Needed: Sponsorships for youth football players and cheerleaders who can't afford uniforms and equipment. Internships for high school students. Electronic keyboards and newer computers. Sports equipment and board games. Volunteers, especially men of color, to serve as mentors. Money.

Throughout the region, programs are attempting to offer young people alternatives to gangs, drugs and violence.

Organizers know the key ingredients, ranging from jobs to mentors, from support for families to sports. But leaders of local programs almost universally say they are drawing from scant resources while striving to meet a growing need.

"We have far too many youth who could benefit, and we're serving too few," said Jim Keddy, executive director of Sacramento Area Congregations Together.

Many community leaders advocate that local government agencies invest more in after-school programs for youth, especially sports programs similar to the south Sacramento Raiders.

"We're penny-wise and pound-foolish not to put more money into that," said Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David Gordon.

Capt. Daniel Hahn, who runs the youth services section of the Sacramento Police Department, lays out the statistics. Of 59 homicides in the city of Sacramento last year, 18 of the arrested suspects were juveniles, as were six of the victims. Hahn said the county's population of "at-risk" youth is expected to increase 64 percent between 2000 and 2025.

"If we as a community don't come together and provide positive programs," he said, "then the gang is always standing on the corner."

The following is a partial listing of groups working with young people in Sacramento's toughest neighborhoods:

Sacramento Raiders and other youth football associations

What they do: Provide football and cheerleading instruction and competition to 175 boys and 125 girls.

What they need: The biggest need is money -- $210 covers one boy for the season; $300 covers a girl. The organization also needs help from people with fundraising expertise.

How to reach them: Call (916) 556-4900 for the Raiders or visit www.aayfc.us for information on other teams.

Our Kids

What they do: Black men mentor 12- to 18-year-old black males every Saturday. They provide social and academic guidance, recreation opportunities and incentives for doing well in school.

What they need: The program raises money through a screen-printing and embroidery business run with the help of youth participants. They take orders for everything from T-shirts to mugs to ink pens.

How to reach them: Call (916) 266-4553 or visit www.okprogram.org.

Center for Fathers and Families

What they do: Provide educational and enrichment programs for children and adolescents, ranging from computer skills and arts to athletics and leadership. The center also exposes low- income children to travel, arts and sporting events.

What they need: Tutors and adult mentors in pursuits ranging from from golf to soccer, drama to computers. Donations of money, athletic equipment, school supplies and tickets to cultural and sports events.

How to reach them: Call (916) 568-3237 or visit www.fathersandfamilies.com

Sacramento County Office of Education

What they do: Provide a community school for students who have been expelled from school districts; offer counseling, anger management.

What they need: Mentors to volunteer an hour or two a week with students.

How to reach them: Call (916) 228-2410 or visit www.scoe.net.

Greater Sacramento Urban League

What they do: The organization's goal over the next two years is to redirect 120 "at-risk" urban youth ages 18 to 21. Volunteers help them study for GEDs and teach them computer skills, customer service and life skills. At program's end, every participant gets a job with a promise of follow-up support.

What they need: Jobs for young people with basic computer skills. Tutors. Volunteers for a youth advisory board that reviews programs. Donations of money and working computers.