GIVE Los Angeles 2017

H OW P E O P L E M A K E A D I F F E R E N C E

HOW PEOPLE MAKE A DIFFERENCE

PRESENTED BY

2017

PHILANTHROPY |

Contents 3 | GIVING IN L.A.

Where philanthropic dollars in L.A. come from and where they go 4 | SOWING THE SEEDS

A little farm created in an industrial tract with one big purpose in mind 6 | OFFERING PEOPLE A WAY BACK

A Q&A with the CEO of Chrysalis, which provides transitional employment to the homeless 8 | A SPORTING CHANCE

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer pivots toward philanthropy 10 | WHOLE LOTTA SOLE

Shoe manufacturer Comunity is helping L.A. with every sale 14 | THE POWER TO REDEEM

Sister Mary Sean Hodges’s bold plan to give lifers a second chance 18 | ON A LEARNING CURVE

South Central Scholars is enabling minority students to thrive in college 64 | HOW TO GET STARTED

COVER ILLUSTRATION BY SINELAB

Matthew Segal EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Rose DeMaria DESIGN DIRECTOR Steven E. Banks PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Julia St. Pierre COPY EDITOR Mark McGonigle RESEARCH EDITOR Eric Mercado

5900 Wilshire Boulevard, 10th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90036 | 323-801-0100

Josef Vann PUBLISHER CONTENT STRATEGY & SOLUTIONS DIRECTOR Mitch Getz INTEGRATED ACCOUNT DIRECTORS

Brittany Brombach, Mathew Jongsma, Tina Marie Smith CREATIVE SERVICES ART DIRECTOR

Sheila Ramezani BRAND DEVELOPMENT & RESEARCH MANAGER Jennifer Moran

Josef Vann PU B L I S H E R

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For advertising inquiries, contact Tina Marie Smith at: TMSmith@lamag.com

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H E WOR L D I N which we live has its challenges, and Los Angeles is not exempt. Every day, we are confronted with a raft of political, moral, and ethical issues—and that’s just on the commute to work. So it’s nice to stop and take a deep breath sometimes and appreciate the good things happening all around us. In this, our second issue of Give Los Angeles, we celebrate philanthropic Los Angeles, highlighting some of the amazing people and organizations that go above and beyond to help others. Most are strictly local; others have a more global mission. Some are big, and some are small. But they’re all inspiring. For instance, we profile Lulu Cerone, an 18-year-old who has helped raise tens of thousands of dollars.

She offers tips on how you can get started, too. We can suggest one good way: Check out our GIVE Los Angeles Challenge on CrowdRise, our online effort to help L.A.-based nonprofits raise funds. The three entities that receive the most money through the challenge will split an additional $30,000 from Los Angeles magazine and our partners. Thank you for your philanthropy and thank you for your support.

Tips on making a difference from Lulu Cerone, who at 18 has already helped raise tens of thousands of dollars

STORY BY ERIC MERCADO | GRAPHIC BY NICOLAS RAPP

GIVING IN L.A.

> THERE’S A LOT OF GENEROSITY IN THE REGION, THOUGH WE COULD CERTAINLY USE A LOT MORE. HERE, A SNAPSHOT OF WHO’S PITCHING IN AND WHERE

WHO’S GIVING AGE

THE GEOGRAPHY OF GIV VING

Under 40

29% RELIGION Protestants

40 to 64

50% Roman Catholic

29%

21% Jewish

24%

Other/ Don’t say 12%

13%

Not 22%

INGLEWOOD

23% 34%

$50,000 to $99,999 $100,000 to $199,999 $200,000+

14%

OF DONORS GIVE LOCALLY

SHARE OF RESIDENTS WHO DONATED MORE THAN $25 IN 2013 $1.2 billion Health

$350 million Human Services

HOW L.A. RANKS

OUT OF 50 METRO AREAS #38 New York City

NEW YORK

31%

LOS ANGELES

#45 4 Sa 45 San Fr Francisco rancisco ranci o

$700 million Education

#1 Salt Lake City

DOWNTOWN DOWN DO OWN W N

CARSON

W H ER E TH E MONEY Y GOE S

29%

63%

#28 Los Angeles

LOS FELIZ

VENICE

HOUSEHOLD INCOME Less than $50,000

MIRACLE MILE

The average household in L.A. County donates 2.1% of its income to charity.

Donations in some areas are ABOVE AVERAGE ;E others, BELOW.

65 and above

#4 Atlanta

$2.0 billion Arts and Culture $6.1 billion Higher Education

LOS ANGE LES IS BIG. It’s beautiful. It’s endlessly fascinating. And it’s complicated. This is a region with deep pockets (some of the nation’s wealthiest zip codes) and dire needs. It’s a place where homes can easily sell for more than $2 million and tent-filled homeless encampments seem to be spreading by the month. The region’s major public university is among the world’s leading research institutions, while the Los Angeles Unified School District ranks among the nation’s most troubled, with a student body that is predominantly poor.

Although most people involved in philanthropy here can attest to how difficult the tasks of broadening public awareness and increasing public investment can be, Los Angeles isn’t doing so badly when it comes to giving. As the statistics above

40%

SAN FRANCISCO

52%

from The Chronicle of Philanthropy and the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs detail, many Angelenos are taking action to help resolve some of the area’s most stubborn and pervasive contradictions. UCLA’s research (from 2014) breaks down our generosity by age, neighborhood, and area of interest.

One Luskin School report finds that we give more generously than East Coast donors, while another report notes that nearly two-thirds of that money stays local. Meanwhile, The Chronicle data (from 2015) compares metropolitan L.A. with other areas around the country, noting a nearly 10 percent drop in giving here since the Great Recession. We have a ways to go before reaching pre-recession charitable levels, but our hearts and wallets are moving in the right direction. ♥

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HUNGER |

STORY BY MARY MACVEAN | PHOTOGRAPH BY YASMIN ALISHAV

SOWING THE SEEDS

> A SMALL BUCOLIC PATCH SET IN A HARDSCRABBLE INDUSTRIAL TRACT IS CHANGING LIVES WITH A MODEST MISSION: PROVIDING FRESH PRODUCE FOR THE HOMELESS

IGHT MILES

from downtown, amid the warehouses and factories and railroad tracks of Bell, Katie Lewis arranges the winter vegetable crop at GrowGood, the farm she manages here. This isn’t a communal plot; it isn’t really a commercial one either. GrowGood harvests food for people who are in no position to sort through the produce at the Santa Monica Farmers Market.

Spread over one-and-a-half acres of U.S. Army land that a few years ago was practically devoid of biological life, its dozens of varieties of vegetables and herbs and 60 fruit trees serve as the engine of GrowGood’s mission: sending its harvest to the large homeless shelter across the parking lot.

The farm was founded by Andrew Hunt, a technology entrepreneur, and Brad Pregerson, a city prosecutor.

Pregerson’s grandfather, U.S. Circuit Court judge Harry Pregerson, helped open the shelter 28 years earlier in a converted U.S. Army hangar. Time as a volunteer in the kitchen inspired the younger Pregerson to find a way to get more fresh produce to the shelter. What’s ripe is picked, weighed, rinsed, and wheeled in a green wagon the 150 steps to the kitchen of the Salvation Army Bell Shelter, temporary home for up to 350 people, many of them military veterans. In late summer the wagon held six or so varieties of tomatoes, cucumbers, egg-

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plant, lettuce, hot and sweet peppers, and several kinds of squash. The farm will top 7,000 pounds of food going into the kitchen this year.

GrowGood is an earnest little place, populated by six employees and a dozen volunteers. Shelter clients sometimes volunteer at the farm, and they can apply for a jobtraining program.

I’ve been working there for about a year now, and while I make no pretense of being unbiased, after spending 16 years at the Los Angeles Times as a writer and editor, I also know a good story when I see one. Like just about everyone who works at the farm, I began as a volunteer who knew a bit about the theory of what was going on there but almost nothing about getting it done. Weeks— and many mistakes later—I got hired on as a farmhand. Now I’m the executive director of the nonprofit that runs the farm and its programs, including a move this fall to sell some food at a farmers’ market to support our work.

GROWG O OD IS N’T necessarily a model that can be applied on a wide scale, but for me it embodies the power of this kind of work and how much seemingly small-scale efforts can enrich the lives of the people on both ends of the equation.

The kitchen opens at 2:30 a.m. and uses GrowGood’s produce for

the salad bar, stir-fries, and other dishes. But it’s not uncommon to see people piling their trays with chips or white bread instead. Farming is hard. Persuading people to change their eating habits may be harder.

To attend to more than just shelter clients’ bellies, Jayne Torres, a master gardener and an original GrowGood employee, offers wellness classes in a clearing surrounded by native plants.

To help sequester carbon, the land isn’t tilled; weeds are snipped flush with the ground and chopped by hand to create mulch. Compost is made, which requires monitoring temperatures as it “cooks.”

“The way that farming started to make sense for me—not as a fad or something cute—is that it’s integrated into people’s lives in an urban setting,” Lewis says. “People are part of the ecological life we are sustaining here.”

GrowGood operates on donations and grants but is working to become a sustainable social enterprise, selling unusual crops and microgreens and venturing to a farmers’ market or two. An early customer of the business side is chef Eduardo Ruiz, food and beverage director at the hospitality company blvd745. He bought GrowGood’s Malabar spinach for one dinner. Ruiz says he loved experimenting with something no one else had: “Do you know how many chefs fight for the cilantro flowers at the farmers’ market?” ♥

ROOT CAUSE: Among the rows at GrowGood

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JOB TRAINING |

STORY BY ZOIE MATTHEW | PHOTOGRAPH BY SHAYAN ASGHARNIA

OFFERING PEOPLE A WAY BACK > SINCE 1984 CHRYSALIS HAS BEEN HELPING THE HOMELESS

BY EQUIPPING THEM WITH JOB SKILLS. A Q&A WITH ORGANIZATION PRESIDENT MARK LORANGER

H E L.A. nonprofit Chrysalis has been linking resources, job training, and transitional employment with homeless individuals for more than three decades. But the recent surge in the homeless population (it grew 20 percent between 2016 and 2017 in Los Angeles County alone, skyrocketing to 57,000) has only toughened an already challenging task. We spoke with Chrysalis president and CEO Mark Loranger about the crisis and his organization’s work.

Q

Homelessness is nothing new.

What are some of the factors contributing to the booming homeless population?

“There isn’t any one single thing, because if there was, we could probably fix it very easily. I think you start with a community or region that is extraordinarily difficult to live in, costwise. It’s very expensive to live in Southern California, and people are spending upwards of 50 percent or more of their disposable income on housing. Homeless individuals may

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have lost a job in the downturn in 2008 or 2009, and maybe their home was foreclosed on, so they moved into a rental property. And then maybe they couldn’t afford that, and so they moved into a car or they moved in with friends or something else. This cycle can take years to play out. Another factor is mental health.

The infrastructure that we have to take care of individuals with mental health challenges throughout the nation is very weak. So you mix all that together and, well, here we are.”

Q

For those homeless individuals who can work, what day-to-day issues prevent them from finding employment?

“Being homeless is, in some ways, a full-time job. You think about, Where am I going to sleep tonight?

Where am I going to use the toilet?

Where am I going to store my stuff?

Where am I going to get a meal? If you’re staying in a mission on skid row, there are all kinds of rules about how long you can stay there, how much stuff you can bring in with you. Finding a job is important, but

those things kind of rank higher on the scale of problems.”

Q

Chrysalis aims to break down barriers to employment. How? “The kinds of barriers that we’re talking about are housing-related issues, financial issues, child-care issues, and criminal-background issues. It can take a week, a month, a year in some cases, to come up with strategies to overcome those barriers and build up the self-esteem and the confidence of the individual so they can successfully execute a job search. Our mission is to work with people in poverty to help them get back on the pathway to self-sufficiency. If you need interview-appropriate clothing, we’ve got that. If you need an e-mail address, we’ll help you set that up. If you need a mailing address, you can use our office’s mailing address. The other component of our program is that we own and operate three businesses that are designed to provide our clients with work for anywhere from 6 to 12 months, where they pick up marketable real-life skills and are earning a wage doing it.” ♥

JOIN THE

CHALLENGE I

GIVE (Your Name Here)

To build L.A. one child, one family, one community at a time!

1. Go to crowdrise.com/GIVELosAngelesChallenge 2. Learn about the participating non-profits and the remarkable work they are doing in L.A. 3. Make a donation between November 15, 2017 – January 3, 2018 to the organizations that most inspire you Last year’s GIVE Los Angeles Challenge raised over $400,000 for participating nonprofits.

At the conclusion of this year’s challenge, the three nonprofits who receive the most online donations will split a $30,000 grand prize. All participating nonprofits will keep ALL the dollars pledged to their cause during the online challenge.

crowdrise.com/GIVELosAngelesChallenge

SPORTS PHILANTHROPY |

STORY BY ALEX SHULTZ

A SPORTING CHANCE > HAVING GIVEN $40 MILLION TO LOCAL CAUSES, CLIPPERS OWNER STEVE BALLMER AND WIFE CONNIE ARE BETTING BIG ON BETTERING LOS ANGELES

H E HOUS I NG PROJ E C TS in Watts were nothing new to Nina Revoyr. She’d been working with the community for years as the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Children’s Institute Inc., a Los Angeles nonprofit that assists families struggling with extreme poverty and violence. But on a clear morning in January 2016, Revoyr found herself in a unique situation: driving through the neighborhood in her Subaru Forester with a woman named Connie Ballmer and her husband, Steve, who happened to be the multibillionaire former CEO of Microsoft and current owner of the Los Angeles Clippers.

The couple asked Revoyr and a few others to give them a better sense of Watts and show what CII was all about. That initial meeting led to a partnership. By July 2016, Revoyr—who’s also the author of several well-received novels set in L.A.—had left CII to become the Los Angeles executive director of the Ballmer Group, a grant-making effort with aspirations higher than the Clippers’ Blake Griffin at the apex of a poster dunk.

After a few months of prepping, the Ballmer Group began dispersing grants to organizations in the Los Angeles area in late 2016. It has since given out around $40 million, with the bulk of its funding going to impoverished areas in South, Central, and East L.A. “Steve and Connie are singularly focused on improving economic mobility and helping to address intergenerational poverty,” Revoyr says. “I think what it’s really about for them is trying to ensure that more low-income kids and their families have a shot at the American dream.”

ONC E U P ON A T I M E, Steve Ballmer felt that paying taxes was enough to aid those in need. But as Revoyr recounts, “[Connie], who’d been in this work for a decade, basically said, ‘Dude, what are you talking about?’ ” Connie, who cofounded the organization Partners for Our Children before the formation of the Ballmer Group, says she’s often asked how she became interested in child welfare. “I always wonder, ‘How could you not be?’ ” she says. “It’s so unjust that kids have no say in, but must endure, the conditions

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into which they are born.”

With his wife’s encouragement, Steve took a deeper look at how the government works and how it spends tax dollars. What he found was sobering, and it helped dictate the Ballmer Group’s plan of action. “He had the data to back up what his heart probably already told him,” Revoyr says. (In the hope of inspiring and informing others, he’s put that data into USAFacts, a Web site that launched this past April.)

In their first full year in Los Angeles, Revoyr and the Ballmers decided to invest in roughly three dozen local organizations. (The Ballmer Group has a separate philanthropy branch in Bellevue, Washington, with plans to open an office in Detroit as well.) Notable

GAME CHANGERS OTHER CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS SPAWNED FROM L.A.’S ATHLETIC COMMUNITY THAT ARE WORKING TO IMPROVE LIVES

KERSHAW’S CHALLENGE > Since Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw and his wife, Ellen, launched this organization to help at-risk children in 2011, its efforts have gone global. Its annual Ping Pong 4 Purpose fund-raiser at Dodger Stadium aids nonprofits like the L.A.based Dream Center, which partnered with Kershaw’s Challenge this summer to distribute 2,500 backpacks, plus school supplies, and offer free haircuts and dental/medical screenings to underserved families.

LA84

FAST START: Ballmer Group cofounders Steve (center) and Connie Ballmer

L.A. organizations the group has funded include Para Los Niños, which offers support for high-need children in and out of the classroom; the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, a network of 18 underperforming elementary and secondary schools; L.A. Trade Technical College, which provides career pathways that can lead to living-wage jobs; and the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, which delivers mentorship and better access to employment to people leaving jail or prison.

Money has also gone toward improving community-safety measures. In September a community-safety initiative at Harvard Park, a flashpoint of gang violence, was officially launched thanks in part to significant funding

from the Ballmer Group. The funding pays for embedded police officers, who participate in social work and communicate frequently with local leaders to build trust. “You could have the best reading program in the world,” Revoyr says, “but if it’s not safe to get to school because you have to cross gang boundaries, then that program isn’t going to do you any good.”

Moving ahead, Revoyr wants to branch out to areas where there are fewer nonprofits, like Antelope Valley.

“Ultimately what Steve and Connie want to do,” she says, “is support communities in realizing their own vision for change. They do not want to come in—we do not want to come in—and presuppose what that looks like.” ♥

> The foundation was created from the surplus (yes, surplus!) money from the ’84 Summer Olympics. Since its inception, LA84 has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for youth sports programs across Southern California. Its board of directors includes 1960 decathlon gold medalist Rafer Johnson and Dodgers CEO Stan Kasten, and it’s likely LA84 will help a few Angelenos make it to the next L.A.-based Olympic Games in 2028.

SKYHOOK FOUNDATION > Actor, best-selling author, and all-time leading NBA scorer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar established this nonprofit to encourage kids to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The foundation partners with LAUSD to take fourth- and fifth-graders, many of whom are underprivileged, to Camp Skyhook in the Angeles National Forest each year for five days, exposing them to STEM subject matter.

Of course, there’s plenty of hiking and s’mores involved, too.

L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S 9

BUSINESS |

STORY BY NATE BERG | PHOTOGRAPHS BY SHAYAN ASGHARNIA

A WHOLE LOTTA SOLE > INSPIRED TO DO MORE THAN JUST MAKE STYLISHLY CASUAL SHOES, THE FOUNDERS OF COMUNITY PAY IT FORWARD WITH EVERY PAIR THEY SELL. AND WHILE THEY’RE AT IT, THEY’RE GIVING LOCAL MANUFACTURING A BOOST

N ONE OF T H E burgeoning commercial corridors of downtown L.A.’s Arts District, blocks away from the homelessness of skid row and the sewing machine-filled factories of the Fashion District, a start-up is trying to bridge these disparate worlds. It’s not an app or a social network or an underfunded nonprofit but a shoe company called Comunity. The new headquarters and showroom feature the company’s handcrafted shoes, which are manufactured by local craftspeople and sold directly to consumers both in-store and online.

A portion of the proceeds is donated to organizations working on some of the city’s most entrenched issues, from homelessness to poverty to underserved schools. As the name suggests, Comunity aims to use business as a local force for good.

Established earlier this year (with the help of a Kickstarter campaign) by alums of the buy-a-pair, give-a-pair shoe company Toms, Comunity donates $10 for each $160 to $185 pair of leather sneakers sold. It’s a relatively new business model in which both the customer and the company commit to playing an active role in supporting socially engaged organizations. “That was the takeaway from Toms: We have the power to do something,” says Sean Scott, the former chief shoemaker at Toms, who cofounded Comunity with his wife, Shannon, and business partner Ryan Gumienny. “And there’s a lot that we can do in our own backyard.”

To maximize its philanthropic efforts, Comunity has partnered

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FOOTHOLD: Comunity cofounders Shannon and Sean Scott with Ryan Gumienny

FOR KICKS: Sean Scott was chief shoemaker for Toms; (right) the “Your Turn” line

with three local nonprofits: the People Concern, a social services agency that helps people transition out of homelessness and poverty; Youth Mentoring Connection, which pairs at-risk youths with adult mentors from the community; and Street Poets, which uses poetry and music as tools for encouraging expression in schools and youth-probation programs.

John Maceri, executive director of the People Concern, likes Comunity’s approach because it creates a collective impact. “It’s an easy way for both businesses and their customers to give in a way that doesn’t require much effort,” he says. “Customers are generally more loyal to businesses that give them an opportunity to support social responsibility.”

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FEW BLO C KS

southeast and across the L.A. River from Comunity’s showroom, eight cobblers sit at a wide worktable, hammering soles and stitching strips of leather as they finish up Comunity’s most recent orders. They’re part of the 85-person team at Lalaland, a shoe and handbag factory that works with small direct-to-consumer brands like Comunity as well as global brands.

Lalaland has put together more than 3,000 pairs of shoes for Comunity so far, with employees laboring over the intricate hand-stitching and embossing HANDCRAFTED IN DTLA on each instep.

The Scotts and Gumienny were

attracted to Lalaland because of its focus on handmade manufacturing processes. “We feel very strongly about rebuilding the manufacturing industry in the U.S.,” says Shannon.

They also liked that Lalaland pays workers a living wage—an average of $14 per hour. “The labor is the most expensive cost of our shoes,” Sean says. “That’s how it should be.” He argues that cheap overseas labor has distorted consumers’ perceptions of what it takes to create a high-quality product. Lest anyone think twice about where their money is going when they buy a $180 pair of shoes from Comunity, the company breaks down the pricing on its Web site.

Minus the $10 donation, another $10 for shipping and packaging, and the

PRODUCTS WITH A PURPOSE

OTHER LOCAL COMPANIES HELPING THOSE IN NEED—IN OUR OWN CITY AND ACROSS THE GLOBE > LINDA IMMEDIATO

APOLIS

VON HOLZHAUSEN

> Raan and Shea Parton coined the phrase “advocacy through industry” to describe their unique change-centered business model. Apolis, the brothers’ rugged, utilitarian clothing line, sources many products from companies that use fair-trade practices and enrich the lives of the artisans they employ, by providing, among other things, literary and nutrition classes in Bangladesh and offering job placement for women in Ethiopia. > apolisglobal.com.

> For 14 years Vicki von Holzhausen was an award-winning designer in the automotive industry. In 2012, she returned to her native L.A. to create a handbag line focused on design, sustainability, and ethical consumerism.

An advocate of female-focused charities, she donates a portion of her sales to Hope Gardens Family Center, which provides transitional housing, job training, and support services for homeless women. > vonholzhausen.com.

N:PHILANTHROPY

company’s $81 revenue, each pair of those shoes costs $79 to manufacture, including materials and labor— about three times the cost of a similar product produced in Asia.

Orders are just starting to roll in, so there isn’t a reliable estimate of how much money the company will be sending to its partners. When the 3,000-plus pairs of the shoes sell, more than $30,000 will end up in the hands of those organizations.

It’s perhaps a modest infusion of cash, but Comunity’s founders hope it will be the start of ongoing contributions—from them and from their customers.

“People want to help,” Sean says.

“We’re just trying to give them a pathway.” ♥

> Giving back has been designer Yvonne Niami’s mission since she started this L.A.-based line, which donates 10 percent of its proceeds to organizations such as Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the ASPCA. Gal Gadot, Zoe Saldana, and Anna Kendrick are fans of the brand’s distressed tees, sweaters, and skirts, and celebs help amp up buzz about the brand by using the hashtag #giveadamn on social media when they wear the clothes. > nphilanthropy.com.

LUXANTHROPY

THE GIVING KEYS

> Luxury resale sites, which allow folks to buy and sell used designer goods online, are a popular way to stay stylish on a budget. LuxAnthropy founders Lisa Eisler and Jennifer Mann Hillman took a good thing and made it better. Their site allows sellers to donate a portion of their proceeds to a charity of their choosing while LuxAnthropy contributes 5 percent of its commission to the same charity.

It’s a win-win-win situation. > luxanthropy.com.

> In 2009, musician Caitlin Crosby got the idea to engrave keys with inspirational words like Love, Strength, and Let Go and make necklaces out of them. They were a hit. After she hired a homeless couple to work as engravers, they were able to move into an apartment, and Crosby found a deeper purpose. Working with Chrysalis, the company has provided job opportunities to help more than 70 people transition out of homelessness. > thegivingkeys.com.

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LIFE SKILLS |

STORY BY MILES CORWIN | PHOTOGRAPHS BY PAMELA LITTKY

THE POWER TO REDEEM > SISTER MARY SEAN HODGES AND THE PROGRAM SHE LAUNCHED ARE HELPING INMATES SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON NOT JUST WIN PAROLE BUT, MORE CRUCIALLY, DEVELOP THE SKILLS TO SUCCEED ON THE OUTSIDE

IST E R MARY S EAN HOD GES, who wears a long flowered dress in lieu of a habit, paces in front of three men serving life sentences at the state prison in Lancaster. An enclosed catwalk with gun slots for the guards hovers above them in the dingy gym. Printed on the walls, in bright red letters, is the admonition NO WARNING SHOTS FIRED IN THIS BUILDING. The men sit on metal chairs in front of 30 other prisoners, all lifers who have yet to appear before the parole board or who have gone before the board and were turned down for release. Sister Hodges, a 77-year-old with vivid blue eyes and short silver hair, is here to prepare the inmates for their next hearings. Turning to a man named Raymond, she asks, “Can you name a moment of transformation in prison life that led to change?”

At 53, he has been incarcerated more than 30 years for murder, his appeals for parole denied numerous times. “I told my mom a while back that I got into trouble again, and they added six more years before my next parole hearing,” he says, the words CDCR PRISONER stenciled in big yellow letters on his blue shirt and pants. “She asked me what happened, and I told her it was about the homies. She said, ‘When’s it going to be about me? The homies didn’t get you a lawyer. The homies don’t

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send you money for your canteen. The homies don’t write you.’ It made me look into who I am.”

Sister Hodges takes a step toward Raymond. “What’s the next thing you did?”

“I told my mom that it’s her turn now.”

“And then?”

“I told the homies that now it’s about my family, and now it’s about me.”

The mock parole board hearings like the one at Lancaster are just a portion of Sister Hodges’s unique prison ministry. The preparation program, called Insight, focuses on helping inmates recognize the reasons for their crimes and express personal change.

But her overarching Partnership for Re-Entry Program, founded in 2002, also takes on the bigger challenge of looking after the lifers if they’re granted parole, guaranteeing housing and

LIFE ALTERING: Sister Mary Sean Hodges

other support upon their release. At the time Sister Hodges opened her first home for the newly released convicts in 2008, there was nothing else like it anywhere in California. By 2011, there were five PREP homes, all in South L.A. The creation of her program couldn’t have been more fortuitous. For decades California inmates serving life sentences with the possibility of parole were rarely released. But with new laws—as well as a state Board of Parole Hearings and a governor responsive to these changes—lifers are walking out of prisons in record numbers. About 3,000 have been approved for parole during the tenure of Governor Jerry Brown, compared with the two released by Gray Davis during Davis’s four-year gubernatorial term. Now inmates in 34 California prisons, along with those in 10 other states, participate in PREP.

“DURING MY VISITS, I GOT TO KNOW SOME LIFERS, AND I COULD SEE THEY WERE DIFFERENT FROM THOSE WHO GO IN AND OUT OF PRISON MANY TIMES AND DON’T GROW AT ALL.”

all,” says Sister IST E R Hodges. “I could see Hodges spent that many had maalmost 40 tured, and I was conyears teaching math, vinced if they were science, and religion given a chance, they and 13 years serving wouldn’t return to as a principal in Cathcrime.” Research olic schools throughsupports her hunch: out California. When A Stanford study she turned 60, she defound that of 860 cided to leave teachSISTER MARY SEAN murderers paroled ing, but she wasn’t HODGES, Partnership for Re-Entry Program between 1990 and ready to retire; she 2010 who were wanted to find anothtracked by the unier way to serve. At a spirituality retreat on versity, only 5 comLong Island, she met a sister with a mitted new crimes and none of those 5 prison ministry who invited her along were convicted of murder. Criminoloto meet inmates. gists attribute this partly to the average “During my visits, I got to know age—the mid-fifties—of the lifers besome lifers, and I could see they were ing released. different from those who go in and out Later, after Sister Hodges returned of prison many times and don’t grow at to California, the director of the L.A.

OPEN HOUSE: The home in South Los Angeles where Sister Hodges runs her program

Archdiocese’s Office of Restorative Justice offered her a position to create a reentry program for former inmates.

Through her contacts with Catholic chaplains, she began meeting with lifers in prison, always in a secure room and with armed guards present. On her first visit to a prison, Sister Hodges, a buoyant woman accustomed to greeting people with a hug, went to embrace an inmate with whom she had been corresponding. She didn’t know that physical contact with inmates is forbidden, and the guards were quick to enlighten her. “I was never put in a position where I felt I was in any danger,” she says. “So I got to know lifers in that safe setting. As a result, I could hear their stories, get to understand their difficult backgrounds and where they came from.”

Early in her ministry Sister Hodges determined that a key cause of recidivism was a lack of housing. The first PREP facility she established housed eight newly released prisoners as they attended self-help meetings, looked for work, and received job training. Nowadays the parolees spend one to two years “transitioning” into society before finding their own apartments or returning to their families. Sister Hodges believes that some of her insight into what a lifer faces comes from one of her brothers, an alcoholic who was in numerous rehabilitation facilities and served time in prison. “After he left a program, he kept going back to drinking,” she says. “I realized that if an alcoholic returns to the same situation, he’ll go back to alcohol. It’s the same thing with parolees.”

In addition to the Insight training, she created programs that deal with domestic violence, parenting, anger management, and gang involvement. The instruction is run out of a small cluttered room in a blue Craftsman house in South Los Angeles. A wood sign above the main entry reads BEACON OF HOPE. Nine desks are jammed into the small office where Sister Hodges and eight ex-lifers sift through the coursework that’s been mailed in, one lesson at a time, from inmates. The men either

CHANGE AGENTS: Ex-lifers Dale Lozier (top) and Thurston McAfee review correspondence from inmates

approve the work or offer feedback.

When a lifer completes 20 lessons, he receives a completion form to show to the parole board.

One former program coordinator, Alfredo Cruz, served 29 years after stabbing a man to death at a party. His parole was denied nine times. “In prison you learn not to show emotion because showing emotion is considered weakness,” says Cruz. “But the board sees this and thinks you’re callous.

Through the program I was able to

talk about thoughts and emotions I’d buried for decades.”

Sister Hodges helps lifers on their parole appeals not as a way to manipulate the system, she says, but to change the way they are living in the present and to prepare them for the future.

Some prisoners she knows are too dangerous to be released, “but they still need help,” says Sister Hodges. “So I try to provide programs for them. They can still grow in prison, whether they’re going to get out or not.” ♥

L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S 17

E D U C AT I O N |

STORY BY MILES CORWIN | PHOTOGRAPHS BY SHAYAN ASGHARNIA

ON A LEARNING CURVE > JAMES AND PATRICIA LONDON SET UP SOUTH CENTRAL SCHOLARS TO HELP HIGH-PERFORMING, UNDERSERVED STUDENTS PAY FOR COLLEGE. THEN CAME THE IDEA TO PROVIDE ACADEMIC SUPPORT, TOO

R . JA M E S L O N D O N was frustrated. The organization he and his wife founded, South Central Scholars, had been extremely successful raising money and awarding scholarships that enabled thousands of minority students who excelled at underperforming high schools to attend college. Since the organization was founded in 2001, 98 percent of the Scholars had graduated from college, and the organization has raised more than $5 million. “At first I thought, ‘Great, let’s have a party,’ ’’ says London, an orthopedic surgeon who lives in Rancho Palos Verdes. “But after talking to a lot of students in their third and fourth year of college, many said they were disappointed they weren’t going to achieve their dreams of being doctors or engineers.”

The problem was that those who excelled at science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in high school found themselves struggling in college. London examined the college records from 2008 to 2012 of 500 of the Scholars and discovered that 75 percent of the kids who had entered college as STEM majors transferred to other majors by their second year. “I realized that you can’t just use college graduation as a measure of success,” he says. So in 2012 he and his wife, Patricia, founded the South Central Scholars Summer Academy, an intensive program focused on preparing minority students for college. Spread over seven

18 L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S

COMMITTED: James and Patricia London cofounded South Central Scholars in 2001

W I N T E R 2 0 16 | G I V E L O S A N G E L E S |

19

SCHOLARS ONE AND ALL: Clockwise from top left: Buverley Trezile, Hammad Khan, Gisselle Ramos, and Niravroh Laha

20

| G I V E L O S A N G E L E S | W I N T E R 2 0 16

weeks—five days a week, eight hours a country. Two years ago, the couple creday—at USC, it is an academic boot ated a similarly successful program in camp for high-achieving high school Boston. Next year the organization juniors and seniors, the majority of will recruit students from around the whom are Latino and African U.S. for the two academies, and the American from disadvantaged couple hopes to establish another probackgrounds. All take precalculus or gram in Amherst, Massachusetts. calculus in the “We’ve had to reacademy, and some, a define success,” college-level English James says. “We re“WE REALIZED class, but they are also alized diversity at offered courses in elite colleges is not DIVERSITY AT computer science and enough. After visitELITE COLLEGES chemistry. University ing students across IS NOT ENOUGH. professors and the country, we saw AFTER VISITING teaching assistants, a lot of broken STUDENTS many from the USC dreams. We saw stuACROSS THE faculty, provide the dents who wanted to COUNTRY, instruction and onebe doctors or engion-one-support; the neers but after getWE SAW A LOT program lends ting poor grades OF BROKEN students laptops and their first year had DREAMS.” covers the cost of to transfer to less deJAMES LONDON, South Central transportation, lunch, manding majors beScholars cofounder and books as well. cause they didn’t The results have have the math skills. been impressive. Of We saw students students who attendwho wanted to be lawyers but didn’t have the necessary ed the summer academy from 2012 to writing and critical thinking skills.

2015, 72 percent have received college These students were certainly bright degrees in STEM fields or are on track enough, but they simply didn’t have to do so, with much higher grade point the same preparation as kids from averages than those of the Scholars more affluent backgrounds.”

London studied from 2008 to 2012 who didn’t participate in the summer program. In addition, he says, students are HAV E A PE RSONAL performing much better in their colinterest in this story because lege writing courses. a book I wrote about the chal“The summer academy got me ready lenges of gifted students at Crenshaw for college academics—100 percent,” High School in South Los Angeles, And says Taryn Johnson, a senior at WesleyStill We Rise, sparked the interest of Paan University majoring in math with a tricia. She wanted to help, so she made minor in applied data analysis. Her faan appointment to speak with the ther is a construction worker, and she school’s college counselor. The first stuwill be the first in her family to gradudent the counselor told her about was a ate from college. “I was able to stay as a girl who had been accepted to UC STEM major because I felt confident I Berkeley but couldn’t attend because could handle the material,” Johnson she didn’t have the money. Her father adds. “My first year I took Calculus 1 sold hot dogs outside Staples Center, and 2, and they felt like the easiest classand she needed another $3,000 on top es I had because I was so prepared.” of the financial aid she was offered.

The USC professors were so imThe Londons made up the difference. pressed with the summer academy They founded South Central Scholthat they told the Londons the template should be replicated around the ars the next year. More than 700 stu-

dents have received SCS scholarships.

In addition to providing funding and SAT preparation, SCS has paired hundreds of students with professionals who help them navigate the college experience, and many recipients go on to mentor younger Scholars, helping them obtain jobs and internships.

The Londons don’t just oversee the program. More than a dozen students—many of whom were homeless or from abusive homes or in foster care—have lived with them, some for several years as they completed high school and applied to colleges. The couple even adopted one student, who went on to graduate from Yale Law School before joining a firm in New York.

The Londons make an effective team. Patricia, who has an ebullient personality, provides emotional support for students as they struggle with an array of challenges far from home.

She sends holiday cards, frequently calls and e-mails, and crisscrosses the country visiting homesick students.

Her husband, who is more reserved, focuses on the analytical aspect of SCS. He recalls when he and Patricia approached an education professor about the idea of starting the summer program. Don’t make it any more than two or three days a week, three hours a day, the professor insisted, or else the kids might lose focus and drop out.

James was discouraged; he knew from the experience of South Central Scholars that the students would need more prep time than that to succeed. But after another professor, a neuroscience expert at USC, assured him that the students could handle a more intensive program, the couple moved ahead.

“These students want as much as you can give them—and then they want more,” says David Akins. A retired math professor at El Camino College and Cal State Long Beach, he has taught calculus at the summer academy for five years. “Many come from underperforming high schools,” he says, “but they pick up things very quickly because they are bright. And they’re just so eager to learn. The ma-

L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S 2 1

WE APPRECIATE OUR PARTNERS Los Angeles magazine thanks the following companies for generously supporting the 2017 Give Los Angeles Challenge.

CASH SPONSORSHIP Caesarstone PRODUCT DONATIONS TO THE BEST OF L.A. AUCTION dtox day spa Feldmar Watch Company The Hollywood Roosevelt Irene Neuwirth Jewelry Kiss My Neon by Katherine Anne Good Malibu Family Wines Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas Porsche Experience Center Skirball Cultural Center

LOOKING AHEAD: Teni Ayo-Ariyo, South Central Scholars Alumni Association president (top); Moris Ventura Melendez at an annual career development conference

Each of these partners’ contributions is helping us fund the $30,000 cash prize to be awarded to the top three non-profits that raise the most funds in the 2017 GIVE Los Angeles Challenge.

THANK YOU! To donate visit crowdrise.com/ GIVELosAngelesChallenge 22 L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S

jority want to sit in the front row.

That’s not the kind of thing you see very often. As a teacher, it’s a delightful situation.”

Heidy Santos-Valencia, a junior who is pursuing urban studies and education studies at Brown University, says that if it wasn’t for the summer academy, she never would have been accepted to an Ivy League college. The first time she took the SAT, she walked in without any preparation and didn’t get the results she needed. After participating in the summer academy, she improved her score 250 points. SantosValencia’s mother works as a seam-

stress in a factory downtown; her father, who works in an auto body shop, tells her he cannot believe someone from their family is actually attending college. In addition to preparing her for Brown, the summer academy served as a refuge.

“My neighborhood in South-Central is not the best,” says Santos-Valencia. “My neighbors are drug dealers, and the park is not a safe place to be.

If it hadn’t been for the summer academy, I would have just been sitting at home, watching television.

Instead, I got to take classes that gave me a lot of confidence when I started college.” ♥

ARAYA DIAZ/COURTESY SOUTH CENTRAL SCHOLARS

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How you can help Raising awareness is critical if we’re going to one day change the course of Alzheimer’s. Yet today and into the future we also need to care for those living with and affected by this disease. For this, we need you … to volunteer, to advocate, and to donate.

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AMANDA FOUNDATION Mission For over 3 decades, thousands of dogs and cats have called Amanda home. We give the young, the old, the ill, and abused safe haven while waiting to be adopted. But, going to areas of need and removing pets from shelters without working within those neighborhoods isn’t changing anything. This is where Amanda is unique. We are addressing the reasons pets enter shelters by taking services to the areas that the majority of shelter pets come from.

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Amanda Foundation is a 501(c)(3) 51-0183667 non-profit organization.

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AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION LOS ANGELES Mission The American Heart Association believes that everyone deserves to live longer, healthier lives so they can enjoy more of life’s WYLJPV\Z TVTLU[Z >L HYL Ä NO[PUN 3 ( »Z 5V HUK 5V RPSSLYZ· OLHY[ KPZLHZL HUK Z[YVRL·I` I\PSKPUN H MV\UKH[PVU VM OLHS[O PU L]LY` ULPNOIVYOVVK [V THRL OLHS[O` JOVPJLZ LHZ` HUK HJJLZZPISL for all, regardless of their freeway exit.

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AMERICAN RED CROSS LOS ANGELES REGION Mission The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.

The Red Cross Los Angeles Region serves over 10 million people in Los Angeles, Inyo, Mono, and Kern counties through disaster preparedness and relief efforts, health and safety services, international humanitarian services, and support for military families.

In 2016, local Los Angeles Region volunteers and staff responded [V OVTL Ã&#x201E; YLZ WYV]PKLK V]LY JVTMVY[ RP[Z [V ]L[LYHUZ [YHPULK ULHYS` PUKP]PK\HSZ PU Ã&#x201E; YZ[ HPK HUK WYV]PKLK HSTVZ[ 146,000 units of donated blood from residents of L.A. (KKP[PVUHSS` O\UKYLKZ VM ]VS\U[LLYZ HUK H Ã&#x2026; LL[ VM LTLYNLUJ` response vehicles) from L.A. were deployed to help people KL]HZ[H[LK I` [OYLL OPZ[VYPJ IHJR [V IHJR O\YYPJHULZ·/HY]L` 0YTH HUK 4HYPH·HUK [OVZL HMMLJ[LK I` ^PSKÃ&#x201E; YLZ HJYVZZ *HSPMVYUPH

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CASA OF LOS ANGELES Mission There are over 30,000 children in Los Angeles County’s child welfare system, making it the largest system in the country overseeing cases of abuse and neglect against our community’s most vulnerable children. Because of this, L.A.’s foster care system is arguably also the most overwhelmed. That is where CASA comes in.

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CHILDREN OF TOMORROW FOUNDATION Mission *OPSKYLU VM ;VTVYYV^ -V\UKH[PVU PZ H UVUWYVÄ [ VYNHUPaH[PVU MV\UKLK PU I` [^V IYV[OLYZ PU TPKKSL ZJOVVS 6\Y NVHS PZ [V WYV]PKL IHZPJ SLHYUPUN ULJLZZP[PLZ HUK LK\JH[PVU Z\WWVY[ [V children in need all around the world. Children of Tomorrow strives [V LUZ\YL H IL[[LY M\[\YL MVY RPKZ I` WYV]PKPUN [OLT ^P[O ZJOVVS Z\WWSPLZ U\[YP[PVU JSV[OLZ HUK [\[VYPUN We strive to help kids develop their potential to succeed. /V^L]LY ^L KV UV[ OH]L [OL Ä UHUJPHS JHWHIPSP[` [V Z\Y]P]L PU H UL^ HUK KL]LSVWPUN ^VYSK ;OL *OPSKYLU VM ;VTVYYV^ -V\UKH[PVU»Z NVHS PZ [V THRL Z\YL LHJO RPK ^L HZZPZ[ NVLZ VU [V Z\JJLLK ^P[O M\Y[OLY LK\JH[PVU PU TPKKSL ZJOVVS OPNO ZJOVVS HUK JVSSLNL >OL[OLY ^L HYL NP]PUN H UV[LIVVR [V H ZL]LU[O NYHKLY who has to work after school to help provide for their family or HU LHYS` TVYUPUN IYLHRMHZ[ [V H Ä M[O NYHKLY ^OV OHZ [V [HRL [OL public transit at 5 a.m. to be at school on time, we are there to Z\WWVY[ [OLT MYVT ILNPUUPUN [V LUK

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CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL LOS ANGELES Mission We create hope and build healthier futures.

Anywhere health care is provided for children battling lifethreatening cancers, heart defects, brain disorders, spinal deformities and more, you see the impact of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. With more than 528,000 patient visits last year, CHLA provides care to more kids than any other facility in the region.

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Pierce, 2

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Donate today CHLA.org/GiveLA

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CAST (COALITION TO ABOLISH SLAVERY & TRAFFICKING) Mission ;OL *VHSP[PVU [V (IVSPZO :SH]LY` ;YHMÄ JRPUN VY *(:; WYV]PKLZ SPML JOHUNPUN ZLY]PJLZ [V Z\Y]P]VYZ VM O\THU [YHMÄ JRPUN HUK TVIPSPaLZ JP[PaLUZ [V I\PSK H M\[\YL ^OLYL TVKLYU ZSH]LY` UV SVUNLY WSHN\LZ V\Y JVTT\UP[PLZ V\Y JP[` VY V\Y ^VYSK (Z [OL Ä YZ[ HU[P [YHMÄ JRPUN VYNHUPaH[PVU PU [OL JV\U[Y` *(:; PZ VUL VM [OL RL` SLHKLYZ VM [OL < : HU[P [YHMÄ JRPUN TV]LTLU[ HUK PZ RUV^U MVY P[Z TVKLS WYVNYHTZ HJYVZZ [OL NSVIL -V\UKLK PU PU YLZWVUZL [V [OL KPZJV]LY` VM ;OHP ^VYRLYZ [OH[ OHK ILLU RLW[ MVY `LHYZ PU ZSH]LY` HUK KLI[ IVUKHNL PU 3VZ (UNLSLZ *V\U[` [OL VYNHUPaH[PVU OHZ ILLU H[ [OL MVYLMYVU[ VM [OL PZZ\L PU 3 ( *HSPMVYUPH HUK HJYVZZ [OL < : PUJS\KPUN VWLUPUN [OL Ä YZ[ L]LY ZOLS[LY L_JS\ZP]LS` MVY [YHMÄ JRPUN ]PJ[PTZ ;VKH` [OYV\NO WHY[ULYZOPWZ ^P[O V]LY J\S[\YHS HUK MHP[O IHZLK JVTT\UP[` NYV\WZ OLHS[O JHYL VYNHUPaH[PVUZ NV]LYUTLU[ HNLUJPLZ HUK SH^ LUMVYJLTLU[ *(:; WYV]PKLZ Z\WWVY[ H[ L]LY` WOHZL VM H O\THU [YHMMPJRPUN ]PJ[PT»Z QV\YUL` [V ILJVTPUN HU LTWV^LYLK Z\Y]P]VY :LY]PUN HZ H JY\JPHS IYPKNL IL[^LLU WYHJ[PJL HUK W\ISPJ WVSPJ` *(:; PZ H SLHYUPUN VYNHUPaH[PVU [OH[ W\[Z P[Z L]PKLUJL IHZLK KH[H [V ^VYR VU JYLH[PUN Z`Z[LTPJ JOHUNL )` JVTIPUPUN P[Z TVKLS VM ZVJPHS HUK SLNHS ZLY]PJLZ MVY Z\Y]P]VYZ ^P[O H SLHKLYZOPW HUK HK]VJHJ` TVKLS Z\Y]P]VYZ HYL LTWV^LYLK [V ZOHWL W\ISPJ WVSPJ` HUK W\ISPJ KPHSVN\L VU [YHMMPJRPUN ;OYV\NO *(:; :\Y]P]VY 3LHKLYZOPW WYVNYHTZ Z\Y]P]VYZ HYL LX\HS WHY[ULYZ ^OV JHU HJJLZZ [OL ZRPSSZ [YHPUPUN HUK VWWVY[\UP[PLZ [OL` ULLK [V ILJVTL WV^LYM\S ]VPJLZ H[ [OL MVYLMYVU[ VM [OL HU[P [YHMMPJRPUN TV]LTLU[

How you can help /\THU [YHMMPJRPUN PZ [OL ZLJVUK SHYNLZ[ JYPTPUHS LU[LYWYPZL PU [OL < : HUK *(:; JHUUV[ [HJRSL [OL PUQ\Z[PJL VM TVKLYU ZSH]LY` HSVUL @V\Y KVUH[PVU NVLZ KPYLJ[S` [V OLSWPUN Z\Y]P]VYZ VM O\THU [YHMMPJRPUN VU [OLPY QV\YUL`Z [V ZHML[` HUK OLHSPUN 4HRPUN H SPML [YHUZMVYTPUN JVU[YPI\[PVU [VKH` ^PSS LUZ\YL [OH[ [OPZ NLULYH[PVU VM Z\Y]P]VYZ PZ V\Y SHZ[ P[LUKZ^P[O\Z 5042 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 586 Los Angeles, CA 90036 (213) 365-1906 castla.org facebook.com/castlosangeles twitter.com/castla

GIVE Los Angeles Challenge: crowdrise.com/cast-givela2017 3 8 L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S

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CRAYON COLLECTION Mission Crayon Collection’s mission is to collect and reallocate crayons to inspire a commitment to environmental consciousness and infuse art education into underfunded schools.

The concept of trashing a still-good crayon is commonplace in restaurants around the United States, especially in Los Angeles.

Family-friendly restaurants provide crayons as an added perk for kid diners, then the crayons are discarded at a rate of 150 million per year. This wasteful act is doing major damage to our environment as crayons never decompose and will live in our SHUKÄSSZ MVY L[LYUP[` *YH`VU *VSSLJ[PVU»Z TVKLS JVSSLJ[Z [OVZL would-be-trashed crayons and donates them on a local level to support underserved schools and students. We pair schools with restaurants based on location and level of need by training restaurant staff on how to safely collect the crayons, diverting [OLT MYVT SHUKÄSSZ HUK PU[V [OL ULLKPLZ[ JSHZZYVVTZ HYV\UK [OL country. Due to budget cuts in education, schools have eliminated art programs from public schools despite numerous studies that have shown that children with access to art perform better in all subjects including reading and mathematics. The Crayon Collection also provides schools the opportunity to work with artists in the classroom through our Artist Rotation Program, where we visit schools with an artist and work on the crayon project he or she has created. All projects are compliant with Common Core Standards and focus on crayons as the main tool.

In Los Angeles alone, millions of students do not receive artsbased programming and it is our mission to help these students receive a well-rounded education. Lastly, the children in wellserved communities learn many lessons about environmentalism and philanthropy by hosting Crayon Collections at their school.

They collect their crayons from dining out and any others they have lying around and donate them to nearby schools that are in need.

How you can help For every $100 you donate we are able to teach an art education lesson with a local professional artist in an LA County classroom.

Or you can start a Crayon Collection in your neighborhood. Simply download a sign from our website and let your friends and family know to collect the crayons they no longer need.

149 South Barrington Avenue, Suite 649 Los Angeles, CA 90049 crayoncollection.org

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EVERY CHILD DESERVES A CRAYON

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DR. SUSAN LOVE RESEARCH FOUNDATION Mission Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation is dedicated to achieving a future without breast cancer. Founded more than 30 years ago, the foundation has been a pioneering force in the breast cancer community and continues to be at the forefront of groundbreaking efforts to end breast cancer.

Ending breast cancer requires bold new solutions. That’s why ^L LUNHNL [OL W\ISPJ HUK ZJPLU[PÄJ JVTT\UP[PLZ PU PUUV]H[P]L research, with a focus on understanding both the complex nature of breast cancer and the experience of those impacted by the disease. We also work with unlikely partners like NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to make advances in what we know about the causes of breast cancer.

Research alone is not enough. That’s why we “translate” science through educational initiatives so everyone is fully empowered to be engaged partners in their health.

Now is the time to get involved. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. In 2017 alone, it is estimated that 40,610 people will die from breast cancer in the United States. Join us and take action today.

How you can help Make a donation. Your support will help us conduct critical research, improve the lives of people impacted by breast cancer, and move us one step closer to a future without breast cancer.

Go further. Visit drsusanloveresearch.org to learn about more ways to get involved, including our revolutionary Army of Women® initiative that’s changing the face of breast cancer research.

Act today. Together, we can make a future without breast cancer a reality.

16133 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1000 Encino, CA 91436 (310) 828-0060 drsusanloveresearch.org GIVE Los Angeles Challenge: crowdrise.com/dr-susan-love-foundation-givela2017 42 L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S

The end of breast cancer starts with you.

“Everyone can play a role in ending breast cancer.”

— Dr. Susan Love You don’t have to have had breast cancer to participate in breast cancer research. Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation’s revolutionary Army of Women® is changing the face of breast cancer by connecting women and men to researchers who are committed to solving important breast cancer questions.

Learn more at DrSusanLoveResearch.org

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FIVE ACRES Mission Originally founded as an orphanage in downtown Los Angeles PU -P]L (JYLZ PZ VUL VM [OL VSKLZ[ UVUWYVÄ[Z PU [OL :HU Gabriel Valley. Today, Five Acres promotes safety, well-being, and permanency for children and their families by building on their strengths and empowering them within communities.

How We Help Families in periods of crisis need extra support to avoid separation. Five Acres delivers innovative preventive and therapeutic services to help these families stay together and [OYP]L :LY]PUN TVYL [OHU JOPSKYLU HUK MHTPSPLZ HJYVZZ Ä]L counties, we offer a full continuum of care, including communitybased counseling and support services, intensive residential care, a therapeutic school for special-needs students, and foster care and adoption services.

We believe that children grow and heal best in families. For the TVYL [OHU RPKZ PU 3VZ (UNLSLZ PU ULLK VM H ZHML Z[HISL home, we have one goal: to connect them with permanent, loving families by the year 2020 (Z ^L JLSLIYH[L V\Y [O HUUP]LYZHY` PU ^L PU]P[L `V\ [V QVPU [OL 20,000 by 2020 mission and pave the way to permanency for any child in need.

How you can help No family thrives without support. As a community, we need each other to reach our fullest potential—and that begins with you. Become a foster or adoptive parent. Volunteer alongside our teams. Advocate for these children. Donate to our mission. This holiday season, we encourage you to follow your heart and give at 5acres.org/donate.

760 West Mountain View Street Altadena, CA 91001 (626) 798-6793 5acres.org | info@5acres.org Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: @fiveacresorg

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130 Years of Building Loving, Permanent Families

Since 1888, Five Acres has served thousands of families on their pathway to permanency.

From family preservation to foster care and adoption, we are devoted to finding loving homes for every child.

Join our mission and donate today at 5Acres.org/Donate

5acres.org

info@5acres.org 626.798.6793 760 W. Mountain View St., Altadena, CA 91001

@fiveacresorg

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HAVEN HILLS Mission Haven Hills provides safety, shelter, and support to all victims of domestic violence while working to break the cycle of abuse. We save lives, inspire change, and transform victims to empowered survivors.

Since 1977, Haven Hills has been one of Los Angeles’ leading domestic violence organizations. Every year, through our 24-Hour Crisis Line, our Outreach Program and our Emergency HUK ;YHUZP[PVUHS /V\ZPUN :OLS[LYZ ^L OLSW Z\Y]P]VYZ Ä UK [OL strength to break the cycle of abuse and build new, productive and positive lives for themselves and their children. Our clients HYL TVZ[S` `V\UN ^VTLU ^P[O JOPSKYLU Å LLPUN PU[PTH[L WHY[ULY violence, but we serve men and the LGBTQ community as well.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE. Married couples. People who are living together or who are dating.

Teens. College students. Newlyweds. Those with wealth and fame. Men and women working to raise themselves out of poverty.

LGBTQ partners. People with disabilities. Seniors. Anyone.

An investment in Haven Hills is a catalyst that creates a better future for someone who just might be your neighbor, colleague, employee, acquaintance, or cherished friend.

How you can help Every human being has the right to feel safe, to live each day, and rest each night free from violent actions and intimidating threats. To make a difference, volunteer, donate, or make an in-kind donation. Your support or contribution, in any amount, will help provide our emergency and transitional housing, and offer counseling services to help keep families safe and to empower them to break the cycle of abuse.

P.O. Box 260 Canoga Park, CA 91305 (818) 887-7481 (818) 887-6589 Crisis Line havenhills.org GIVE Los Angeles Challenge: crowdrise.com/haven-hills-givela2017 46 L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS AS ONE OF LOS ANGELESâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; LEADING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ORGANIZATIONS

STOP DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

BUILD SELF RELIANCE

SAVE LIVES

LEARN MORE AT

HAVENHILLS.ORG

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HOPE FOR PAWS Mission Hope For Paws rescues the most neglected, abused, and sick animals who are either barely surviving on the streets or have severe medical conditions in the shelters. Wherever an animal is lost and suffering without help or hope in sight, Hope For Paws will be there to save that life. Whether it be on the L.A. streets, in the California desert, in a forest in South Carolina, or near the North Pole, we have been there and will be there to rescue animals in need.

Every animal we save gets immediate top-of-the-line medical treatment before heading into approved cage-free foster care.

Most of these pets never lived inside, had regular meals, or played with a toy. We provide these emotional needs and then make sure our rescues move on to loving, permanent homes.

We are a small organization but we can accomplish big feats with [OL OLSW VM V\Y KVUVYZ HUK Z\WWVY[LYZ ^OV NP]L Ă&#x201E;UHUJPHSS` HZ ^LSS as share the stories of the animals we save. >L Ă&#x201E;ST V\Y YLZJ\L TPZZPVUZ ^OLU WVZZPISL [V ZOV^ [OH[ abandoned and neglected animals can become cherished pets.

We have half a billion views on our YouTube channel, which helps raise awareness all over the world.

How you can help Please help Hope For Paws continue to save dogs, cats, and other animals by donating to our rescue. Sharing our videos is another way to help. Each new view helps spread the word that the animals we save can quickly become happy, healthy and amazing pets.

8950 West Olympic Boulevard #525 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 (310) 880-1416 HopeForPaws.org GIVE Los Angeles Challenge: crowdrise.com/hope-for-paws-givela2017 48 L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S

PLEASE HELP SAVE THE LIVES OF HOMELESS AND SUFFERING ANIMALS. TOGETHER WE CAN GIVE THEM

HOPE.

To donate or for more information, please visit

HopeForPaws.org

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INNER-CITY ARTS Mission Inner-City Arts—a leading provider of quality arts education for underserved children and youth—is a vital partner in the work of creating a safer, healthier, and more creative Los Angeles.

Students K-12 visit Inner-City Arts to work with teaching artists in fully equipped studios, receiving hands-on instruction in a range of visual, media, and performing art forms. Equally essential to InnerCity Arts’ mission, the Inner-City Arts Professional Development Institute provides training for L.A.-based educators, school administrators, teacher candidates, and other community leaders to bring top-quality arts education to the students in our city.

Inner-City Arts also supports community growth by engaging families and community members through performances and cultural events in The Rosenthal Theater.

How you can help Inner-City Arts continues to be a creative home for more than 6,000 students each year, thanks to support from people like you who believe in its mission. You can support their efforts by lending a hand to volunteer or by making a vital contribution today. Every donation received allows them to continue exposing Los Angeles kids and teens to the transformational power of creativity.

720 Kohler Street Los Angeles, CA 90021 (213) 627- 9621 inner-cityarts.org GIVE Los Angeles Challenge: crowdrise.com/inner-city-arts-givela2017 50 L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S

HELP LOS ANGELES YOUTH UNLOCK THEIR

C Learn how you can support our mission, and the next generation of LA artists: INNER-CITYARTS.ORG

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DONATE TODAY AT LLS.ORG/DONATE

THE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY Mission We Have One Goal: A World Without Blood Cancers ;OL 3L\RLTPH 3`TWOVTH :VJPL[` PZ KLKPJH[LK [V Ã&#x201E;UKPUN J\YLZ MVY SL\RLTPH S`TWOVTH HUK T`LSVTH 33: M\UKZ SPMLZH]PUN cancer research around the world and provides free information, Z\WWVY[ ZLY]PJLZ HUK KPYLJ[ Ã&#x201E;UHUJPHS HPK [V WH[PLU[Z 33: OHZ KLKPJH[LK P[ZLSM [V ILPUN VUL VM [OL [VW ]VS\U[HY` OLHS[O HNLUJPLZ PU [LYTZ VM KVSSHYZ [OH[ KPYLJ[S` M\UK V\Y TPZZPVU Currently, the California Southland Chapter funds $7 million toward YLZLHYJO NYHU[Z PU V\Y HYLH [V Ã&#x201E;UK H J\YL HUK LYHKPJH[L JHUJLY How LLS Can Help Newly Diagnosed Patients LLS provides free informational support services and direct Ã&#x201E;UHUJPHS HPK [V WH[PLU[Z ;V ZWLHR VUL VU VUL ^P[O HU PUMVYTH[PVU ZWLJPHSPZ[ WSLHZL JHSS

How you can help (Z H WHY[PJPWHU[ ]VS\U[LLY VY KVUVY [V 33: `V\ ^PSS IL THRPUN JVU[YPI\[PVUZ I` OLSWPUN [V M\UK SPMLZH]PUN YLZLHYJO Z\WWVY[PUN WH[PLU[ ZLY]PJLZ HUK WYV]PKPUN OVWL [V WLVWSL ^P[O ISVVK cancers. Contact us to learn more about volunteer opportunities [OH[ ILZ[ Z\P[ `V\Y ULLKZ HUK PU[LYLZ[ @V\ JHU ]PZP[ \Z H[ SSZ VYN JHSZV VY JHSS \Z H[

4929 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 800 Los Angeles, CA 90010 (310) 342-5800 lls.org/calso GIVE Los Angeles Challenge: crowdrise.com/leukemia-and-lymphoma-society-givela2017 52 L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S

we can see the end of cancer from here.

These people are a new generation of blood cancer patients. They live normal lives, some managing their condition without lots of pills or treatments with discouraging side effects, thanks to discoveries funded in part by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. And these discoveries apply to many different kinds of cancer. Almost half the new cancer therapies BQQSPWFE CZ UIF '%" CFUXFFO BOE XFSF mSTU BQQSPWFE GPS CMPPE DBODFS QBUJFOUT many with research supported by LLS. Forget someday. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re making cures happen today.

Are you aware of how close we are to many new life-saving breakthroughs? Or how you can help?

Find out at lls.org/calso or call 310-342-5800.

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LOS ANGELES FOOD POLICY COUNCIL Mission The Los Angeles Food Policy Council (LAFPC) works to ensure food is healthy, affordable, fair, and sustainable for all.

We believe that all communities deserve access to good food, grown in a way that respects people and the planet. We envision a local food system free from hunger, rooted in social equity and access, support for farmers and food workers, and environmental stewardship. Our approach is to forge necessary collaboration from farm to fork, and across government, business, and community, to create a world where there is Good Food for All. Through collaboration, we have successfully implemented policies to improve school food, promote urban farms and community NHYKLUZ YLK\JL MVVK ^HZ[L HUK Ä NO[ ¸MVVK KLZLY[¹ JVUKP[PVUZ facing many low-income Angelenos.

How you can help Support for the Los Angeles Food Policy Council goes a long way. We connect and catalyze thousands of individuals and organizations across Los Angeles through dynamic working groups, engaging public events, and our innovative communitydriven policy approach. The result is better policy, better food, and civically engaged communities.

Your support promotes sustainable fair food in a fundamental way. Help make L.A. a Good Food region—where food is healthy, affordable, sustainable and fair for all.

305 East 1st Street Los Angeles, CA 90065 (213) 473-3528 goodfoodla.org GIVE Los Angeles Challenge: crowdrise.com/los-angeles-food-policy-council-givela2017 5 4 L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S

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LOS ANGELES LGBT CENTER Mission For 48 years we’ve been focused on one bold mission.

Put simply, we’re committed to building a world where LGBT people thrive as healthy, equal, and complete members of society. Today, the demand for our services has never been greater, particularly from the most vulnerable.

We’re one of the few health centers in the nation with medical and mental health providers who specialize in caring for LGBT people and with a research team that’s advancing medical care for our community.

Our 50-bed home and youth center, open seven days a week, offers hope and a future for youth who have been abandoned by their families. We also support and nourish seniors, with 100 affordable apartments and life-enriching programs.

Because we believe arts and education are integral to health and well-being, we operate a charter high school and GED program, provide scholarships to deserving youth, and host popular shows in our theaters and galleries.

-PUHSS` HZ [OL ^VYSK»Z SHYNLZ[ 3.); VYNHUPaH[PVU ^L ÄNO[ [V advance civil rights and freedoms for LGBT people domestically and internationally, training and mentoring LGBT activists from around the world and supporting sister organizations throughout the country.

How you can help We depend on gifts from the public to help fund our life-sustaining and life-saving services. By making a cash donation, you allow us to use the money where it’s needed the most.

The Center is a lean, efficient organization ranked by GuideStar at the number one local LGBT nonprofit in the nation. Year after year, we’ve received Charity Navigator’s highest rating.

Upcoming Events • Simply diVine – March 24, 2018 (simplydivinela.org) • AIDS/LifeCycle – June 3 to 9, 2018 (aidslifecycle.org)

McDonald/Wright Building 1625 North Schrader Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90028 (323) 993-7400 lalgbtcenter.org GIVE Los Angeles Challenge: crowdrise.com/los-angeles-lgbt-center-givela2017 56 L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S

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LOS ANGELES POLICE FOUNDATION Mission The mission of the Los Angeles Police Foundation is to create partnerships to provide resources and programs that help the police perform at their highest level and to enhance Los Angeles Police Department community relations.

The Los Angeles Police Foundation is an independent, not-forWYVÄ[ VYNHUPaH[PVU [OH[ WYV]PKLZ JYP[PJHS YLZV\YJLZ HUK ]P[HS Z\WWVY[ to the police department. From essential equipment and state-of[OL HY[ [LJOUVSVN` [V ZWLJPHSPaLK [YHPUPUN HUK PUUV]H[P]L WYVNYHTZ that would otherwise be unfunded, the support we provide directly PTWYV]LZ W\ISPJ ZHML[` PTWHJ[Z VMÄJLY YLHKPULZZ HUK LUOHUJLZ our quality of life. As the largest source of private funding for the police department, we are passionately dedicated to ensuring that Los Angeles remains America’s safest major city.

How you can help We welcome the support of the Los Angeles community through donations and involvement in the Chief’s Circle, Women’s Partnership, and other events we host throughout the year.

633 West Fifth Street, Suite 960 Los Angeles, CA 90071 (213) 489-4636 lapolicefoundation.org GIVE Los Angeles Challenge: crowdrise.com/los-angeles-police-department-foundation-givela2017 5 8 L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S

Safer. Stronger. Together.

www.lapolicefoundation.org

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REMEMBER THE PAST. ENGAGE THE PRESENT. SHAPE THE FUTURE.

MUSEUM OF TOLERANCE Mission For the last 25 years, the Museum of Tolerance, the only museum of its kind in the world, has engaged the hearts and minds of over 6 million visitors, motivating youth and adults to assume responsibility for positive change in today’s world.

Visitors are challenged to understand the Nazi Holocaust in both historic and contemporary contexts and confront all forms of prejudice and discrimination including bullying and school violence.

One of the highlights of the museum is hearing the personal experiences of Holocaust survivors who share their stories three times a day with visitors, students, groups, educators, law enforcement, and people around the world via videoconference.

There is nothing more impactful than these live personal testimonies offering visitors a chance to engage with those who bear witness to history and whose stories inform and inspire.

How you can help The Museum of Tolerance’s Hope Lives When People Remember campaign expands the opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds to engage and interact with a Holocaust survivor.

These remarkable individuals are powerful ambassadors of memory in the last few precious years they have to share their stories.

Our goal with Hope Lives When People Remember is to double the number of people interacting with Holocaust survivors in the next two years, reaching an additional 50,000 people.

Please support the museum’s Hope Lives When People Remember campaign today.

9786 West Pico Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90035 (310) 772-2505 museumoftolerance.com GIVE Los Angeles Challenge: crowdrise.com/museum-of-tolerance-givela2017 60 L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S

“Before I met [a survivor] I thought heroes were Batman and Spiderman, but now I know what a real hero is.”

Alana – 5th grader

MuseumofTolerance.com

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PARTNERSHIP SCHOLARS PROGRAM Mission Partnership Scholars Program provides six years of educational and cultural experiences to academically motivated but economically disadvantaged students, starting in the seventh grade, to promote college access and a lifetime of success.

Services Partnership Scholars Program matches students with a caring mentor and offers a host of educational and cultural experiences [V WYLWHYL SV^ PUJVTL HUK Ä YZ[ NLULYH[PVU Z[\KLU[Z MVY JVSSLNL PSP delivers academic support, from tutoring to SAT prep, so our scholars are competitive in the college application process.

Exposure to theater, concerts, museums, and restaurants builds scholars’ cultural literacy, thus helping to prevent the culture shock that can occur when they join a college community. PSP OLSWZ IYPKNL HJHKLTPJ Ä UHUJPHS HUK ZVJPHS VWWVY[\UP[` NHWZ ZV more students achieve their dreams

How you can help At this very moment, you have the power to make a difference in the lives of bright, motivated students right here in Los Angeles.

Every donation helps our scholars get closer to achieving their goals. Every volunteer provides irreplaceable support and guidance to a scholar on the path to college. We also welcome opportunities to expand and enrich our scholars’ education through exposure to a new career or cultural experience. Join us!

Contact us at partner@partnershipscholars.org or (424) 225-4777.

Donate today at partnershipscholarsprogram.org/donate.

P.O. Box 156 El Segundo, CA 90245 (424) 225-4777 partnershipscholarsprogram.org GIVE Los Angeles Challenge: crowdrise.com/partnership-scholars-program-givela2017 62 L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S

TOGETHER WE CAN HELP MOTIVATED STUDENTS ACHIEVE THEIR DREAMS.

Change lives by donating or volunteering today. partnershipscholarsprogram.org

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PRESENT NOW Mission The mission of Present Now is to assist mothers and their children who are entering domestic violence shelters. By providing “presents” consisting of both necessary and specialty items for the children, we can alleviate some of the initial stress of entering a shelter, while also bringing some measure of joy during this time of acute crisis.

The Present Now Presents Program consists of three gifts. The 7YLZLUJL VM 4PUK )V_ PZ NP]LU [V LHJO JOPSK PU (\N\Z[ ÄSSLK ^P[O school supplies suited to the child’s age and grade level. The Presence of Love Box is delivered to each child on Valentine’s Day. Enclosed will be an age appropriate digital toy and/or learning device. The Presence of Being Box is presented to children on their birthday. Each box will include a restaurant gift card for the family to enjoy a birthday dinner out on the town and ingredients for a homemade cake to be prepared by the family in the shelter. This IV_ ^PSS HSZV PUJS\KL H UL^ V\[Ä[ HNL HWWYVWYPH[L [V` HUK IVVR With all three of these boxes, our goal is to create hope and some measure of comfort all year long for the child.

How you can help In 2014 in the state of California, there were 5,784 victims of domestic violence served by social services every single day.

There were 496,972 reports of child abuse and neglect.

We need your help. Since we began gifting in 2013, we have delivered over 2,300 gifts to children living throughout the state of California. Your contribution will allow us to expand our Presents Program, thereby reaching more children. Our goal for 2018 is to give over 1,200 gifts. Each present helps mothers and children who are suffering from domestic violence to find peace and bring them joy. Help us make a change today for a child’s tomorrow.

Please visit our website to view our presents wish list and for upcoming volunteer opportunities. presentnow.org

2716 Ocean Park Boulevard, Suite 2000 Santa Monica, CA 90405 (424) 330-0002 presentnow.org

GIVE Los Angeles Challenge: crowdrise.com/present-now-givela2017 64 L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S

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spcaLA (SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS LOS ANGELES) Mission Before there were cars in Los Angeles, there was spcaLA. ZWJH3( ^HZ MV\UKLK PU HZ [OL Ă&#x201E;YZ[ ]VPJL MVY [OL ]VPJLSLZZ PU 3VZ (UNLSLZ ;VKH` ^L JVU[PU\L [V WYL]LU[ JY\LS[` [V HUPTHSZ [OYV\NO LK\JH[PVU SH^ LUMVYJLTLU[ PU[LY]LU[PVU HUK HK]VJHJ` A true Los Angeles original, spcaLA is not a chapter of any group or NV]LYUTLU[ HNLUJ` 0U MHJ[ there is no national SPCA or humane society +VUH[PVUZ M\UK HUPTHS JY\LS[` PU]LZ[PNH[PVUZ KPZHZ[LY YLZWVUZL ]PVSLUJL WYL]LU[PVU WYVNYHTZ WL[ HKVW[PVUZ HUK H OVZ[ VM ZOLS[LY ZLY]PJLZ

How you can help ZWJH3( YLSPLZ VU KVUH[PVUZ [V M\SMPSS V\Y TPZZPVU @V\Y NPM[ ^PSS OLSW WYV]PKL! Â&#x2039; ZHML ZOLS[LY UV\YPZOPUN MVVK ]L[LYPUHY` JHYL HUK ;3* [V shelter pets; Â&#x2039; MVYLUZPJ HUHS`ZPZ ]L[LYPUHY` ZLY]PJLZ HUK LX\PWTLU[ MVY HUPTHS JY\LS[` PU]LZ[PNH[PVUZ" Â&#x2039; H JOHUJL [V Z[VW [OL J`JSL VM ]PVSLUJL PU `V\[O MYVT H[ YPZR JVTT\UP[PLZ" Â&#x2039; Z\WWSPLZ ]LOPJSLZ HUK [YHPUPUN MVY V\Y +PZHZ[LY (UPTHS 9LZWVUZL ;LHT +(9; Â?

>OPSL [OL M\[\YL PZ UL]LY JLY[HPU VUL [OPUN PZ JSLHY œ spcaLA will always need you )LJH\ZL HSS HUPTHSZ¡MYVT KVNZ HUK JH[Z [V WLHJVJRZ HUK LSLWOHU[Z¡^PSS HS^H`Z ULLK \Z Please give today.

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GIVE Los Angeles Challenge: crowdrise.com/spca-la-givela2017 66 L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S

F I N D I N G YO U R C AU S E |

STORY BY ZOIE MATTHEW | PHOTOGRAPH BY RENEE BOWAN

HOW TO GET STARTED > JUST A TEEN, LULU CERONE HAS ALREADY RAISED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR WORTHY CAUSES. SHE OFFERS TIPS ON HOW TO PURSUE YOUR OWN PHILANTHROPIC EFFORTS

U LU C E R O N E is only 18 years old, but she’s been in the business of giving back for more than a decade now. At six, she started donating the profits she made from selling lemonade in her Encino neighborhood to charity, and at ten she founded her own philanthropic organization, LemonAID Warriors, as a way to raise money for victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. What started out as a boys versus girls lemonade-selling competition among her fifth-grade classmates has evolved into a multifaceted advocacy and mentorship program. She’s worked with her team of youth “warriors” to raise more than $100,000 for local and global causes and has inspired a number of children to kick-start their own charity projects. In between finishing high school, applying for college (she started at Columbia University in September), and helping to save the

6 8 L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S

world, she even found time to write a book, published in May and titled Philanthroparties! It teaches kids how to incorporate activism into their social lives by planning “parties with a purpose.” We asked Cerone to offer a few tips for people of all ages who want to get more involved but don’t necessarily know how or where to begin.

FOL LOW YOU R PASS ION.

“Your work is going to be the most meaningful and the most effective if you’re doing something that you really care about,” says Cerone. Take a look at the problems in your own community—homelessness, poverty, discrimination, for instance— and choose the one that you feel most passionate about.

BE C R EAT I V E. “There are so many other ways to give back than just by raising money,” she says.

They don’t have to be big either; just think outside the box. Ask guests

to bring donations of “gently used” clothing and blankets to your holiday party, turn your weekly book club meeting into a book drive, or have friends chip in a few bucks at game night and let the winner choose where to donate the money.

R EAD UP. A little research can help you figure out where your time and effort will go the furthest. If you want to tackle hunger and participate in a holiday food drive, for instance, work to ensure that the foods collected aren’t sugary cakes and cranberry sauce but more nutritious options like peanut butter or dried beans.

S HOP AROUND. If you decide to contribute in some way to a traditional charity, remember that they’re not all created equal. Cerone recommends using sites like Charity Navigator, which ranks philanthropic organizations based on financial health, accountability, and transparency. ♥

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