VALLEY CENTER BRINGS HOPE TO STREET CASA ESPERANZA OFFERS RESIDENTS FOOD, CLOTHES, CLASSES, HEALTH SERVICES.

Byline: SUSAN ABRAM Staff Writer

PANORAMA CITY -- Inspired by a movie in which Sidney Poitier's character builds a church for nuns in the desert, architect Rafael Franco built a community center for an agency founded by nuns in the northeast San Fernando Valley.

And on Thursday, in a scene reminiscent of one in the 1963 film ``Lilies of the Field,'' Franco led a largely Latino crowd into a rousing rendition of ``Amen'' to celebrate the completion of Casa Esperanza.

``I went out and bought copies of the film for all the construction workers and made them watch it,'' Franco said.

Poitier won a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Homer Smith, an unemployed construction worker who stumbles into a Western desert, where a group of nuns believes he has been sent by God to build them a church.

It was by a similar coincidence that Franco discovered Casa Esperanza, an anti-poverty agency founded by nuns that had been operating for 14 years out of two apartment units on Blythe Street.

Just four months ago, there was only a vacant lot on the 14700 block of Blythe.

But Franco made a promise, saying he would finish the Spanish-mission-style building by Christmas. Franco delivered on that promise -- a month ahead of schedule.

``I tried to produce a plan that considers all sectors of the family and the problems they may have -- from learning English to dealing with community problems,'' he said.

There was a time when more bullets than children crossed Blythe, when men sold dime bags of drugs on corners and the name of the street was synonymous with urban decay.

But with the new center -- which includes computer rooms and child-care facilities -- that past has given way to hope.

``This house is a small piece of heaven,'' said an emotional Maritza de Artan, director of Casa Esperanza. ``It was built with love and so much attention to details. My only fear is that it's so nice it will intimidate the community and they won't come in.''

Casa Esperanza -- Spanish for House of Hope -- works in collaboration with public and private agencies to help 300 low-income residents with health services, religious classes, food and clothing.

It was started by Margaret Rose Welch and Socorro Meza, nuns with the Immaculate Heart Community, who went door to door in what was known as a gang-infested neighborhood, asking residents what it was they needed.

They wanted religious classes for their children, mothers said, and a place where they could learn English.

The nuns from the Immaculate Heart Community worked hard to brighten the neighborhood's image, which had been tarnished with an unusual distinction -- the first Los Angeles area where gang injunctions were enforced.

With a brand-new building in the area, crime will continue to decline, said Louie Lozano, a senior lead officer with the Los Angeles Police Department who has patrolled the area for six years.

``This is a landmark for the neighborhood,'' Lozano said. ``Casa Esperanza works as a middle man for the LAPD and the residents who don't always come to the police. But when they come to the center, and they see me, they always have a lot of questions, and that helps us help them.''

Funding for the $700,000 project came from both public and private sectors. Los Angeles City Councilman Tony Cardenas said during the celebration that he would help raise money to add a plaque to the building that lists all the names of those who helped in its construction.

``Blythe Street was a street with a dark side,'' Cardenas said. ``Today, we see that positive can truly overpower the negative.''

The children who have grown within the area, who lived in small rooms where hard-working parents tried to provide for them, said Casa Esperanza made life a little easier.

Lupita Lopez, a 17-year-old senior at Monroe High School, said she remembers a time when her family had little food, when they were ``down to a few cans.''

Volunteers from Casa Esperanza called the home and asked them whether they needed anything. That moment in her childhood left a lasting impression, Lopez said. When she graduates from college, she plans to come back to the community to be a teacher.

``It's a center truly deserving of its name,'' Lopez said. ``They gave us hope.''

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Children play before the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Casa Esperanza on Blythe Street in Panorama City.

(2) Gustavo Reyes Jr., 6, is all smiles at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Casa Esperanza on Blythe Street in Panorama City on Thursday morning.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer