Glendale Youth Alliance Celebrates the Kickoff of the Summer Brush Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 30, 2025

Glendale Youth Alliance's Contact: Ani Duzdabanyan-Manoukian Phone: (818) 937-8021 Email: [email protected]

City Media Contact: Communications and Community Relations Email: [email protected] Phone: (818) 548-3342

Glendale Youth Alliance Celebrates the Kickoff of the Summer Brush Program

Glendale, CA- The Glendale Youth Alliance (GYA) will start the Summer Brush Program with a kickoff event on July 2, 2025, at 2:15 PM at Verdugo Job Center's parking lot, located at 1255 South Central Avenue, Glendale, CA 91204.

During the event, youth will gather and prepare to be transferred to the worksites. Glendale City Manager Roubik Golanian, Glendale Fire Chief Jeff Brooks, and Director of Community Services & Parks, Onnig Bulanikian, will be present at the event, amongst others, to congratulate and encourage the program participants.

GYA's Summer Brush Program is the original program that was founded along with the GYA in 1993. The program offers paid work experience to youth ages 14-16 years old. Often, this is their first experience with employment. During the program, youth workers perform brush clearance in public hillsides to prevent fires. The program makes a tremendous impact on fire prevention efforts implemented by the Glendale Fire Department.

The role of the program is even more significant this year, considering the devastating fires that happened in January of this year. The Summer Brush Program will last 6-weeks and host 50 participants from different schools in Glendale, Burbank, and Greater Los Angeles County. Youth will work a total of 160 hours and earn wages while learning the fundamental work skills needed to succeed in the workforce. Furthermore, they learn the value of a dollar and contribute to a positive summer experience.

Sponsors

The Summer Brush Program is funded by Glendale Fire, Public Works, Glendale Water & Power, and Community Services & Parks Departments. Some funding is leveraged through the Los Angeles County Youth at Work Program and the Verdugo Workforce Development Board. During the length of the program "Youth Workers of the Week" that show exceptional effort, and improvement will receive certificates and gift cards generously provided by Target, Baskin Robbins, Nothing Bunt cakes and Big Mama's and Papa's Pizzeria.

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About Glendale youth Alliance: Glendale Youth Alliance is the non-profit arm of the City of Glendale, a California 501© (3) non-profit organization founded in 1993. Since then, through its programs GYA has been able to assist more than 13,500 youth in overcoming employment barriers. This includes youth with disabilities, foster, homeless, parenting and youth on probation. Karine Grigoryan, the Executive Director of the Glendale Youth Alliance, started as a youth worker at the Summer Brush Program when she was only 14 years old!

About Glendale: Known as the "Jewel City," Glendale is the fourth largest city of Los Angeles County. With a population of almost 200,000, Glendale is a thriving cosmopolitan city that is rich in history, culturally diverse, and offers nearly 50 public parks & facilities, with easy access to a municipal airport. It is the home to a vibrant business community, with major companies in healthcare, entertainment, manufacturing, retail, and banking. Visit GlendaleCA.gov for more information and follow us on social media @MyGlendale.