For 33 years, A Place Called Home has been doing something quietly remarkable in one of Los Angeles’ most underserved communities — turning kids who have every reason to fail into young people with every reason to succeed.

The South Central nonprofit, known as APCH, was born out of the ashes of the 1992 LA uprisings, when founder Deborah Constance opened her church basement to 12 kids who needed somewhere safe to go after school. A snack. Help with homework. An adult who showed up. Those 12 kids told their friends. Before long, there were over 100. The basement couldn’t hold them. The mission could.