The Brotherhood Crusade announced its partnership with internet company Spectrum which includes a $50,000 donation along with laptops, a gigabyte-per-second internet service, a smartboard, and renovations. The partnership is a component of the Spectrum Community Center Assist Initiative.
“We are one of two nonprofits in Los Angeles County that has received this gift,” said Brotherhood Crusade president and CEO Charisse Bremond Weaver. “I was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude for everyone to celebrate with us but more importantly how our young people will benefit by this new donation.”
The Brotherhood Crusade hosted an open house to celebrate the partnership. The open house included free food and giveaways; attendees also had a chance to win free Chromebooks in a raffle.
“Children from all over the city can come here and get these resources,” said councilmember Heather Hutt. “Volunteers spend their time in a place like this because you can see the value of the work and when you have a big company like Spectrum that brings the resources right to the community, it makes a huge difference.”
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Spectrum volunteers from all over the Southern California area showed up to help with the renovations. The partnership includes an upgraded workspace for students to participate in their technology and training programs.
“Brotherhood Crusade is our nonprofit partner that’s doing great things to provide job skills training,” said Community Impact for Charter Communications group vice president Rahman Khan. “We got thousands of employees that work here, we’ve been here for a long time and it’s about helping the community.”
Assemblymember Isaac Bryan called the Brotherhood Crusade a “generational institution” while explaining how he helped put the organization on the state budget.
“The kind of work that they do to prepare our young people, not just for education, not just for the advances in technology but for life … That’s what Brotherhood Crusade is all about,” Bryan said. “So collectively between Spectrum and the state of California to invest $300,000 into a center like this, it’s powerful, it’s important, it’s necessary.”
Over the years, the Brotherhood Crusade has provided professional and personal development to youth throughout the Los Angeles area. Their programs focus on STEM education, entrepreneurship, leadership, and gang violence reduction. The Brotherhood Crusade have received support from countless individuals and organizations including Bank of America, The NBA Foundation, The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, The Paul George Foundation, Mookie Betts, and Chris Paul.
“Spectrum has been an amazing partner to the Lakers and now, I see that they are an amazing partner in all the communities that really need them,” said Lakers Youth Foundation executive director Kiesha Nix. “[Bremond Weaver] doesn’t stop, and she is a powerful force in bringing much needed resources to this community and to our youth.”
Senator Steve Bradford commended Bremond Weaver for upholding the legacy of her father Walter Bremond who founded the Brotherhood Crusade.
“I guarantee you your father is proud … and smiling down on your tremendous leadership,” Bradford said. “We have seen a monumental change in corporate relationship since you took the helm.”
Spectrum SportsNet LA broadcasters James Worthy, John Hartung and Jerry Hairston attended to celebrate the partnership.
“You have the culture, you have the humanity to give back where the village really does raise the neighborhood and then you have a code that sustains itself and that’s what I see in the Brotherhood Crusade,” Worthy said.
Not only does the Brotherhood Crusade provide job training, but they help youth secure internships and job opportunities. Nasir Lucas, who will be attending Cal State University Long Beach in the fall, has been benefiting from the Brotherhood Crusade for over two years.
“I’m in an internship with the Sparks right now, I just got called back for year two,” Lucas said. “I was able to do clinics with the kids … I would go over drills with the kids and that’s one of my favorite moments with the Brotherhood Crusade.”
To learn more about the Brotherhood Crusade, please visit https://www.brotherhoodcrusade.org/.
