Phoenix House of Los Angeles
The comprehensive drug treatment and recovery program at Phoenix House is holistic in design and focuses on the distinctive needs of each resident. All the girls at the residential facility come from low-income backgrounds and most have been victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, physical assault, gang violence, separation from key family members or trauma associated with immigration. More than three-fourths are one or more years behind in school and therefore at serious risk of dropping out permanently. All the girls, ages 13-18, suffer from poor self esteem and body image issues, and eating disorders are prevalent. Phoenix House will create the Women Helping Youth Fitness Studio with a $20,873.00 grant that will enable 160 girls per year to participate in ongoing exercise programs and choose healthy physical activity alternatives to destructive behavior. The studio will be equipped with industrial grade exercise equipment that targets cardio and overall fitness and will be a welcoming place for young women working through emotional and physical issues related to both adolescence and recovery. Because Phoenix House is not a lock-down facility, this workout room will be a choice for girls when they are tempted to run away. In addition to being incorporated into their regularly scheduled PE program, it will be a safe space, available at any hour, to mitigate adverse effects from the recovery process, including anxiety attacks and side effects from detoxification and withdrawal.