kevin Sawkins, Mayor of San Gabriel. “A huge thank you to Congressman Adam Schiff for his effort in securing this needed funding for our community.”
Rep. Schiff was appointed to serve on the House Appropriations Committee in the 110th Congress and is a member of its Commerce, Justice, and Science Subcommittee, the State Department and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, Financial Services Subcommittee, and the Select Intelligence Oversight Panel. He also serves on the House Judiciary Committee and its Subcommittee on the Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property. He represents California’s 29th Congressional District, which includes the communities of Alhambra, Altadena, Burbank, East Pasadena, East San Gabriel, Glendale, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, South Pasadena and Temple City.
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