The Swahili word “Harambee” translates roughly in English to “Let’s get together and push” or “Let’s pull together.”
In Pasadena back in 1982, Christian minister and civil rights leader Dr. John Perkins called for community unity in the neighborhood surrounding the first center location at the intersection of W. Howard Street and Navarro Avenue. It had the highest daytime crime rate in Southern California and one particular corner was nicknamed “blood corner.”
Perkins moved in the neighborhood to face the problem head on and started the Harambee Christian Family Center. The nonprofit organization has made considerable progress over the years in reducing drug dealing and crime in the 12-block target area. Now, the intersection formally known as “blood corner” has a community garden surrounded by a pastel-colored picket fence; and that one center has grown to five properties where neighborhood children go to learn academics, receive vocational training and participate in numerous social activities.
Harambee Christian Family Center, now called Harambee Ministries, has grown significantly throughout the past nearly 35 years and offers a variety of programs to benefit the Northwest Pasadena community. Its mission statement is “raising indigenous leaders for Pasadena and beyond.”
“We’ve been able to continue the legacy of our founder in creating this transformation,” Harambee Ministries Executive Director Har lan Redmond said. “It wouldn’t be possible without the support of churches like San Marino Community Church.”
Harambee Ministries has had a long and fruitful relationship with San Marino Community. It is one of the church’s mission partners this year and is the recipient of the more than $10,000 raised on June 12 from SMCC’s 75th Anniversary Courtyard Concert, “A Jubilant Song.”
“One of the things that we love about Harambee is that we have a long-standing relationship with their organization and certainly with their Executive Director, Harlan Redmond,” said SMCC Rev. Jan Cook, who oversees the church’s 25-30 mission partners. “We have a great deal of trust that what they’re doing is what’s best in the community. “
She said Harambee’s “first and foremost mission is to serve the children and families that come under its care.”
“Those are the families of the community,” Cook said. “It’s building the community and it’s so in line with our values.”
Redmond offered a sermon at SMCC a few weeks ago and one of the church’s Service Day projects during the spring was to paint the outside basketball court at Harambee.
Redmond said SMCC staff and members have always been extremely gracious.
“They’ve always been welcoming, encouraging and supportive,” he said.
One of the newest Harambee Ministries programs is The PUSH Catering, which was started approximately two years ago to provide employment to local residents.
“That has been such a highlight for us to be able to answer the call of unemployment and be a solution to that problem,” Redmond said.
Four chefs, including lead chef James Ward, run the catering program.
“I was very excited to be part of this,” Ward said. “I felt that I had been blessed and exposed to a lot and now I have this opportunity to give back.”
“The month of June was probably the highest-grossing month that we’ve had since we started,” Redmond said. “We did our first wedding last month and it was a huge hit. We did bacon-wrapped shrimp and Portobello mushrooms on a skewer. It was pretty amazing.”
He said seeing the youth caterers in action is “a dream come true.”
“One of my mentors—Father (Gregory) Boyle at Homeboy Industries—has really been sort of coaching me and encouraging me through taking on these social enterprises,” Redmond said. “We have a lot more things to roll out. We’re just trying to grow at our capacity.”
Some of The PUSH Catering’s clients include the Tournament of Roses, the City of Pasadena, San Marino Community Church and La Cañada Presbyterian Church.
“As we’re doing these catering jobs, the kids are in training and learning how to prep and cook the food,” Redmond said.
Harland said he hopes that the catering service will grow to open a restaurant one day in Pasadena.
Harambee Ministries offers programs for children and teens, such as reduced cost daycare (2-5 years old), faith-based preparatory school (K-6), summer camp and summer youth employment. Redmond said he sees the school’s children running to school daily with enthusiasm.
“They’re not late,” Redmond said. “They just can’t wait to be here.”
Many of the students attending Harambee Ministries programs or school are second generation.
Ronnie Williams of Pasadena was one of the first students of Harambee Preparatory School when he was a child and now his son attends it.
“God is doing good work here,” he said.
Redmond said Harambee Ministries keeps track of its students from preschool to college.
“One of the ways we keep good track of them is that we give scholarships to a lot of them at the colleges through a generous donor of ours,” he said. “His whole idea is that if they can make it to college, they should be able to afford to go there.”
Harambee Ministries also provides services for parents, such as transitional housing for single mothers and specialized parenting classes. The two-year transitional housing program offers single mothers a place to stay while they get back on their feet. They also receive therapy and training.
Lack of low-income housing is still a huge problem that Redmond said he hopes to tackle one day.
“When you have willing individuals come together as a team, it’s the spirit of Harambee to push toward a solution and to push toward freedom from whatever obstacle that is,” Redmond said. “The catering is one avenue of that. I’d love to address the housing crisis.”
Harambee recently received Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accreditation this past March. It also was selected twice for projects by Leadership Pasadena—once to receive a donation of solar panels on one of the buildings in 2008 and more recently for an update of its youth employment program with the addition of themes, workshops, featured speakers and tours.
“We’re always looking at ways to improve and ways to offer more skills training to the community,” Redmond said.
To make a donation or to become more involved, visit www.harambeeministries.org or mail a check payable to “Harambee” to 1609 Navarro Ave., Pasadena, CA 91103.
