Picture this: In a corner of east Los Angeles where violence used to rule the streets, hope has now arrived, safe and sound. Children who once feared walking home after school, afraid of gunfire and harrassment, now laugh and chatter on their way.

The difference is the Safe Passage Campaign and the volunteers who have united to accompany the children every day. Dressed in their bright green t-shirts, parents and residents watch the children and see them home. And their care has done more than protect their children’s safety, it’s ensured their education and, in fact, helped to bring security to the whole community.

These residents know the best way to lift a community out of poverty is through the education of its children. Today, one in six children lives in poverty. Working together, we can help them find a safe passage out.