GIVE Los Angeles 2020: Presented by Los Angeles magazine

COMIC RELIEF

L O S

PRESENT

A N G E L E S

How Laugh Factory’s Jamie Masada Became the Clown Prince of L.A. Philanthropy

ED BY

PLUS The Citizens of Skid Row

Who Gives How Much GIVING LARGE Jamie Masada and Comedian Tiffany Haddish

Where You Can Volunteer

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2 | GIVING IN LOS ANGELES

L.A.’s philanthropy by the numbers.

4 | COMIC RELIEF

When it comes to giving, Laugh Factory founder Jamie Masada is the hardestworking man in show business. Just ask the dozens of comedians he’s mentored—or the thousands of underserved Angelenos he treats to yearly holiday dinners at his club.

BY M E R L E G I N S B E R G

12 | AS COVID SURGED, A LIFELINE EMERGED

How Mayor Eric Garcetti repurposed a littleknown nonprofit to get COVID-19 funds to L.A.’s neediest. BY J O N R E G A R D I E 16 | THE CITIZENS OF SKID ROW

For years, photographer Suzanne Stein has been telling the stories of the homeless people living on Skid Row. But is anybody listening?

BY T R I S H D E I TC H

24 | LOS ANGELES NEEDS YOU!

Looking for opportunities to volunteer?

Here are dozens of ways to donate your time and money. BY A N D R E W D U B B I N S 48 | UP IN SMOKE

As residents rebuild in the wake of California’s worst fire season in history, two start-ups are helping to get needs met.

F R E E WAY P H OTO : S H AYA N A S G H A R N I A ; COV E R C LOT H I N G C R E D I TS : O N T I F FA N Y: V E R O N I C A B E A R D S U I T, G U CC I S H I R T, T I F FA N Y & CO. E A R R I N G S A N D R I N G S . O N JA M I E : G I O R G I O A R M A N I S U I T, E M P LOY E E O F T H E . . . S H I R T, J B R A N D J E A N S

BY L I N DA I M M E D I ATO

L

OS ANGE LES is described as 72 suburbs in search of a city. The insinuation is that this town is a broken tapestry of indifferent fiefdoms, even though L.A. has proven again and again that a large metropolis can feel like a community with a heart. Home to tens of thousands of nonprofit organizations, with a citizenry donating $11.2 billion this year, the city consistently lands near the top of all philanthropic lists. In our fifth edition of Give Los Angeles, we sit down with one of comedy’s great benefactors, Laugh Factory founder Jamie Masada, who’s been helping those in need for decades, be it providing free holiday dinners or mentoring up-and-coming comics from underprivileged backgrounds, among them comedian and fellow philanthropist Tiffany Haddish. Elsewhere, we share stories of Skid Row’s most vulnerable in a series of portraits by photographer Suzanne Stein, and the story of two start-ups helping Californians rebuild after this year’s wildfires. Be sure to check out our recommendations on where to volunteer. You’ll be glad you did.

COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFF VESPA Jamie Masada and Tiffany Haddish photographed at Laugh Factory October 2020. Styled by Kristina E. Taylor; makeup by Sir John; hair by Ray Christopher.

Maer Roshan EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EXECUTIVE EDITOR Michael Walker MANAGING EDITOR Eric Mercado PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Denise Philibert STYLE EDITOR Linda Immediato ASSOCIATE EDITOR Trish Deitch CONTRIBUTING DESIGNERS Mary Franz, Otavio Rabelo CONTRIBUTING PHOTO EDITOR Richard Villani

Josef Vann PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER DIRECTOR, CONTENT STRATEGY & SOLUTIONS Mitch Getz DIRECTOR, STRATEGY & PARTNERSHIPS Suzy Starling ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Caitlin Cullen INTEGRATED ACCOUNT DIRECTORS Brittany Brombach, Samantha Greenfield, Dana Hess ADVERTISING SALES COORDINATOR Nathaniel Perkins

Josef Vann PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER

CREATIVE SERVICES ART DIRECTOR Sheila Ramezani For advertising inquiries, please contact Suzy Starling at sstarling@lamag.com | 323-801-0082

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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

Contents

BY THE NUMBERS

» STORY BY ANDREW DUBBINS AND RILEY RUNNELLS » GRAPHIC BY ERIC HERNANDEZ

WHAT GIVES?

THE PANDEMIC HAS DEALT A DEVASTATING BLOW TO THE CITY, BUT IT HAS LEFT ANGELENOS FEELING MORE CHARITABLE THAN EVER. HERE'S A SNAPSHOT OF L.A.'S CHANGING PHILANTHROPIC SCENE

OFF THE CHARTS The California Foundation tracks 13,253 California foundations, including 2,338 in metro L.A.

$57

TOP CATEGORIES EDUCATION

7,931

Grants Donations in millions

$903

HEALTH

8,201 $654 ARTS & CULTURE

MILLION

4,154 $326

COVID-related donations collected by the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles dwarfed the $4.3 million total it raised last year

HUMAN SERVICES

6,959 $301 COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

2,380 $186

L.A.’S PANDEMIC RESPONSE IS SECOND ONLY TO NEW YORK’S Houston $15.7MM Boston Chicago

L.A.

TOP EARNING INSTITUTIONS

$33.2MM

UCLA $384 MILLION

$35MM USC $115 MILLION

$42MM

New York

$110MM

PETERSEN AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM $76 MILLION UCLA FOUNDATION $59 MILLION

ANGELENOS GAVE

CALTECH $43 MILLION

$11.2 billion

TO CHARITIES AND NONPROFITS

Black Lives Matter L.A. nearly tripled its $1 million GoFundMe goal, raising

$3 million

from 29,000 donors

TOP-SPENDING FOUNDATIONS*

Since April, L.A.’s Regional Food Bank distributed

75%

more food than average

(excluding public entities)

UCLA FOUNDATION $273 MILLION CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION $179 MILLION THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT $156 MILLION ELI & EDYTHE BROAD FOUNDATION $141 MILLION MARGIE & ROBERT E. PETERSEN FOUNDATION $103 MILLION *2017 figures

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THANK YOU! We thank our nonprofit sponsor, Enterprise Community Partners, and the following L.A.-based charitable organizations and changemakers for their partnership in the 2020 edition of GIVE Los Angeles magazine.

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Nina Ansary, Author and Historian The Bail Project City Year Los Angeles HFS Adoption & Foster Care LA’s BEST LA Family Housing L.A. Works Para Los Niños Pasadena Humane PledgeLA Wallis Annenberg PetSpace Whittier Trust

We encourage you to learn about each of these organizations and individuals, and the ways you can help support their work in these pages and online at: lamag.com/givelosangeles

W E AV E R THE DREAM

Styling by Kristina E. Taylor

» STORY BY MERLE GINSBERG » PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEFF VESPA

COMIC RELIEF NO JOKE: LAUGH FACTORY FOUNDER JAMIE MASADA IS THE HARDEST WORKING MAN IN SHOW BUSINESS WHEN IT COMES TO GIVING. JUST ASK TIFFANY HADDISH AND THE DOZENS OF COMICS HE’S MENTORED—OR THE THOUSANDS OF NEEDY HE TREATS TO YEARLY HOLIDAY DINNERS AT THE CLUB

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How did you have the wherewithal to start a club as a teenager? > Because I’m a go-getter! I had a lot of setbacks when I was a kid. I had dyslexia, and they didn’t know anything about dyslexia at the time. And my uncle—everybody—they called me “retard.” And that made me care more about underprivileged kids. I just decided you have to give back.

It seems like you opened Laugh Factory just to help out comedians who were broke. > There was a strike going on. Comedians weren’t getting paid and it was really tough. Tom Greeson was the leader of the strike. He said, “Jamie, I wish you could open a club. If most clubs charge $8 at the door, you could charge $9 and just give $1 to the comedians. Because club owners aren’t paying the comedians.” I went to a friend and said, “I want to open a club.” He said, “How are you going to make money?” I said, “I have an idea. I take what-

STA R M A P S : CO U R T E SY JA M I E M A SA DA ; L AU G H FAC TO RY: Z U M A P R E S S . C LOT H I N G : A R M A N I JAC K E T, J B R A N D J E A N .

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AM I E MASADA, the philanthropistfounder of L.A.’s iconic Laugh Factory, has a unique talent for giving back with giggles. He left Iran at age fourteen to come to Hollywood and “make it in comedy”—52 years later, a massive understatement. Opening Laugh Factory in 1979 as a venue where broke comics could reap rent checks and career props, he went on to nurture marquee names like Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Adam Sandler, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Ray Romano, Jon Stewart, Kathy Griffin, Jerry Seinfeld, Garry Shandling, Bill Maher, Bernie Mac, and Wanda Sykes. As his own success blossomed, Masada gave back to the community of entertainers that had raised him up as much as he had them: his annual free dinner and comedy extravaganzas on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Jewish High Holidays—plus a free summer comedy camp for the community’s underprivileged kids that has produced mitzvahs on top of mentees— make the world a better place while making it a whole lot merrier. Masada believes humor is the sole—and soul—salve for a country divided. “The simplest thing works best: Laughter. If you can share a laugh like you share bread, you forget all the differences and bring people together. I swear it!”

L AU G H R I C H A R D P RYO R : CO U R T E SY JA M I E M A SA DA ;

FUNNY BUSINESS From left: Masada outside the Laugh Factory, 1979; in the club's performance room, where David Letterman, Jay Leno, and other future stars honed their chops; Richard Pryor on the cover the club's magazine; Masada speaks at Black Lives Matter event; the club's free holiday dinners have fed thousands.

ever the door brings in, and the club keeps half; I give the comedians half, and I make money on drinks and food, so at least they can make some money.” He said, “That’s a brilliant idea! Do you have a name for it?” I came up with Laugh Factory because the building belonged to Groucho Marx at one point, and he did his brainstorming there. I thought of it as a factory to make people laugh. He gave me the money but said, “Tell you what— everything goes under my name until you’re 21. If you pay me, plus interest, I’ll turn it over to you. If you don’t, I’m keeping it.” I said OK. I was about 18.

crowd go home. Charles managed Woody Allen, David Letterman, Billy Crystal, and Robin Williams. He said, “I don’t know why, but I want to help you.” He would come in every single night and teach me how to pick out comics. This is why if you do stuff for others, God gives back. And you have to do it for no reason. Somehow God sends you a soldier or people to come help.

That’s just what it is. And I was very lucky, too. I was making money. I was sending money home. My first paycheck was $28. I sent $25 to my parents who were still in Iran. Later, I moved them to Haifa.

Who helped you in the club’s early days? > Charles Joffe came in and said, “Jamie, I found out about your story. Do you know anything about comedy clubs?” I said, “Not really,” though I’d tried to be a standup comic as a kid and got put onstage when the owners wanted someone really bad to make the

What made you into such a care-taking person? > My dad taught me. He was a very, very giving person. He’d walk home and he’d have a cookie in his pocket for my sister. He’d see someone homeless and give it to them. That to me is what it’s all about. It’s not just "me, me, me."

Unfortunately, in the world now every-

body’s become . . . everything is about them. We’re all together. We’ve got to help each other survive. That’s the most important thing we have to do.

How did you get started in charity? > When I started the free dinners for comedians and the public in the club, [comedian] Shirley Hemphill told me, “So many people come from their families to Hollywood; they have no family, nothing. Their parents told them, “If you go to Hollywood, you’ll become a star.” And they come here and reality hits them: they become a waiter or waitress and they can’t survive. On the High Holidays they can’t even come home. She said she read in the paper that an actor came to town and couldn’t go home because he wasn’t getting any movies or anything, so on Thanksgiving he committed suicide. So I decided, “Hey, I live in the club anyway, why not give a Thanksgiving dinner there?” It just grew and grew and grew.

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after he’d become famous. > I gotta tell you a story. Richard Pryor, about 38 years ago, comes into the club. “Hi, Jamie, I bought the most expensive Mercedes. I have it outside."

That night we had Paul Mooney, John Witherspoon, Shirley Hemphill. He said, “C’mon guys! Come outside and see it!” I don’t know anything about expensive cars, but it was nice. Paul Mooney said, “Richard, you’re a crazy Black guy! This car belongs to white people, not Black people!” and he used the N-word. They were joking— they’re both Black. Richard says, “OK, let’s all get in the car.”

Paul Mooney was driving. He had a huge afro at the time. We get into Beverly Hills and a police car stops us. “You know you were swerving? Get out of PRAISE AND THANKS From left: Dane Cook, Masada, and Arsenio Hall serve Thanksgiving dinner at the club. the car.” They tested us and let us go.

The free holiday dinners, originally aimed at broke comedians, were later extended to the community at large.

We drive from there to Westwood. All of a sudden, another police car stops us.

Paul says to them, “What did I do?” The Where do you get the food for Are you involved in any charities that policemen were white. They said, “You these things? give money to Israel? were swerving.” The same thing! They > The first year I got ten cooked turkeys > Yes, but I don’t want to brag about it. go through the whole routine again, and mashed potatoes from the superA few months ago, I was in Auschwitz then let us go. I said, “Guys, this is scary. market, and it was all gone pretty early. for the 75 year anniversary of the liberI gotta go back to the club.” So we got on So I gave [comedians] Paul Mooney and ation. To see all of these holocaust surSunset and we’re Paul Rodriguez some money and said, vivors—it was very driving in Brent“Guys, we need more turkey!” Anywhere moving. One of the wood. All of a sudthey could find some turkey, they grabpeople there was the den we hear a car bed it. Now I make enough money to capresident of “PEOPLE with a siren. “You ter them.

Ukraine, Volodymyr were swerving!”

Zelensky. He’s a DON'T REALIZE And they take Paul How could you afford to do this in the Jewish guy. We COMEDIANS ARE Mooney out and beginning? were all listening to GIVING PEOPLE. handcuff him and > It took me a while to pay it off. But it him give a speech TIM ALLEN sit him on the sidewould break my heart to see people loneon the final night, CAME IN WITH A walk. They ask for ly—and even hungry. The credit should and suddenly I hear BRIEFCASE OF my license. “What go to the comedians, not me. People don’t him say, “I’d like to $100 BILLS AND do you do?” I said, “I realize that comedians are giving people. I meet Jamie Masawork at Laugh Facdon’t ask them to show up; they just come da—please identify GAVE ONE TO tory.” “What do you in and serve on Thanksgiving and Christyourself.” I thought, EVERYBODY.” do at Laugh Factomas every year. You name them, they’ve “There must be ry?” I said, “Well, been there for these dinners, from Rodsome other Jamie I’m the owner.” And ney Dangerfield to Richard Pryor. Year Masada!” Anyway, he laughs! He says, before last, Tim Allen came in with a he talks to me and I “Maybe you’re a busboy there.” He puts briefcase of $100 bills! Everybody who knew he’d been a comedian. He said handcuffs on me. Then Shirley Hempwalked in, he gave them $100. Rodney that after he finishes his term as presihill comes out now. She’s also got a big Dangerfield comes in with this gingerdent, he wants to come to the United afro, and she doesn’t have shoes on. bread house, sent to him by Jim Carrey.

States and get back into comedy.

They asked for her license and she He brought it to Christmas. He said, “I wouldn’t say anything, so they pushed won’t eat this damn gingerbread, let’s give Richard Pryor was one of the comediher against the wall and searched her. it to everybody.” ans who supported the club financially

WHEN JAMIE MET TIFFANY TIFFANY HADDISH CREDITS JAMIE MASADA'S FREE COMEDY CAMP WITH SAVING HER LIFE

S H E R E A DY FO U N DAT I O N : CO U R T E SY T I F FA N Y H A D D I S H . P O R T R A I T: ST Y L I N G BY K R I ST I N A E . TAY LO R . O N H A D D I S H : M O N S E TO P A N D S K I R T; WO L FO R D T I G H TS ; A N G E L A S COT T S H O E S ; A L I S O N LO U E A R R I N G S ; T I F FA N Y & CO R I N G S .

L

AUGH FACTORY owner Jamie Masada has helped introduce dozens of prominent comics to the world, but he can lay claim to full-on discovering Tiffany Haddish. ³:KHQ , ¿UVW PHW 7LIIDQ\ she was about 15 years old,�

Masada recalls. “She came to our comedy camp from living in a couple different foster homes. You could see from the beginning what a wonderful person she was. She’s one of those special, special people. I remember Richard Pryor pushing her hard; he felt like Tiffany had so much talent.� After her success validated Masada’s support for her life and career, the actress, comedian, and author founded the She Ready Foundation in 2019, aimed at helping teenaged girls in foster homes. “They give these girls black garbage bags to keep their belongings in—they make them feel like garbage,� Masada says. “Tiffany buys them Gucci bags, Louis Vuitton bags. She’s such a giving person, and most of it’s from her own pocket.

She’s a voice for people who don’t have a voice. When she talks about it, I get a tear in my eye. After what she’s been through, it’s amazing how caring she is.�

Masada relishes observing Haddish serve the attendees at Laugh Factory’s Thanksgiving and Christmas free dinners. “Mostly, these people who help

COMIC TIMING Masada met Haddish (above) when she was a 15 year old attending his comedy camp for disadvantaged children. Last year, Haddish formed She Ready Foundation, aimed at helping girls in foster homes (left).

give the food out, they don’t really enjoy it,� he says. “One thing about Tiffany, whatever she does—dish out food to the homeless, talk to them—she really cares. Most people don’t get emotional satisfaction out of giving; she fully involves herself. At one of those dinners, she said she’d give a $100 to

the winner of a dance contest she made up on the spot—to a bunch of homeless people. At the end, she gave every one of them a $100 bill. This is a person who really cares. I wish we had a president like her.�

In 2015, her comedy career fully underway, Haddish posted a photo with Masada on Instagram with the caption, “This man Jamie Masada laid the foundation for my career—he was the 1st man that believed in me. Back in the 90s he picked me to be in the Laugh Factory Comedy Camp.

In my mind, he saved my life.

He gave me the greatest gift in the world—he cared.� —M.G.

P H O T O G R A P H E D BY J E F F V E S PA

Then they radio for another car, saying they have criminals holding on the street. And Richard’s still in the car. So the other car comes. They ask Richard to get out of the car. One of the second car’s policemen was Black. Richard gets out. Suddenly you hear, “Oh my God! This is Richard Pryor!” They went absolutely crazy over him. They said to him, “Richard, we’re sorry, but your chauffeur was swerving.” Third time they’d said that.

What did Richard say to them? > Richard says, “Man, we’ve been stopped three times for swerving.

What’s going on?” They apologized to him! Meanwhile, Paul Mooney’s screaming, “You call me chauffeur! I’m a comedian! I’m on American Bandstand!” So they let us go. Cut back to today. One of my comedians is Ruben Paul. He’s Black. He hears the story and says, “Jamie, I got stopped today—for

10 L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA NG E L E S

swerving.” This is what’s happening.

They have some kind of code and they’re still using it.

What made you start the Laugh Factory Comedy Camp? > The Comedy Camp started 36 years ago. Paul Rodriguez, Robin Williams, and I were doing a show at Compton High School for the kids. In the middle of the show, I spotted a kid who was all by himself. I get drawn to people like that. I went up to say hello. I could see he was hunching his back to hide, and he was holding his hand over this face. I had been doing this radio bit to promote Laugh Factory, and I created a character named Buddy Buddy. I told this kid, “I’m Buddy Buddy from the Frazer Smith show,” and he put his hand down and said, “You’re Buddy Buddy! I listen to you! You’re Latino!” I said, “No, I’m not Latino.” His name was Gore Messina. His face was a little bit deformed. I

introduced Paul and Robin to Gore and these two kids came over and said, “That kid lives in our house. The government pays us money to board him.

He’s not our brother; he’s nobody.” I couldn’t believe they said that in front of everybody. It broke my heart. I asked Gore, “What are you going to do when you leave school?” He said, “I’m on my own when I turn 18.” I said, “When you finish school and turn 18, you come into the Laugh Factory and I’ll give you a job.” I gave him my card. Six months later, I hired him. There was a comedian who lived across the street and I said, “If this guy can live with you, I’ll pay half your rent.” He said, “Sure!” He was broke anyway! So Gore went to live with him. He would always have his hand in front of his face. Richard Pryor would come in and I’d say, “Richard, go talk to him.” One night, after six or seven months, I see him and he’s dressed up. I said, “Where are you going?” He

J E F F V E S PA FO R LO S A N G E L E S M AG A Z I N E

COMEDY CENTRAL Mementos of Masada's 40-year career crowd his Laugh Factory office, including a cameo with Jerry Lewis (left) and a bronze statuette of Rodney Dangerfield, who frequently appeared at the club to audition new material.

A P I M AG E S

original, so creative. Everything about said, “I’m going on a date with this girl him was so real. He’s a wonderful perwho works in the club!” This girl, she son. He gives back so much. was the prettiest girl in the club. Jerry Seinfeld asked for a date and she said The Laugh Factory holds a contest — no. Gore’s suddenly standing up The Funniest Person in the World— straight and looking good. I thought, that solicits performance clips from “Wow. If I can change one person’s life comics around the like this, that’s what world to promote I should do. That’s world peace. Do how the Comedy you really believe Camp was born. I “MY DAD WAS laughter can bring dedicated it to this VERY GIVING. peace to the world? kid. I can’t take all HE'D BE WALKING > I do. Religion has the credit myself.

HOME AND HAVE failed us. GovernAll the comedians ment, the United have been there— A COOKIE IN HIS Nations—they Richard Pryor, all of POCKET FOR failed. The simplest them. And I said, MY SISTER. HE'D thing works the “Take anything SEE SOMEONE best. If you share a good you see in HOMELESS AND laugh like you share them and encourGIVE IT TO THEM.” bread, you’ll forget age them. Give and it will bring them confidence. people together. I reHelp them with ally believe that. their speaking."

And I’ll tell you how I came to that. I do That’s what we give them—confidence, a lot of controversial shows at the club. by going onstage and speaking. And a One Saturday night I had two very conlot of them have gotten jobs because servative Arab comedians and some of they were well-spoken in interviews. I the audience was Jewish. These two follow up with them. have big followers. I thought, “Half of the room is Jewish people and they’re You are credited with discovering a lot of major comedy stars. What makes somebody light you up? > If a comedian on the stage is caring, they have a good likeability, good timing—you look at all the ingredients. I’ve been lucky, thank God. I’ve always picked up the right people.

Can you remember when you saw a comic for the first time and said, “That person has potential.” > Dave Chappelle came into the club, 17 or 18 years old. He came from Washington. He went on the stage and I went, “Oh my God—this guy is brilliant.” The way he walked around the stage, I’ll never forget it: talking to the audience, going back and forth with them. I knew a star was born. I told a couple people, “This guy’s gonna make it all the way to the top.” But a lot of people saw that in him; you can’t give me all the credit. He just blew me away—so

staring at the other half, which is Arabian.” Oh my God. I thought, “I hope I have enough insurance if a fight breaks out.” The comedians went on and were saying things like, “Guys, you Jewish people don’t realize we were the first.

America takes credit for everything.

America even takes credit for inventing slavery.” They said, “You Jews, you were our slaves!”

Everyone laughed. Everything came up!

Next thing, I go outside the club and I see a guy with a big turban and two of his bodyguards. Big Rolls Royce pulling up. And two Orthodox guys with yarmulkes. And all five of them are smoking cigarettes and talking to each other.

I said, “This is better than the United Nations.” Religion, all of that stuff, what does it all mean? Rules? We are all breathing the same air, all breathing the same way. The last time we did The Funniest Person in the World awards, we got over 70 million people subscribing and voting.

You clearly take care of your people. > Well, we try. A lot of people in Hollywood, they spend hundreds of thousands a year on a psychiatrist to make them happy. But the most real happiness you can get is giving to somebody. Q

SHOW TIME "I knew a star was born," Masada says of Dave Chappelle's first performance at the club.

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» PHOTOGRAPHS BY SHAYAN ASGHARNIA

AS COVID SURGED, A LIFELINE EMERGED HOW MAYOR GARCETTI REPURPOSED A LITTLE-KNOWN NONPROFIT TO GET COVID FUNDS TO L.A.’S NEEDIEST

W

H E N T H E NOV E L coronavirus began rapidly spreading in Los Angeles in March, Cheyenne Chalk managed to stay healthy. Chalk, a UCLA freshman studying public affairs and labor relations, continued living in her dorm with two roommates and eating in the dining hall as part of the school’s meal plan. In addition to her classes, she worked nearly full time as an assistant to a biomathematics professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine. The money she earned covered her cell phone bill, her textbooks, and other necessities.

But as SARS-CoV-2 extended its reach and public officials began to worry that local hospitals could be overwhelmed with the sick and dying, everything changed. UCLA shut down its campus, and Chalk’s life—like that of millions of Angelenos—was flipped upside down. She packed her belongings and moved back in with her mother in Sun Valley. Her classes continued online, but with her job gone, she had no income. She and her mother tried to stretch their dollars. “There

CASH AND CARE Garcetti’s team raised $36 million to fund the Angeleno Card (right)—a free debit card given to low-income residents impacted by COVID-19.

CO U R T E SY O F M A ST E R C A R D

M AY O R ’ S M I S S I O N THE

» STORY BY JON REGARDIE

CO U R T E SY: O F F I C E O F T H E M AYO R

was a point where we were trying to eat little things,” she says.

Seven months after the coronavirus was declared a global pandemic, the impact of the disease and the region’s response can be told in three overarching stories. The first two are well known. The third, a tale of community resilience and eightfigure philanthropy that shatters a stereotype of Los Angeles, has been glossed over.

The first story concerns public health and how a virus detected late last year in Wuhan, China, upended Los Angeles. The 231 confirmed COVID-19 cases in L.A. County on March 19 became 1,216 a week later, and ballooned to 4,045 a week after that.

On April 1, the county had recorded 65 deaths; by October 14, it had seen 285,016 cases and 6,812 deaths.

The second story is about economic devastation. On March 15, in an effort to stanch a highly communicable virus, Mayor Eric Garcetti ordered all bars, restaurants, and many other businesses in the city to stop serving customers on-site. Four days later, he went further: the "Safer at Home" emergency order mandated that people stay inside unless they were essential workers, exercising, or making grocery runs. That day, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a similar directive for the state.

While Angelenos in white-collar fields turned guest rooms into home offices and learned how to navigate Zoom, thousands of waiters, waitresses, and cooks signed up for state unemployment benefits, and hotels with empty guest rooms laid off housekeepers, valets, and front-desk staff. Nannies couldn’t care for children in affluent neighborhoods through an internet connection. Street vendors who sold paletas saw few patrons at their carts, as almost no one left home.

The third story is largely a response to the second, and to an unemployment rate that quintupled from approximately 4 percent in April 2019 to 20 percent 12 months later. As Garcetti huddled with senior advisors to determine what could be done from

beyond City Hall to help vulnerable Angelenos, an innovative solution emerged: a philanthropic campaign built around the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles, a nonprofit Garcetti helped start six years before, would partner with other organizations and city departments. Hovering above everything was a lack of trust that the Trump administration would provide a lifeline to all who needed it, including Los Angeles County’s estimated 886,000 undocumented

The Mayor’s Fund is an independent nonprofit, and despite its name, Garcetti has no legal authority over it. Yet the mayor is unquestionably its driver. This has caused skeptics to question whether big-budget donors to the fund are simply seeking to curry favor with the city’s chief executive, particularly if they do business in City Hall or want their voice heard on contentious matters.

Whereas individual donations to Garcetti’s last mayoral campaign were capped at $1,400, publicly available tax

TEAM SPIRIT Mayor Garcetti, (left) and attorney Matt Johnson (right) coordinated with All People’s Community Center executive director Saundra Bryant to distribute COVID relief through the center’s facility near downtown L.A.

residents (according to a January USC Dornsife Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration report).

The Mayor’s Fund was launched in 2014, the year after Garcetti was elected mayor. It followed in the footsteps of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, which was founded in 1994 and served as a key fundraising vehicle after Hurricane Sandy struck in 2012. The Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles is a registered 501(c)(3), which, before the coronavirus, operated out of loaned space in City Hall. It could continue after Garcetti leaves office, should the next mayor choose to utilize it.

records show numerous contributions in recent years to the Mayor’s Fund of $100,000 or more, and some in excess of $1 million.

In the space of eight weeks, the Mayor’s Fund raised an unprecedented $56 million, squeaking by the $54.5 million that the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City pulled in through July 14. But the bigger accomplishment may have been how the money in Los Angeles went back out. The Mayor’s Fund and its partners identified four challenges facing Los Angeles and came up with solutions that complemented existing systems or built new ones.

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Russell Westbrook and musicians Rihanna, Jay Z, Pink, the Jonas Brothers, and DJ Mustard.

Yet celebrities were a tiny minority of those giving. Lind said the donor pool was roughly evenly divided among three sectors: corporations and companies, institutional philanthropic organizations, and families and individuals. Ultimately, more than 10,000 Angelenos gave to the Mayor’s Fund. “We got folks who sent us four one-dollar bills in an envelope,” Lind marvels.

O

F THE FUND’S programs, Project Safe Haven was launched in response to the spike in calls to the city’s domestic violence hotline after the stay-at-home order was issued; victims were often under the same roof as their abusers for extended periods, yet people could not move into shelters for fear of contracting the virus. The team responded by identifying a handful of hotels willing to house the survivors, and negotiated reduced room rates. The Mayor’s Fund covered the cost and paid for additional resources such as grocery cards.

A similar effort was made to help low-income seniors who, before the pandemic, received daily meals at a city senior center or park. With the virus proving especially dangerous to people over 65, this population became homebound almost overnight. The city has a Department of Aging that aids seniors, but it doesn’t deliver food.

The Mayor’s Fund team stepped in, partnering with healthy-meals provider Everytable. During his evening addresses, Garcetti announced the free program and how people could sign up. Everytable soon was delivering ten meals a week to some 12,000 seniors.

The Mayor’s Fund COVID efforts were all intended to be temporary and address problems until they could be permanently resolved. That also came into play with hospitals, which, as ICU beds filled, needed every staff member to step up, even if the employee had a child whose school or daycare center had closed. Although the city does

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ARCETTI ENLISTED longtime allies Rick Jacobs, with whom he started the economic stimulus nonprofit Accelerator for America, and entertainment attorney Matt Johnson, to do the heavy lifting raising money for the Mayor’s Fund. Johnson has deep ties in the entertainment, business, and philanthropic communities. “My initial goal was to raise in the $10 million range,” Johnson says. “The mayor was like, ’We need to think bigger.’”

There were hurdles.

Johnson noted that early in the crisis some wealthy prospective donors mentioned their declining stock portfolios. Yet careful targeting opened doors. Entertainment industry magnates Jeffrey Katzenberg and Bob Iger were key early supporters, as were Casey Wasserman and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. Their involvement persuaded others to give.

Lind says one early donation for the Angeleno Card came from the Calabasasbased Smidt Foundation, SMALL FAVORS Mayor’s Fund CEO Diedre Lind says individual established by Harbor donations—”one-dollar bills in envelopes”—were crucial.

Freight Tools founder Eric Smidt. Its $1 million gift on April 2 reinforced many times over in the greased the wheels for contributions midst of this crisis—convening leaders from other philanthropic organizations. and residents across the city to help our Around this time, Garcetti was hardest-hit families navigate the rough holding nightly televised coronavirus waters of COVID-19 and the resulting briefings, and he took to mentioning economic devastation.” key donors on air. Those name-checked The most notable component of for six- or seven-figure contributions the economic rescue is the Angeleno included Clippers owner Steve Ballmer Card, a no-fee and no-strings-attached and his wife, Connie, and Snapchat debit card for low-income city head Evan Spiegel. Philanthropists Eli residents who lost wages due to the and Edythe Broad were cited, as were COVID crisis. It gave each recipient Bruce Karsh, the head of the financial from $700 to $1,500 (depending on the management firm Oaktree Capital, and number of people in the household), his wife, Martha. On April 23, Garcetti and while there was a stringent revealed the single largest donation: application process, no questions $5 million from the consulate general were asked about immigration status. of Qatar. Days later Snapchat cofounder Altogether, $36.8 million was raised Bobby Murphy and his wife, Kelsey for the Angeleno Card. According Bateman, gave another $5 million. to Diedre Lind, president and CEO Entertainment and sports figures who of the Mayor’s Fund, over half of the participated included basketball star money was spent on food.

This enabled the fund to aid more than 100,000 city residents with services including delivering meals to homebound seniors and helping women fleeing domestic violence.

“Angelenos are better off because of the rapid action, creative strategies, and innovative leadership of the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles,” Garcetti told Los Angeles. “We already understood this organization’s importance before the pandemic, but its value has been

not have a health department (that’s a county government function), the fund established a program in which grants were distributed to 15 hospitals, allowing them to set up childcare so people could work.

“More than 17,000 shifts were covered, prioritizing lower-wage, nonoffice, frontline medical and hospital workers, which could be anything from a nurse technician to the janitorial staff,” Lind says.

The Mayor’s Fund’s greatest accomplishment, as well as the steepest challenge, was the Angeleno Card. Although it sounds simple in concept—apply for card, get free money—the program required extensive strategizing and dealmaking.

As there was no precedent for how to distribute cash to such a large pool SPECIAL DELIVERY The Mayor’s Fund partnered with Everytable feed to 12,000 seniors. of recipients, the fund’s team settled yes time and again. interviews. In eight weeks.” on a debit card, partnering with “L.A. gets knocked a lot for our Ultimately, 37,841 cards were Mastercard’s City Possible program. lack of civic engagement, and this distributed.

The most efficient way to register for was a moment where I felt like our According to the Mayor’s Fund, an Angeleno Card was online, but the city and our civic leaders and business more than 104,000 city residents team needed a phone option for people leaders really stepped up and supported received Angeleno Cards, and 685,000 without internet access. Some 450,000 the broader community,” he says. senior meals were delivered. Lind applications poured in during the three“Everything I have read and seen and says that $50 million of the COVID day window in April; the Los Angeles heard, no other city stepped up in the response money has been allocated. For Housing and Community Investment way that Los Angeles did, and did those involved with Department (HCID) what we did in a very short period of the effort, there’s helped winnow time. Hopefully that puts to bed that another benefit: applicants who lived “L.A. GETS conversation for a while.”

Lind sees the $56 outside the city or KNOCKED FOR million raised as were otherwise a repudiation of ineligible. The OUR LACK OF CIVIC EQUESTERED in Sun long-held assertions tens of thousands ENGAGEMENT, Valley with her mother, about Los Angeles’s of interviews AND THIS WAS A Chalk was exhilarated charitable network, were held in MOMENT WHERE when she learned she had particularly as it Family Source OUR CITY LEADERS qualified for one of the 37,841 Angeleno compares to places Centers—facilities AND BUSINESS Cards. She spent two hours riding a bus like New York City. in 16 low-income LEADERS REALLY to the appointment where a program “L.A. as a region neighborhoods run STEPPED UP.” screener vetted her application. She has been criticized by nonprofits under Attorney Matt Johnson, lead walked out with a $700 card. The monfor not being as contract with the fundraiser for the Mayor’s Fund ey was put to use immediately. philanthropic as city. Tech giant “The day it went through, I literally other urban centers Oracle was recruited went directly to the grocery store and I across the country,” to help schedule think we spent like $400 on groceries,” she says. “We always knew that was interviews and notify applicants. Abigail she says. The haul “lasted us a good two wrong. We knew that philanthropy Marquez, an assistant general manager months, because we made sure to get was happening across the city in all at HCID, says speed was of the essence. dried foods and stuff than can last us different ways, shapes, and forms.”

“Even though there was a for a while.” Speaking to the enduring The point is echoed by Johnson, moratorium on evictions, people uncertainty of the times, she adds: who saw firsthand that when people needed to put food on the table,” “Just in case, you know?” are asked to help their city, they say she says. “We did close to 60,000

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EYEWITNESS

DOREEN AND GARY CROCKER BETWEEN SEVENTH AND EIGHTH > Gary had given Doreen roses that day. Doreen loved to be photographed, and was very generous and open about her life on the street. She has an intense energy that can transform mundane happenstance into a blaze of glory in a photograph. It was very important to both of them that I record their love in a hyper-realistic manner.

That was an amazing day with them and, unfortunately, the last time I was able to photograph Doreen.

» CAPTIONS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY SUZANNE STEIN

THE CITIZENS OF SKID ROW FOR FIVE YEARS, STREET PHOTOGRAPHER SUZANNE STEIN HAS BEEN TELLING THE STORIES OF THE MENTALLY ILL, INTELLECTUALLY CHALLENGED, PERPETUALLY SELF-MEDICATING, AND PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE PEOPLE LIVING IN SKID ROW. BUT IS ANYBODY LISTENING?

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OCIAL MEDIA HAS AN ALGORITHM THAT CENSORS, so it’s only the pleasant things that we see,” says street photographer Suzanne Stein, who has spent the last five years making intimate portraits of homeless people living in Skid Row. “And that’s a serious problem for all of us—that we allow ourselves to be lied to about the most important things. But we’re living in a time now when we need to see the truth.”

Stein, a self-described staunch social realist who was a figurative painter before she discovered photography, was raised by her father in Pennsylvania in the ’70s, one of very few Jewish children in a racist town, and that set her apart. During those years, Stein read about apartheid, slavery, and the holocaust on her own, and discovered W. Eugene Smith’s book of beautiful, horrifying black and white photographs of people with mercury poisoning in Minamata, Japan. “That aesthetic stayed with me.”

But it was when Stein found herself set apart again—broke and raising a young son alone in a wealthy area of Del Mar—that she stumbled upon Skid Row while out for a drive. “I’m not looking to take postcard pictures of people on Skid Row,” she says. “That’s a crock of shit.

Sometimes my camera angles are funky and the people that I photograph are kind of wild and funky and they cut loose and I take pictures of how they are. If you don’t show what their life is really like, then it’s just another big lie.” She adds, “We think of documentary photography as being in Tanzania or Libya or rape victims in the Congo. Well, documentary photography is every bit as important in the United States.” —TRISH DEITCH

CHRISTINE CROCKER NEAR FOURTH > Christine read Baudelaire to me one afternoon on Crocker Street. She’s poetic and creative and used to be seen often with a shopping cart full of flowers.

She had a gray tabby cat that was stolen from her by an unknown thief and the loss haunted her. Her life before Skid Row had been destroyed by severe physical and emotional abuse as a child and a diagnosis of schizophrenia in young adulthood that was never adequately treated. She is impaired by severe paranoia and heroin addiction, and I have been unable to locate her for a long time.

Someone told me she’s currently too dangerous to be in a friendship with, and is living alone beneath a highway overpass.

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JENNIFER SIXTH AND TOWNE > Jennifer was the first person I photographed in a meaningful way on Skid Row. Since then, I’ve routinely checked on her, each time finding her in an increasingly worse state. She once described herself to me as mentally handicapped.

She recounted countless instances of childhood bullying, as well as tremendously violent intimidation in Skid Row. She was robbed regularly by a woman across Towne Avenue, and once returned to find even her tent gone. She was gentle and never raised her voice. The wound in this image is from a woman who flew into a rage one night and attacked her with a knife.

Jennifer has since passed away.

LARRY AND REBEL SPRING BETWEEN SIXTH AND SEVENTH > Four years ago, a man was beating a small dog on San Pedro Street, kicking him repeatedly, causing a head injury that eventually resulted in a permanent raised lump on his skull. Larry intervened, begging to be allowed to take the dog and care for him. Larry managed to rescue Rebel that day, and they’ve been inseparable ever since. Rebel is Larry’s greatest treasure, and Rebel is deeply attached to him.

Larry and Rebel panhandle for extra cash. Larry lost his room in an SRO shortly before lockdown.

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VICTORIA FOURTH AND SAN PEDRO > This was the second time I met Victoria. I had photographed her once before, on the day I met her by chance at the Chinese restaurant at Seventh and Main. On that day she was irresistible and in full performance mode—full of laughter, honest, brazen, and in your face. Then, as usual on Skid Row, she disappeared for weeks. I was overjoyed to literally bump into her at this spot, a block away from the absolute craziness that was Fifth and San Pedro. She was riffing wildly, barely coherent in spots, incessantly smoking, looking almost as if she was headed to the beach, and telling me everything that came into her mind. And then a sudden quiet overtook her, and I was able to photograph her in her beautiful silence. Victoria has helped make Skid Row an easier place for me to navigate safely, as she has introduced me to important people in key spots, telling them to watch out for me. I’m always safe in her presence.

INDIA FIFTH AND MAIN > India is young and strikingly beautiful. She suffers from significant mental illness along with a movement disorder that periodically causes her to display a kaleidoscope of randomly changing facial expressions. These movements cause her to become at times a target of abusive behavior by people who are unable to understand that the behaviors are beyond her control. Along with many others on Skid Row, she is made more vulnerable by her addiction to drugs that she feels alleviate her symptoms. At the time this image was made, India could be seen often walking the streets barefoot, clad in only a T-shirt, unable to perform basic personal care. Additionally, women like India are sexually assaulted on a regular basis. As I took this photo, she spoke to me in a very fragmented manner about her most recent attack, and her distress resulted in a sudden gush of urine that pooled at my feet.

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GENEVINE AND HENRY THIRD BETWEEN LOS ANGELES AND MAIN > Shortly after this picture was made, Genevine and Henry had a disagreement with someone in a nearby tent and were forced to relocate their small homestead for fear of having their belongings set on ďŹ re in the middle of the night while they slept. The couple has taken care of each other on Skid Row for years, even through their battles with opioid addiction.

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BRIDGET FIFTH AND SAN PEDRO > I followed Bridget on a typical day as she rolled through Skid Row with her shopping cart, climbing into dumpsters to sift through horriďŹ c piles of garbage, looking for anything recyclable. It’s an incredible cardio workout, pushing massive amounts of discards through the streets at top speed to get through the neighborhood with as little strife as possible. Bridget lives deep within Skid Row, on a street known for an unlikely assortment of activities: free food for the neighborhood, drug sales, and other awful goings-on that are rarely acknowledged. Bridget works equally hard to keep her tent and its surrounding area squeaky clean and comfortable, and has for years resisted theft, bullying, and numerous attempts to make her life miserably difficult.

Gimme Shelter Nearly 70,000 people are homeless in L.A. County. Here are some local organizations working hard to change that

BY M A L I A M E N D E Z

BELL SHELTER > Bell Shelter is a Salvation Army program offering interim housing and supportive services—including state-licensed substance-abuse treatment and group therapy—to up to 500 homeless people.

The shelter addresses the roots of homelessness by helping people find a higher quality of life through independence. Since many psychiatric hospitals no longer help homeless men and women manage mental illness, Bell Shelter fills that rehabilitation gap. bellshelter.salvationarmy.org.

THE DREAM BUILDERS PROJECT > Listed as a top-rated nonprofit group in 2019 by the national rating organization GreatNonprofits, the Dream Builders provides an array of services, but a staple of its program is its “Care Packages for the Homeless” events. Staff and volunteers assemble bags of 100-plus items, which are then distributed to more than 200 homeless men, women, and children. The bags include food, water, soap, toothpaste, first aid kits, clothing, and information about local shelters and food banks. dbpla.org.

P H OTO ( T H I S PAG E ) CO U R T E SY S U Z A N N E ST E I N

HOLLYWOOD FOOD COALITION > The coalition’s Community Diner has served more than 1.5 million hot meals to the hungry since 1987. There are no breaks for this outfit: nutritious food is provided 365 days a year. On Wednesdays, a health check from the Mobile Clinic Project at UCLA is offered along with dinner. hofoco.org.

JOVENES > This Boyle Heights-based organization was founded in 1990 by good Samaritan Father Richard Estrada, well-known in the ’80s for providing asylum to homeless kids, and for backing the Chicano Rights movement.

Jovenes honors Estrada’s work by helping young people ages 18 to 25 integrate into society—not only by providing basics like housing, healthcare, education, and employ-

ment, but by empowering them through trauma recovery programs. jovenesinc.org.

L.A. FAMILY HOUSING > With 408 units, LAFH is one of the largest housing nonprofits in the country, transitioning more than 400 people into homes each year. Its beginnings were humble: in 1983, it converted a rundown, 40-room motel in North Hollywood into housing for the homeless. Now there’s a new campus on the site of that old motel that includes a health center, facilities for supportive services, and housing for 49 individuals. lafh.org.

ST. FRANCIS CENTER > Since it was founded in 1972, this downtown L.A.-based organization has focused on hunger relief and comprehensive services for homeless and low-income individuals in Los Angeles. In addition to managing a food pantry and youth camps, St. Francis refers people to health- and social-service agencies, and promotes access to opportunities not typically available to those with economic and geographic limitations. Its mission is “serving hope,” which is apt considering its spiritual and material approach to aid. stfranciscenterla.org.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL OF LOS ANGELES > Named after the French saint known for his heroic work with the poor, St. Vincent de Paul of Los Angeles is a Catholic charity with 2,500 volunteers in Southern California.

St. Vincent serves the poor and homeless free of charge, providing food, clothing, furniture, appliances, help with rent, and other forms of financial assistance, with the end goal being self-sufficiency for them and their families. Their Cardinal Manning Center houses 100 men from Skid Row. svdpla.org.

Man on the Street Six out of ten people experiencing homelessness are without housing for the first time.

PEOPLE ASSISTING THE HOMELESS > People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) works in six regions throughout California, using the “Housing First” model, where homeless folks are first given permanent housing, and then offered supportive services. Since 2013, PATH has built nearly 850 housing units and situated more than 3,000 people. With a retention rate of 90 percent, PATH is more successful at putting people in homes than some cities are.

It also offers a reprieve via nine interim shelters. epath.org.

THE PEOPLE CONCERN > This nonprofit, founded in 2016 in a merger between two trusted social service organizations based in L.A. County, offers a variety of services to empower its participants. Last year the agency connected over 6,000 homeless people to services, referrals, and housing resources, and assisted over 1,900 others in finding permanent housing. thepeopleconcern.org.

UNION RESCUE MISSION > For nearly 130 years, Union Rescue Mission (URM) has provided food, shelter, education, counseling, and long-term recovery programs to homeless people on Skid Row. One of the largest rescue missions in America, URM offers four levels of service: outreach, emergency services, transformation, and restoration. URM has recently partnered with Wells Fargo to fund Hope Gardens Family Center, a transitional housing campus that helps single women and their children transition from homelessness to independence in 12 to 36 months. urm.org.

WEINGART CENTER > Weingart helps more than 40,000 people a year. Whether it’s homelessness, addiction, or mental illness, there’s a program. The center is run by Kevin Murray, formerly a state senator and William Morris executive, who knows how to wrangle financial support. That means comprehensive and tailored services and an open door policy that allows walk-ins. Special touches include a clothing boutique with professional attire to help ace that job interview. weingart.org. Q

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LOS ANGELES NEEDS YOU! THERE'S A LOT WE CAN DO TO HELP OUR COMMUNITIES. HERE ARE SOME LOCAL CHARITIES THAT WILL WELCOME YOUR TIME OR YOUR MONEY

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F T H E R E WAS ever a time to pay it forward, it’s now. Angelenos are losing their jobs and homes, struggling to feed themselves and their families, facing wildfires, and sleeping on the streets in unprecedented numbers. The situation may feel overwhelming, but remember the proverb “He who saves one life, saves the entire world”—donating just a few hours of your time, a few pieces of clothing, or a few dollars can bring a measure of help and hope to your neighbors.

FI ND YOUR CAUS E

> L.A. Works aggregates volunteer opportunities with the goal of increasing community-service participation and addressing the myriad social issues affecting Angelenos. The many options offered through L.A. Works include mentoring low-income high school students, planting trees, chatting with senior citizens over the phone, participating in virtual Zoomba classes for special-needs youth, serving meals to the homeless, supporting COVID-19 testing, or advocating for racial justice (like the nonprofit’s MLK Day—a series of virtual and interactive events taking place January 18). If you’re feeling a desire to help but aren’t sure where to start, L.A. Works will help you find your cause. laworks.com.

PU T T H AT S PR I NG CLEANI NG T O G O OD US E

SALVATION ARMY SALVATION ARMY Xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx

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> Stuck at home, many of us have become compulsive reorganizers finally confronting that age-old question, Do I really need those old skates? Instead of tossing the stuff in the back of your closet, consider donating it to the Salvation Army. Founded in 1865, the venerable charity accepts donations of all kinds, including clothes, home appliances, TVs, furniture, bicycles, DVDs, household goods—even your car. You get a tax write-off for your donations, which are then sold at the Salvation Army’s thrift stores, with the proceeds supporting individuals and families affected by substance abuse. You can drop your things off or schedule a free pickup. satruck.org

SA LVAT I O N A R M Y: A L S E I B / LO S A N G E L E S T I M E S V I A G E T T Y I M AG E S ; L . A . WO R K S : J O R DA N R A M AY

W H E R E TO VO LU N T E E R

» STORY BY ANDREW DUBBINS

L.A. WORKS

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supplies through contactless drop-off at their Los Angeles headquarters. Financial donations can also be made online.

5830 W. Jefferson Blvd., Culver City, baby2baby.org.

C ON T R I BUT E T O C OV I D-19 R E LI E F

> Blood may not be the first thing you think to donate, but it may be the most valuable. According to the Red Cross, someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds—for a surgery, cancer treatment, traumatic injury, or chronic illness—and one donation can save up to three lives. The Red Cross is also seeking individuals who’ve recovered from COVID-19 to donate plasma, which may contain antibodies that can help critically ill patients. Visit the Red Cross’s website to make an appointment to donate or find volunteer opportunities. redcross.org.

M E N T OR A FOST E R CH I LD

> These uncertain times are particularly frightening for the more than 30,000 children in L.A. living in foster care. Many have been shuffled among homes, have suffered abuse and ne-

CASA

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FREE ARTS

glect, and lack parental guidance, medical care, and a proper education. Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Los Angeles mobilizes volunteers to support these vulnerable children.

Volunteers are matched with a child whom they help navigate issues involving education, health, and permanent placement. Visit CASA’s website to sign up as a volunteer. casala.org.

T EAC H K I DS T H E ARTS

> At Free Arts, volunteers help put together events and workshops in a safe space where abused children can express themselves artistically. Own a surplus of art supplies? Check the wish list of items needed. 11099 S. La Cienega Blvd., Ste. 235, Westchester, freearts.org.

D ONAT E BABY ESS E N T I AL S

> Baby2Baby provides mothers of infants living in poverty with basic supplies.

The organization has launched nationwide disaster relief efforts for families impacted by the pandemic. Since March, they’ve distributed over 35 million items to address families’ most critical needs. Baby2Baby is currently accepting product donations including diapers, wipes, formula, hygiene items, and school

DE LI V E R M EAL S T O S E NIORS

> Senior centers used to provide a place for older folks to have meals together, but the pandemic has forced these centers to close. As a result, there’s a tremendous need for food delivery.

For over 41 years, St. Vincent's Meals on Wheels has been packing and delivering meals to the most vulnerable members of society who are unable to leave their homes or who live below the poverty line. Volunteer your time by helping prepare meals, assemble groceries, load vehicles, and deliver food to the homebound. stvincentmow.org.

CR EAT E CAR E K I TS FOR T HOS E I N NE E D

> People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) serves over 20 percent of California’s homeless population by helping them find permanent housing. Since 2013, they have connected more than 9,000 people to permanent homes. This year, the organization is asking volunteers to assemble care kits at home and then drop them off at its headquarters.

Supplies needed include sanitizers, coldweather clothing, blankets, personal hygiene items, and nonperishable snacks.

In addition to donating care kits, you can visit PATH’s website to explore additional volunteer opportunities. epath.org.

I M PROV E T H E LI V ES OF HOM E LESS WOM E N

> For 42 years, Downtown Women’s Center has focused on housing, feeding, and serving the needs of homeless

CO U R T E SY O F F R E E A R TS ; CO U R T E SY O F C A SA

FIGH T H U NGE R

> Hunger was an issue before the pandemic, but now it’s a crisis. The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank has gone from serving 300,000 people per month to 900,000. Established in 1973, the food bank collects food and other products from hundreds of resources and distributes them through charities and direct giving to Angelenos in need. Over the past half-century, the food bank has distributed more than 1.2 billion pounds of food in addition to providing monetary donations. The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is seeking volunteers to pack food at its warehouses or distribute food across L.A. County. lafoodbank.org.

BE C OM E A T UT OR

> The Joseph Learning Lab mobilizes volunteers to tutor low-income elementary school students, a population that is particularly at risk of falling behind during the coronavirus crisis. Volunteers help kids with homework and core courses in 90-minute online sessions to help keep them on track, close the learning gap, reduce dropout rates, and ensure equal opportunities. josephlearninglab.org.

women in Los Angeles. Although onsite volunteering has been suspended for now, the center urgently needs donations such as cleaning supplies, toiletries, snack packs, and gift cards to downtown grocery stores. You can either mail the items to the center or visit the organization’s website to schedule a contactless drop-off. downtownwomenscenter.org.

FE E D T H E HOM E LESS

> Los Angeles Mission has been offering shelter, food, and support to homeless Angelenos since its founding in 1936. Before the pandemic, the organization was giving out 50 to 100 food boxes a week; now it’s up to 200. The mission welcomes donations of canned food and dried goods. Drop-offs can be made at the mission’s warehouse.

351 S. Anderson St., downtown, losangelesmission.org.

fighters who are battling to protect our homes and save lives. supportlafd.shop.

CRAS H W I T H A PU PPY

> Maybe you're feeling lonely and isolated while working from home. Why not take in a dog or kitten? Organizations such as L.A. Animal Services or Best Friends have foster programs where you can give a temporary home to orphaned kittens and puppies, shy or fearful animals, or nursing pets. You’ll help socialize them as they await adop-

FI ND YOUR FOR EV E R PE T

> Though currently closed to the public, Wallis Annenberg Pet Space is still hosting pet adoptions by appointment only. You can view all the adorable kitties and pups that need homes on the organization's website. After a 20-minute phone consultation, they’ll set up an inperson or virtual meet-and-greet with your cat or dog. Pet Space doesn't stop there: it hosts a variety of pet-training classes from basic socialization to agility courses. The volunteer program will

SUPP ORT BLAC K MO T H E RS

> Black Women for Wellness was launched in 1997 by a group of women concerned about the health and wellbeing of Black infants. The L.A. nonprofit’s first project was connecting mentors and pregnant women, who were then coached through pregnancy and their baby’s first year. Since then, the organization has expanded to offer programs in healthy cooking, diabetes prevention, sex education, and STD prevention. To support its mission to build healthy communities of Black women and girls, visit bwwla.org.

CO U R T E SY WA L L I S A N N E N B E R G P E TS PAC E

E Q U I P FI R E FIGH T E RS

> With record-breaking wildfires ravaging California, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation is selling Tshirts to raise money for badly needed equipment. Ninety-seven percent of the fire department’s budget is dedicated to personnel, which leaves only three percent to cover the cost of equipment like thermal-imaging cameras, helmets, and hydration backpacks and bottles.

The nonprofit Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation works to provide these essentials, as well as new technology and firefighter training that would otherwise go unfunded. By purchasing a T-shirt or hat on the organization’s website, you’ll help support LAFD fire-

WALLIS ANNENBERG PET SPACE

tion, providing them a respite from the loud, chaotic, overcrowded shelter environment. You can volunteer to foster a litter of kittens for two weeks or spend the holidays with a wise old dog. laanimalservices.com and bestfriends.org.

WAL K A D O G

> Paw s/ L . A . focuses on promoting the bonds between humans and animals by helping elderly people and those with life-threatening disabilities care for their furry friends. Walk dogs, foster an animal, or deliver pet food. 2121 S. Flower St., downtown, pawsla.org.

resume as soon as authorities say it’s safe. annenbergpetspace.org.

GI V E FOR M E R GANG M E M BE RS A S E C OND CHANCE

> In 1988, Father Greg Boyle was the pastor of East L.A.’s Dolores Catholic Church. Boyle was troubled by gang activity in his community and across L.A., so he created Homeboy Industries to help former gang members find jobs and reenter society. Homeboy offers an 18-month employment program, mental health services, and substance abuse support. To make a donation or L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S 27

explore volunteer opportunities, visit their website. homeboyindustries.org.

CLEAN UP T H E L.A. R I V E R

> Since its inception in 1986, Friends of the L.A. River hosts an annual river cleanup that has drawn over 50,000 volunteers who have filled hundreds of dumpsters with waste. Become a docent and help with political advocacy and tours, or teach children about the historic importance of this waterway. folar.org.

CITY YEAR

GAR DE N FOR G O OD

GROWGOOD

generations will have a healthy planet to roam. patagonia.com/actionworks.

SU PP ORT T H E L GBT Q C OM M U N I T Y

> Established in 1969, the Los Angeles LGBT Center is dedicated to providing health services, housing, social services, education, and advocacy for the queer community. During the pandemic, the center has launched a phone service called the Hello Club, where volunteers check in with community members who may feel isolated. There are also opportunities to volunteer as a mentor to an LGBTQ young person or donate money to support initiatives. lalgbtcenter.org.

28 L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA NG E L E S

T EAC H YOU R C H I L DR E N W E L L

> Founded in 1988, City Year is on a mission to get young adults amped about national service. The nonprofit works with AmeriCorps members who are passionate about social justice through educational equality, leadership skills, mentorship, and supporting the social emotional needs of students. Throughout their year of service in L.A., corps members are placed in one of 25 elementary, middle, and high schools in Inglewood and Los Angeles. cityyear.org/los-angeles.

H E L P W I T H L E GAL AI D

T RAV E L E T H ICAL LY

> Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) is a nonprofit law firm that provides free services to more than 100,000 people across L.A. County.

LAFLA’s team of attorneys and paralegals offer counsel on issues such as domestic violence, employment, eviction defense, housing, homelessness, and immigration. To help the organization continue to provide these pro bono services, visit LAFLA’s website. lafla.org.

> L.A.-based leather travel accessories company Velé is committed to ethical production, and also donates ten percent of their earnings to a nonprofit partner that fights human trafficking. thisisvele.com.

H E L P SAV E T H E PLANE T

> Humanity is facing a climate change catastrophe. L.A.-based clothing and accessories brand Patagonia has a tool on its website called Patagonia Action Works that helps folks find local environmental organizations—such as SoCal 350 Climate Action, California Wildlife Center, Heal the Bay, or Friends of the Los Angeles River— where they can volunteer, sign petitions, or donate money to ensure future

models such as Gigi Hadid and Alessandra Ambrossio. Celebs use the hashtag on social media to spread the word. nphilanthropy.com.

BE FAS H ION C ONS C IOUS

> The founder of the L.A.-based women’s wear brand n:Philanthropy, Yvonne Niami, gives ten percent of net proceeds to a variety of local charities like Children’s Hospital L.A. and the ASPCA. Niami’s line of tees, bodysuits, and dresses—along with her #giveadamn program—have earned her a solid following among actresses like Gal Gadot and Zoe Saldana, and

C R EAT E OPP ORT U NI T ES FOR O T H E RS

> Raan and Shea Parton, the brothers behind the menswear brand Apolis, are using their business to create social change. Their model, which they call “advocacy through industry,” is based on sourcing products from companies who use Fair Trade practices and who are enriching the lives of the artisans they employ—for instance, providing literary and nutrition classes in Bangladesh and offering job placement for women in Ethiopia. Through their Local + Global Projects, each item tells a story. apolisglobal.com.

G R OWG O O D : YA S M I N A L I S H AV; C I T Y Y E A R LO S A N G E L E S

> Sustainability meets charity at this urban farm located at Bell Shelter, a homeless care facility. Flex your green thumb and help feed those in need. If getting your hands dirty isn’t for you, GrowGood is always looking for people to run outreach, provide program support, and help fundraise. 5600 Mansfield Way, Bell, grow-good.org.

Give Thanks

BIG SUNDAY

If you're looking for ways to share your blessings this Thanksgiving, check out these local charities

BY I SA B E L SA M I

UNION RESCUE MISSION > Each year on Thanksgiving, hundreds of volunteers flock to feed the people of Skid Row. The Union Rescue Mission (URM), which serves an average of 2,300 meals each day to the homeless, is currently looking for volunteers to serve this year's holiday meal. URM also operates a thrift store in Covina that needs volunteers to sort clothing and organize items. Volunteers are required to follow safety and social distancing guidelines at all events.

545 S. San Pedro St., downtown, 213-347-6300, urm.org.

B I G S U N DAY: B I L L D E V L I N

FOOTHILL UNITY CENTER > Pasadena’s Foothill Unity Center hosts an annual food distribution event to provide families with everything they need to cook their own traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

This year the program (which also includes serving lunch to homeschooled children and assisting pet owners with feeding their four-legged friends) will be altered to keep all volunteers six feet apart, but the center says their mission can't be stopped. In 2019, the organization provided 7,525 bagged lunches to homeless men and women. The center also assists individuals in finding jobs and homes. 191 N. Oak Ave., Pasadena, 626-584-7420, foothillunitycenter.org.

FOOTHILL UNITY CENTER

BIG SUNDAY > Since 1999, this faith-based organization has held an annual "Thanksgiving Stuffing" event, where volunteers feed those in need.

(It will be held this year on November 22.)

Also, on November 1, the group will post a list of hundreds of ways you can help during the holiday season. It continues to accept no-contact food donations at its Melrose headquarters. bigsunday.org.

CENTRAL CITY NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERS > Central City Neighborhood Partners (CCNP) feeds approximately 90 to 150 families every two weeks. The nonprofit is a collaboration of over 20 agencies that focus on providing resources for lowincome families and communities.

The CCNP also hosts a phone bank; volunteers can download an app and make calls on behalf of the organization for food and financial assistance. 501 S. Bixel St., Westlake, 213-482-8618, info@laccnp.org.

WEST SIDE FOOD BANK > While the Westside Food Bank in Santa Monica (WSFB) is not currently accepting in-person volunteers due to COVID restrictions, the nonprofit is holding a virtual holiday turkey drive and asking for donations from corporations, grocery retailers, local farms, faith-based institutions, and neighborhood groups for bulk produce and pantry items. Individuals are encouraged to start an independent food drive, and the WSFB website has information on exactly what goods are needed most at this time. wsfb.org.

MANNA FOOD BANK > Manna Food Bank feeds an average of 1,400 people per month, which is impressive since it operates out of a 700-square-foot house in the Conjeo Valley. The small staff works alongside dozens of volunteers who bag groceries and organize donations. Individuals and families place their orders for groceries with a volunteer, and then pick up when ready. While closed on Thanksgiving Day, Manna is looking for volunteers to help during the week, and will be open before and after the holiday. 3020 Crescent Way, Thousand Oaks, 805-497-4959, mannaconejo.org.

L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S 2 9

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THE BAIL PROJECT Mission ;OL )HPS 7YVQLJ[ PZ H UH[PVUHS UVUWYVÄ[ VU H TPZZPVU [V JVTIH[ THZZ PUJHYJLYH[PVU I` [YHUZMVYTPUN [OL WYL[YPHS Z`Z[LT HJYVZZ [OL < : 6\Y JVTT\UP[` IHZLK [LHTZ ^VYR ^P[O SVJHS WHY[ULYZ [V WH` IHPS MVY [OV\ZHUKZ VM SV^ PUJVTL WLVWSL LHJO `LHY YLK\JPUN [OL O\THU Z\MMLYPUN JH\ZLK I` \UHMMVYKHISL JHZO IHPS YLZ[VYPUN [OL WYLZ\TW[PVU VM PUUVJLUJL HUK I\PSKPUN VU [OL ^VYR VM NYHZZYVV[Z TV]LTLU[Z MVY KLJHYJLYH[PVU 0U 3VZ (UNLSLZ ^L»YL WHY[ULYPUN ^P[O [OL 3 ( *V\U[` 7\ISPJ +LMLUKLY HUK <*3( 3H^»Z *YPTPUHS 1\Z[PJL 7YVNYHT [V WYV]PKL MYLL IHPS HZZPZ[HUJL [V SV^ PUJVTL YLZPKLU[Z 0U HKKP[PVU [V WH`PUN IHPS MVY V\Y JSPLU[Z ^L WYV]PKL [OLT ^P[O JV\Y[ KH[L YLTPUKLYZ [YHUZWVY[H[PVU HZZPZ[HUJL HUK YLMLYYHSZ [V ZVJPHS ZLY]PJL WHY[ULYZ >L HSZV JVSSLJ[ KH[H HUK Z[VYPLZ [V Z\WWVY[ HK]VJHJ` HUK Z`Z[LTPJ YLMVYT ;OYV\NO [OLZL LMMVY[Z ^L ZLLR [V [YHUZMVYT WYL[YPHS Q\Z[PJL MVY NLULYH[PVUZ VM (TLYPJHUZ [V JVTL IYPUNPUN \Z VUL Z[LW JSVZLY [V LUKPUN THZZ PUJHYJLYH[PVU HUK YHJPHS HUK LJVUVTPJ KPZWHYP[PLZ PU [OL < : JYPTPUHS SLNHS Z`Z[LT

How you can help ,]LY` KVSSHY PU]LZ[LK PU ;OL )HPS 7YVQLJ[»Z 5H[PVUHS 9L]VS]PUN )HPS -\UK JHU IL YLJ`JSLK! VUJL H JHZL PZ JSVZLK HUK IHPS M\UKZ HYL YL[\YULK ^L JHU YL\ZL [OVZL M\UKZ [V WVZ[ IHPS MVY HUV[OLY JSPLU[ HWWYV_PTH[LS` [^V [PTLZ WLY `LHY ;OL )HPS 7YVQLJ[»Z ^VYR PZ THKL WVZZPISL [OHURZ [V [OL NLULYV\Z Z\WWVY[ VM [OV\ZHUKZ VM PUKP]PK\HS KVUVYZ HJYVZZ [OL < : HUK HYV\UK [OL ^VYSK ;OPZ OVSPKH` ZLHZVU `V\ JHU NP]L [OL NPM[ VM MYLLKVT =PZP[ bailproject.org/losangeles HUK ILJVTL H KVUVY [VKH` 3 0 L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S

P.O. Box 750 Venice, CA 90294 (323) 366-0799 bailproject.org

bailproject.org/losangeles

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CITY YEAR LOS ANGELES Mission We believe every child has the right to an education that enables them [V M\SÄSS [OLPY M\SS WV[LU[PHS @L[ ^L RUV^ [OH[ THU` `V\UN WLVWSL SP]PUN PU Z`Z[LTPJHSS` \UKLY YLZV\YJLK JVTT\UP[PLZ MHJL IHYYPLYZ [OH[ RLLW [OLT MYVT ZOV^PUN \W [V ZJOVVS YLHK` [V SLHYU (UK [OL WHUKLTPJ OHZ VUS` L_HJLYIH[LK [OL PULX\P[PLZ [OH[ V]LY^OLSTPUNS` PTWHJ[ Z[\KLU[Z VM JVSVY·[OL Z[\KLU[Z PU V\Y WHY[ULY ZJOVVSZ >L ^VYR [V JYLH[L LK\JH[PVUHS LX\P[` I` WSHJPUN `V\UN HK\S[Z PU W\ISPJ ZJOVVSZ [V ^VYR HSVUNZPKL [LHJOLYZ HZ Z[\KLU[ Z\JJLZZ JVHJOLZ *P[` @LHY (TLYP*VYWZ TLTILYZ [\[VY Z[\KLU[Z VUL VU VUL VY PU ZTHSS NYV\WZ OLSW Z[\KLU[Z Z[H` MVJ\ZLK PU JSHZZ VYNHUPaL ZJOVVS ^PKL L]LU[Z HUK Y\U HM[LYZJOVVS WYVNYHTZ [OH[ LUOHUJL ZJOVVS J\S[\YL )` WYPVYP[PaPUN OPNO ZJOVVSZ ^P[O SV^ NYHK\H[PVU YH[LZ HUK [OL LSLTLU[HY` HUK TPKKSL ZJOVVSZ [OH[ MLLK PU[V [OLT *P[` @LHY ^VYRZ [V PUJYLHZL [OL U\TILY VM Z[\KLU[Z ^OV NYHK\H[L MYVT OPNO ZJOVVS *P[` @LHY (TLYP*VYWZ TLTILYZ OLSW Z[\KLU[Z I\PSK VU [OLPY Z[YLUN[OZ HUK J\S[P]H[L ZVJPHS LTV[PVUHS HUK HJHKLTPJ ZRPSSZ ZV [OL` JHU HJOPL]L [OLPY NVHSZ·ILJH\ZL ^OLU Z[\KLU[Z YPZL ^L HSS YPZL

How you can help *P[` @LHY»Z OVSPZ[PJ HWWYVHJO OHZ TLHZ\YHISL PTWHJ[ 7HY[ULY ZJOVVSZ HYL [^V [V [OYLL [PTLZ TVYL SPRLS` [V PTWYV]L VU Z[H[L HZZLZZTLU[Z PU ,UNSPZO HUK TH[O [OHU ZPTPSHY ZJOVVSZ ^P[OV\[ *P[` @LHY (KKP[PVUHSS` YLJLU[ YLZLHYJO MYVT 1VOUZ /VWRPUZ <UP]LYZP[` MV\UK [OL TVYL [PTL H Z[\KLU[ ZWLUKZ ^VYRPUN ^P[O H *P[` @LHY (TLYP*VYWZ TLTILY [OL IL[[LY [OLPY V\[JVTLZ UV[ VUS` PU [OL YLSH[LK Z\IQLJ[ I\[ HSZV PU H[[LUKHUJL 32 L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S

@V\Y KVUH[PVU ^PSS IL TH[JOLK VUL [V VUL ^P[O W\ISPJ M\UKPUN HUK NVLZ KPYLJ[S` [V OLSWPUN \Z WYV]PKL [OV\ZHUKZ VM Z[\KLU[Z ^P[O [OL HJHKLTPJ Z\WWVY[ HUK [YHUZMVYTH[PVUHS YLSH[PVUZOPWZ [OL` ULLK [V [OYP]L Visit cityyear.la/donate [V NP]L [VKH`

606 South Olive Street, 2nd Floor Los Angeles, CA 90014 (213) 596-5907 cityyear.la

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A Los Angeles Trade Tech College student learns about the history and legacy of housing discrimination practices during the Undesign the Redline exhibit. Photo by Leroy Hamilton

3 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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HOUSING | EQUITY | INCLUSION 36: (5.,3,: 0: ( *0;@ 90*/ 05 +0=,9:0;@·6- *<3;<9, -66+ 9,*9,(;065 (5+ /,90;(., 6<9 ),(;05. /,(9; 0: 6<9 7,673, ;6.,;/,9 >, (9, -(*05. ( 36; 6- <7/,(=(3·( 7<)30* /,(3;/ *90:0: ,*65640* +0:7(90;0,: (5+ ( *<3;<9(3 :/0-; 0;»: .605. ;6 ;(2, (33 6- <: ;6.,;/,9 ;6 -(*, (5+ 6=,9*64, ;/,:, */(33,5.,: (5+ 9,)<03+ ( *0;@ ;/(;»: ),;;,9 -69 ,=,9@65, ,:7,*0(33@ 6<9 46:; =<35,9()3, 5,0./)69:

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Photo Credit: Enterprise Community Partners

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L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S 35

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LA’s BEST Mission LA’s BEST Afterschool Enrichment Program plays a vital role in the lives of unique and talented elementary school students and their families who come from neighborhoods with the fewest resources yet the greatest needs. Employing over 2,000 staff and providing services for thousands of families, LA’s BEST has been a pillar of Los Angeles’s infrastructure since 1988.

When schools closed earlier this year, we had to abruptly halt our robust after-school enrichment programming and focus on meeting the community’s immediate needs and connecting virtually with our students, families, and staff. We pivoted to supporting the LAUSD Beyond The Bell Grab & Go Food Distribution Centers—creating safe, fun, and educational online engagement and increasing staff training.

Now we are focusing on the social and emotional connection between V\Y Z[\KLU[Z HUK Z[HMM [V ÄNO[ [OL LMMLJ[Z VM PZVSH[PVU ^OPJO JHU damage the healthy development of young children. This connection is critical to maintaining a strong foundation built on positive social relationships and the ability to respond to challenges.

We are grateful to our board of directors for championing our work: Adam Deromedi, Alberto Diaz, Christopher D. Dusseault, Trudi Ferguson, Neal Fraser, Ruben Gonzalez, Eric Gurna, Peter Hidalgo, Gerald L. Katell, Lyndal Larkin, Heather Lord, Jawaad Malik, Damián Mazzotta, Mary Odell, Dakota Ortiz, Kelechi Ogbunamiri, Samira Poulos, The Honorable Richard J. Riordan, Juan Rodriguez, June Sale, Teresa Samaniego, Cameron Strang, David Travers, Efren Vasquez, and Robert L. Wicke.

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

How you can help You can help students develop and maintain a social and emotional connection that will help them and their families—now and for generations. A $250 donation can help staff develop virtual age- and culturally appropriate social and emotional activities to engage students.

Your donation of $500 can help train four staff in social emotional learning to reach 40 students. With generous support of $1,000, you can help grow our online community that provides parents with useful resources. Together, we can heal Los Angeles by supporting social and emotional connections with children that will have a sustained impact.

200 North Spring Street, Suite M-120 Los Angeles, CA 90012 (213) 978-0801 lasbest.org

Social & Emotional Connections

Supporting Students

Fighting isolation by virtually connecting trained staff with young students to nurture their resilience and strength.

Now and as they lead lives full of choices.

LAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s BEST Afterschool Enrichment Program plays a vital role in the lives of unique and talented elementary school students and their families who come from neighborhoods with the fewest resources yet the greatest needs.

Donate today! www.LAsBEST.org lasbest@lacity.org | 213.978.0801 | #LAsBESTafterschool

Photo Credit: CORE

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L.A. WORKS Mission For 30 years, L.A. Works has been passionate about producing volunteer opportunities that create an equitable, diverse and thriving 3VZ (UNLSLZ )\[ PU [PTLZ SPRL [OLZL ^L YLJVNUPaL OV^ KPMÄJ\S[ [OH[ can be. The pandemic has forced us to adjust to a new normal. The growing social justice movement requires us to take a hard look at why equality in our community does not truly exist.

It is time to take action.

As Los Angeles’ largest volunteer action center, we have the opportunity to truly create change in our community. But we can only do it together—even when we are physically apart. Each year, we mobilize tens of thousands of volunteers through unique community service programming because we believe service unites diverse communities and inspires a culture of stewardship and compassion.

Through virtual and remote opportunities, socially distanced in-person service, and online advocacy bootcamps, L.A. Works offers ways for Angelenos to volunteer their time and become advocates for change.

How you can help The pandemic has compounded the issues of homelessness, food insecurity, and education inequality. Our mobilization efforts have not slowed down, though, as L.A. Works remains committed to helping the most vulnerable in our community.

Visit laworks.com for a calendar of remote and virtual signature projects; a database of longer-term programs and skilled volunteering such as providing interpretation services for immigrants or grant writing for nonprofits; and turn-key business solutions for corporations engaging in service projects.

Your support will give more Angelenos the skills, resources, and opportunities necessary to be empowered and succeed in this increasingly uncertain time.

3 8 L A M AG . C O M/G I V E L O SA N G E L E S

570 West Avenue 26 Suite 400 Los Angeles, CA 90065 (323) 224-6510 laworks.com

THANK YOU, VOLUNTEERS! From drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites to wellness checks on seniors, L.A. Works is proud to support the thousands of frontline volunteers who have worked tirelessly to serve our community during this uncertain time.

A special thank you to the following organizations for their COVID-19 support.

laworks.com/donate Facebook: @laworks

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Instagram: @laworksnow

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Twitter: @laworksnow

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PLEDGELA Mission Now more than ever, companies are looking for ways to make real progress when it comes to addressing persistent challenges around diversity and equity in their businesses. PledgeLA, a partnership IL[^LLU [OL (UULUILYN -V\UKH[PVU [OL 3 ( TH`VY»Z VMÄJL HUK TVYL [OHU [LJO JVTWHUPLZ HUK ]LU[\YL JHWP[HS ÄYTZ PU 3VZ (UNLSLZ OHZ committed to doing just that.

How are they doing this? Each of PledgeLA’s members, including companies like Cornerstone OnDemand, Fernish, Honey, Snap, Soylent, sweetgreen, Tastemade, The Bouqs, and many others, commit to measuring their progress with an annual survey tracking key metrics of diversity, equity, and community engagement. The survey platform, Pluto, not only tracks employees’ demographics, but captures their qualitative feedback on internal initiatives and concerns.

This data is very useful, but only if put into action. That’s why the platform includes tailored plans to help companies understand their unique gaps, strengths, and challenges—empowering them to create data-driven strategy they can share with their team. While VUS` TLTILY JVTWHUPLZ OH]L HJJLZZ [V [OLPY ZWLJPÄJ KH[H JVSSLJ[P]L responses are anonymized to create an annual snapshot of L.A. tech.

How you can help In 2020, many organizations began to have real conversations about diversity and equity in the workplace for the first time. But conversations are not enough. It requires action and a clear commitment to accountability from leadership for results. Is your company ready to join a collective of organizations committed to ensuring that L.A.’s tech sector is the most equitable and diverse in the nation?

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

Visit PledgeLA.org to learn how you can get involved. Our programs, designed to accelerate access, are open to all L.A.-based tech companies and VC firms that want to join in this important work.

2000 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1000S Los Angeles, CA 90067 pledgela.org

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WALLIS ANNENBERG PETSPACE Mission The greatest gift one can experience is the love of a companion animal. This is the cornerstone of the mission of Wallis Annenberg PetSpace, which is dedicated to promoting and strengthening the human-animal bond through pet adoption, educational programming, and an academic leadership institute.

Despite the challenges of COVID-19, Annenberg PetSpace remains devoted to supporting the Los Angeles community through safe, socially distanced dog and cat adoptions. We maintain connections with these adopters to offer ongoing support on their pet parenting journey. Additionally, we offer training classes, workshops, and educational programs to animal lovers of all ages. These programs MVJ\Z VU [OL ILULĂ&#x201E;[Z VM JHUPUL HUK MLSPUL JVTWHUPVUZOPW HZ ^LSS HZ other small animals including birds, reptiles, and small mammals.

As we spend more time at home, there are more opportunities to welcome in an adoptable pet. For those looking to give back, this holiday season is the ideal time to adopt an animal in need. You will quickly discover that by giving them affection and attention, you will get so much more in return.

How you can help Readers can help us accomplish our goal by giving a home to a wonderful pet in need. Time spent with a dog or cat is never wasted, and by opening your hearts to a new friend, you give them an incredible new chance at life.

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If you are unable to adopt, there are chances to foster a pet in your home for a shorter time to help us understand their needs and personalities. Volunteering opportunities are also available on-site.

Join us in learning about and celebrating the human-animal bond through our online and in-person educational programming. Discover more at annenbergpetspace.org.

12005 Bluff Creek Drive Playa Vista, CA 90094 (424) 384-1801 info@annenbergpetspace.org annenbergpetspace.org

Give a Dog or Cat a Forever Home A loving home with caring pet parents is the greatest gift of all.

Annenberg PetSpace is offering pet adoptions while social distancing.

Connect with an Adoption Specialist to begin the process now.

Schedule an appointment today!

12005 Bluff Creek Dr. Čź Playa Vista, CA Čź annenbergpetspace.org

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HFS ADOPTION & FOSTER CARE Mission For over 70 years HFS Adoption & Foster Care has placed children in loving homes through our pillar programs: infant adoption, fost-adoption, and foster care. Embracing the values of diversity and inclusion, we have a comprehensive program for parents interested in adoption or foster care that includes orientation, application, training, home study, matching and placement, and post-placement.

How you can help Donate to our cause, become a sponsor for our initiatives, consider becoming a resource parent, or be an advocate. Your financial gift will help transform a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life and make it possible for them to become a part of a forever family.

840 Echo Park Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90026 (213) 202-3900 | info@hfs.org | hfs.org Instagram: hfsadopt | Facebook: hfsadopt

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LA FAMILY HOUSING Mission LA Family Housing helps people transition out of homelessness and poverty through a continuum of housing enriched with supportive services. A leader in the community for 37 years, we are one of the largest homeless service providers and real estate developers in Los Angeles. Each year we help more than 11,000 people transition out of homelessness and poverty.

How you can help Children and adults experiencing homelessness are struggling in new and profound ways due to COVID-19. When you give to LA Family Housing, you’re standing by the belief that housing is a human right.

While we are helping more people than ever before, with millions of families facing unemployment, eviction and homelessness due to the pandemic—we must do more.

With your generous support, we will protect our vulnerable neighbors from COVID-19 and help more people living outdoors move home. Thank you for joining us in the movement to end homelessness in Los Angeles.

7843 Lankershim Boulevard North Hollywood, CA 91605 (818) 770-8367 lafh.org

WE MOVED 700+ PEOPLE INTO SHORT-TERM HOUSING DURING COVID-19.

HELP US MOVE THEM

HOME for good.

ESSENTIAL PEOPLE. ESSENTIAL WORK.

DONATE AT LAFH.ORG

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Q&A

Author and Historian Nina Ansary on the Importance of Giving Back.

PHOTO BY TOMAS SKARINGA. MAKEUP AND SET DESIGN BY AGNE SKARINGA. BOOK COVER: ARTWORK BY LEYLI RASHIDI RAUF.

As we put 2020 behind us and move into a new year, Nina Ansary talks to Los Angeles magazine about her philanthropic journey and her hopes and aspirations moving into 2021.

L.A.! @V\ KVUH[LK WLYJLU[ VM WYVJLLKZ VM IV[O `V\Y Ã&#x201E;YZ[ IVVR Jewels of Allah HUK `V\Y ZLJVUK IVVR Anonymous Is a Woman to organizations that support women and human rights. What fuels your commitment?

N.A.: The essence of what fuels my commitment is being able to JVU[YPI\[L UV[ VUS` [OYV\NO [OL ^YP[[LU ^VYK I\[ HSZV PU H ^H` [OH[ LUHISLZ TLHUPUNM\S HJ[PVU HUK SHZ[PUN JOHUNL /V^L]LY I\PSKPUN a sustainable infrastructure requires long-term core funding.

5V^ TVYL [OHU L]LY [OVZL ^OV OH]L [OL HIPSP[` [V NP]L OH]L H responsibility to support causes close to their heart.

L.A.: Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next for 2021?

N.A! 0»T PU [OL TPKZ[ VM LZ[HISPZOPUN H MV\UKH[PVU [OH[ ^V\SK WYV]PKL educational opportunities for women and girls in marginalized JVTT\UP[PLZ (UK OVWLM\SS` 0 ^PSS IL HISL [V NL[ H ¸;HRL ;^V¹ VU T` IVVR [V\Y ^OPJO OHK [V IL WVZ[WVULK K\L [V [OL WHUKLTPJ

L.A.: What are some of the challenges facing the global community?

N.A.: The global community faces numerous uncertainties stemming from the pandemic which will undoubtedly test our values and shared humanity. While this crisis has left none of us \U[V\JOLK P[ OHZ PTWHJ[LK ZVTL MHY TVYL [OHU V[OLYZ 0[ OHZ HÑ&#x153;LJ[LK [OL LJVUVT` [OL TVZ[ ]\SULYHISL ZLNTLU[Z VM ZVJPL[` HUK laid bare the structural inequalities that divide rather than unite us. ;OLYLMVYL P[ PZ PTWVY[HU[ [V ZL[ HZPKL V\Y KPÑ&#x153;LYLUJLZ PU VYKLY [V OLHS and rebuild so that we can move forward in a constructive manner.

Connect with Nina on Twitter (@drninaansary) 0UZ[HNYHT (@ninaansary) -HJLIVVR MHJLIVVR JVT UPUHHUZHY`

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PARA LOS NIÑOS Mission For 40 years, Para Los Niños has provided Los Angeles’s most vulnerable children, youth, and families with tools to thrive, serving 6,000 individuals annually through education programs, comprehensive wraparound family support, and community-based transformation. Recognized nationally, PLN operates 10 schools for 6-week-old learners through eighth grade and two youth workforce development centers, and delivers mental health services and parent support, as well as leadership training.

How you can help Your support educates and supports young Los Angelenos to reach their full potential. Whether it’s ensuring a family’s food security through a donation, or providing diapers through in-kind support, you can help a child thrive. Check out paralosninos.org to learn more today.

5000 Hollywood Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90027 (213) 250-4800 | paralosninos.org

PASADENA HUMANE Mission 7HZHKLUH /\THUL PZ H KVUVY Z\WWVY[LK UVUWYVÄ[ VYNHUPaH[PVU [OH[ provides animal care and services for homeless and owned animals in the greater Los Angeles area. For more than 117 years, we’ve promoted compassion and care for all animals through lifesaving programs and services to the community that support the humananimal bond and keep pets healthy and safe.

How you can help This holiday season we need your help more than ever. Adopt a new family member, volunteer your time as a foster parent, or make a donation to support homeless animals in our community. The animals are counting on you.

Learn more at pasadenahumane.org.

361 South Raymond Avenue Pasadena, CA 91105 (626) 792-7151 pasadenahumane.org

PARA LOS NIÑOS

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DAV I D M C N E W/G E T T Y I M AG E S

L.A. MOMENT

UP IN SMOKE

> We witnessed the most destructive wildfires in Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history this year. For days, they turned L.A. skies from clear blue to an eerie orange. Towering clouds of smoke across the state could be seen from space. Thousands were displaced, dozens perished, and more than 19,000 firefighters were pushed to their limits. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to donate to beleaguered relief organizations or provide goods and services directly to local families and communities, check out the fully vetted nonprofits listed at philanthropyca.org and charitynavigator.org. Both sites provide up-to-the-minute lists of the items needed right now.