PACOIMA GETS READY TO PARTY : THOUSANDS EXPECTED TO ATTEND.

Byline: Jeanne Mariani-Belding Daily News Staff Writer

Pastor Andrae Crouch of Christ Memorial Church sits Wednesday in his cramped office creating one of 60 12-foot-tall palm trees from strips of bright purple, fuchsia, orange and green cloth and plastic piping.

The pseudo touch of paradise will be part of the decor for a huge block party set for this weekend at the Pacoima church on the corner of Vaughn Street and Herrick Avenue. The gala is expected to draw thousands of people from the neighborhood and from all over the San Fernando Valley.

``I want to make it look like Rio de Janeiro,'' said Crouch, who is also an eight-time Grammy Award-winning gospel singer and in the process of making his 18th recording at Warner Bros. studios.

``I want it to be colorful, festive, and I want people to know that God is alive and fun. And I love palm trees,'' Crouch said.

While Crouch and company labored over their precious palms, workers outside in the church parking lot were busy building the large stage for the dozens of performers lined up for the weekend festival.

And in church library, clusters of volunteers were working out the details and logistics of the delivery and distribution of the 50 tons of free food that will be given away during the block party.

The bulk of the food is coming from the international nonprofit group, Feed the Children, designed to fight hunger among the world's children.

The first free block party, called Help Heal Our Streets, will run from 6 to 11 p.m. Friday and will continue from 2 to 11 p.m. Saturday.

Crouch and others have spent the past three months lining up musical entertainment like keyboard player Billy Preston, who performed with the Beatles, Grammy Award-nominated gospel singer Helen Baylor and a variety of other groups.

The event - also a celebration of Crouch's first year in the pulpit of the charismatic church - also is meant to inject a spiritual message into a community that grapples with gangs, crime and poverty.

Crouch said he's targeting the youths in the area, many of whom find themselves in street gangs - or worse: ``I regret to say that I have been performing more funerals of our young people than I can or care to count. I'm tired of it,'' he said.

``The goal is to let people know that the church is here and people are here that love this community, and that God loves them most of all and that He's concerned about every part of their lives,'' Crouch said.

City Councilman Richard Alarcon, who represents the Northeast Valley, said the event demonstrates the church's concern and caring for the community.

``The message here is that we have some concerns, but if we pull together there are positive . . . forces in the community that recognize the challenges and are willing to participate in the solution - that's the true value of this particular event,'' said Alarcon, adding that the city's Cultural Affairs Department contributed $10,000 in cash and services to help pay for the the entertainment, sound system and other equipment for the block party.

And for Crouch, who grew up in Pacoima, the event is another precious opportunity to save some souls in a community he adores.

``We're definitely going to reach some people. People will definitely hear about Pacoima and this ain't the end of it. I love this city and I'm dying to see this place lit up and turn some situations around - I crave it,'' Crouch said.

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PHOTO Pastor Andrae Crouch erects a palm tree made of co lorful cloth for this weekend's Christ Memorial Church block party in Pacoima.

From right, Mary Bolding, Jackie Osterman and William Smith glue brightly colored cloth to wire to make fronds for palm tree decorations. Crouch says he wants the corner of Vaughn Street and Herrick Avenue to look like Rio de Janeiro.

Michael Owen Baker/Daily News