A Place to Go, A Place to Grow: Simple Things That Make a Difference for At-Risk Kids

by Lou Dantzler, Kathleen Felesina

The inspirational story of the man who, as founder of the Challengers Boys and Girls Club, has been a father figure to over 30,000 young people.

"If it wasn't for Challengers, where would these kids be?" - Earvin "Magic" Johnson

Lou Dantzler founded Challengers in his besieged neighborhood in the wake of the 1960s Watts riots. What started out as a circle of 12 boys meeting under a maple tree has grown into a $6 million facility that has served 32,000 boys and girls to date, creating productive citizens out of potential juvenile delinquents.

A South Carolina transplant to South Central LA who was once victimized by racial violence, Dantzler was determined to break the cycle of hatred and bigotry. In A Place to Go, A Place to Grow , he shares his philosophy of caring and the secrets of his success working with at-risk kids.

The list of people who recognize Dantzler's talent for getting these disadvantaged young people to reach their full potential reads like a Who's Who of notables. President George H.W. Bush has said that Challengers' existence "proves the power of our better selves." Denzel Washington calls the club "an oasis" and says Dantzler epitomizes "what a role model is."

288 pages, Hardcover

First published May 2, 2006

Reviews

[Jodi P · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such an inspiring memoir. Lou Dantzler worked at a Boys & Girls Club in CA during the time of the riots. He saw a neighborhood that was beaten down and terrified of gangs, drug use, and violence and found a way to provide a haven for the children of that area. Through the BGC, Lou and his staff offered a safe place for kids to be kids. The lessons that they instilled in them were carried into their home lives to make them stronger, better citizens.

[Kathleen Felesina]

Sorry -- couldn't help adding my own book to the mix!