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

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."

LOU DANTZLER formed the Challengers Club in 1968 and today remains its president and CEO. During George H.W. Bush's term, he served on the National Commission of American Urban Families, a special commission formed to examine the decline of inner cities.

KATHLEEN FELESINA is a freelance magazine and newspaper writer. She lives in Los Angeles, California.