Meet Laura Kallus from N. Miami Beach, Florida

In 2004, Laura Kallus started a gang intervention program in North Miami Beach. She works with Haitian gang members who are raised in poverty and turning to gangs as a means to gain respect and money. Most of them are multiple offenders and with their criminal records and limited education, they have difficulty securing employment. Laura requested $25,000 to buy silk screening equipment to create jobs for these young adults coming out of prison or gangs, give them a trade & mentor them as many have no skills & no education, only a desire to change. Besides learning a trade, the team plans to sell the T-shirts they make to help fund the gang prevention program.

"Panzou" is a Haitian Creole word meaning to seize; reclaim; to take back by any means necessary.

“Our most difficult challenge is convincing employers to take a chance on hiring our clients,” said Laura, "and the current economic state means our gang members are competing for jobs with people who have no criminal records and much higher levels of education. With a silk screen venture, members will have the opportunity to be trained in a skill and at the same time receive professional development. When they leave us they will have a skill, a resume, and a reference. Most of them have never had a legitimate job before. They will learn how to be professional so when they leave us they will be prepared to enter the workforce with some experience.”

Laura talks about Kevin Robiou, who was an influential gang leader in North Miami Beach. His life was filled with violence and tragedy and even the police told Laura not to waste her time with him. But she refused to give up. When he was in prison she stayed in touch. People warned her but she believed in him. He is now a Program Assistant for PanZOu Project and is one of their best employees. Laura is not only changing lives, she is changing the community of North Miami Beach. Since she started the gang prevention program, overall crime in the area has dropped 22%. Drug crimes are down 11%, crimes against people are down 11%, and property crime is down 26%. She is making a difference in the community and giving these young people a future.

Laura has a 4-year-old son named Skye.

Diary Starts Here

July 15th, 2011
Laura sent us an update...

"We are extremely busy here at PanZOu. We have had to scale down most of our social services due to funding constraints but I am pleased to report that the shop is blooming and we have a new person aboard, Tommy Butler, who is helping us expand our products and skills! I cannot tell you how deeply grateful we are to have our shop as it is the only thing helping to pay the bills and keep PanZOu open! And the kids love to work in the shop, they are designing their own t shirt lines too! What a gift the Jenny Jones Foundation has given us! All around us wonderful non profits are closing their doors...the economy has affected all of our abilities to stay afloat and provide quality services to the highest risk kids. And now is the time when they need us the most!! I can honestly say that without the blessing that you gave us, we too would be gone. As it stands now, sadly there is no more funding for my salary but I am going on faith that a solution will come. I just know it will!! Meanwhile we are building our shop so that we may have a healthy social enterprise to generate jobs for as many as we can! Before, when it was just Kevin and I we were also busy providing services and could not devote ourselves full time to the shop. Now with Tommy aboard, we are excited about the future and PanZOu Production's success.

I want to apologize for my long silence and hope you forgive me. I have attached a bunch of pictures and have a million more if you like! I just want you to see all the great things we are doing with your gift to us! Warm regards, Laura"

January 20th, 2010
The PanZOu Project is printing t-shirts to help raise funds for the Haitian relief efforts...

Hello friends,

Here is the flyer for our Hearts for Haiti t-shirts! Please distribute throughout your networks. Let your friends colleagues know that PanZOu is accepting donations to help with the Haitian relief efforts. Each donation of $20 will receive a Hearts for Haiti t-shirt. Half the donation goes to Haiti and the other supports PanZOu's programs with high risk Haitian youth here. Please direct them to our website: www.panzouproject.org. There they may donate $20 for a shirt, on choose any other amount to donate directly to Haiti.

Our PanZOu kids worked hard over the weekend to get these shirts printed and they look great!

Laura

August 4th, 2009
Laura and her PanZOu crew were just trained on how to use the new equipment...

"Ryonet sent Marv Guillot, AKA "The Print Surgeon" to train us on our new equipment. He was here for two days! He showed us how to do everything from setting up and printing our artwork onto the film, coating our screens with emulsion, exposing the image into the screens, setting up our press, registering our screens so the different colors line up perfectly on the shirts, then flash drying so the ink cures! We had a great time and learned so much. Some of our community partners have already told us they will place orders!"

July 16th, 2009
Laura sent us the following email...

"Well our equipment has started to arrive! I just wanted to share some new pictures with you! We are getting trained this weekend and cannot wait to send you more pictures! We already have a few small jobs lined up! But we promise the first shirt is for you Ms. Jones!"

June 24th, 2009
Wow, what an exciting phone call we had this morning.! My surprise call was all set up by PanZOu assistant director Mirva Cadet, who got a huge group together at United Fulford Methodist Church. She told Laura there was a meeting set there today about the project but when Laura walked in, she saw her coworkers, board members including Reverend Marta Burke, staff members, volunteers, and some of her young success stories including the team who will be operating the silk screening equipment. When I gave Laura the good news, I could hear a huge reaction from everyone in the room. She was truly surprised and almost speechless.

Laura said she had been praying for this (maybe that's why it happened in a church...). I also got to talk to 23-year-old T.G who came into the program at 19 after being in and out of jail. He told me that Laura helped him start his own cleaning business and even gave him his first contract. Then she helped get him a second contract with the church. Fritz also came on the line. He's 26 and has been in the program since November. What a great feeling it was to hear everyone's joy about this grant and I absolutely love what Laura is doing and am blessed to be able to help.