GIVE LOS ANGELES |
BY Jolia Allen
ochangeo
FOUR INSPIRING WAYS PASSION AND DOLLARS ARE COMING TOGETHER TO BRING ABOUT MEANINGFUL CHANGE.
makers HIGH SCHOOL REIMAGINED
Tomorrow’s givers One Sunday a month, at Kehillat Israel reconstructionist congregation in Pacific Palisades, a group of about 60 teenagers meets to discuss social issues, research organizations, and ultimately evaluate grant proposals and fundraise for the organizations they select—efforts that resulted in the gifting of $35,000 last year. The program’s name—Kehillat Israel Tzedakah Teens (KITT)—speaks to its mission: Tzedakah is often translated as “charity” or “giving,” but it actually comes from the Hebrew word for “justice.” In 2015, $5,000 was gifted to L.A. Family Housing, an organization dedicated to providing affordable housing and supportive services to homeless and low-income households. The award was presented at KITT’s annual banquet, where Stephanie Klasky-Gamer, president and CEO of L.A. Family Housing, spoke about what it’s like to not have a house. “A house is just so fundamental and something that our kids have never needed to worry about before,” says Rabbi Carrie Vogel, director of the congregation’s Jewish Experience Center. The recipients weren’t the only ones who benefited. “It’s such a powerful experience for them,” Vogel says of the KITT participants. “They feel really proud of themselves, and
If we can thank Apple for helping the world go mobile, we can now thank Steve Jobs’ widow, education advocate Laurene Powell Jobs, for helping a planned Los Angeles charter high school go mobile to better serve L.A.-area homeless and foster teens. RISE High, the brainchild of L.A. educators Kari Croft and Erin Whalen, received $10 million as one of 10 winning proposals in XQ: The Super School Project, a competition funded by Powell Jobs to inspire innovative models for high schools nationwide. “In addition to the brick-and-mortar facilities throughout the L.A. region, RISE will provide a mobile resource center that supports students across the city and meets a variety of their academic and personal needs,” says Whalen, RISE High co-team lead. “The bus will be equipped with hygiene products, Wi-Fi, study materials, laptops, and charging ports to allow students to maintain access to a safe space where they can continue to reach their goals.” LEARN MORE by visiting xqsuperschool.org.
it’s just something that they’re not going to get from being on a sports team or in a play.” SUPPORT KITT by visiting ourki.org. SUPPORT L.A. Family Housing by visiting lafh.org/ how-you-can-help.
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An everybody-wins auction Thanks to the Culver City–based online platform Omaze, for just $10, you can enter to win a dream experience—like getting flown to Boston to have pizza and beer with Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Tom Brady—while simultaneously supporting noble causes such as curing childhood cancer, combating climate change, and advocating for animal rights. GET STARTED by visiting omaze.com.
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Kids Helping Kids What could be more meaningful than teaching kids the power of giving— and then giving them the tools to do so? Last year, 250 kids between the ages of 4 and 18 raised an impressive $800,000 for other kids through the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) Junior Ambassadors program. With just a few clicks (and parental consent), any child can become a Junior Ambassador by pledging to raise $1,000. Then, the training kicks off with a workshop series that teaches kids the fundamentals of charity and fundraising and helps them organize fundraising events for a CHLA cause that speaks to them. EpiPals, a remarkable organization spearheaded by Junior Ambassadors and sisters Amanda and Catherina Gores, spreads awareness about food allergies and distributes EpiPens to low-income families. The program has raised more than $840,000 for a cause that’s close to the sisters’ hearts, since their younger brother Charles has severe food allergies. GET ACTIVE by visiting chla.org/ junior-ambassadors.