Promoting Healthy Alternatives to LA’s Food Deserts

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In early February, Children’s Institute held a Family Health Fair in South Los Angeles with the goal of promoting simple ways to live a healthier life to the children and families CII serves. The event sought to expand access to preventative health care while making activities like visiting the dentist or eating plant-based meals more palatable.

Held at CII’s Figueroa Center and sponsored by the Herbalife Nutrition Foundation, the fair brought together 21 community organizations that spanned different health and wellness fields. Community partners like UCLA Mobile Eye Clinic, Benevolence Health Center Inc., and Dignity Health, offered free screenings for dental, vision and blood pressure. Zumba and yoga courses were held throughout the day and wellness tools like electric tooth brushes and fitness trackers were raffled off.

As the day progressed, the importance of regular medical and dental checkups was discussed, but many attendees, volunteers and community organizers kept coming back to one area that was crucial to preventative health and wellness – a balanced diet.

CII works to reduce food deserts in South LAVegan tamales were served by Claudia Lopez and her restaurant Mama’s International Tamales.

Justine Lawrence, Vice President of Head Start at CII, said South LA offers few options when it comes to healthy eating. She said fast food restaurants are often the only option in these neighborhoods and the impact takes a toll on families living in food deserts.

“If you drive around this community, you are going to be hard pressed to find a grocery store that has fresh food,” she said. “We have a lot of children coming into our program struggling with obesity.”

Large swaths of South LA are considered food deserts. The term, created in the 1990s, describes urban areas that lack grocery stores where residents can buy fresh foods like fruits and vegetables. The United States Department of Agriculture has released multiple studies showing that there are large parts of South LA where fast food or processed food are the only available options.

Ongoing studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention point to a clear connection between negative long-term health effects in areas where fresh food is limited. As a result, higher rates of obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure have been reported in these areas.

If you drive around this community, you are going to be hard pressed to find a grocery store that has fresh food.

– Justin Lawrence, Vice President of Head Start at CII

Angel Gaines, Site Supervisor for Compton Early Head Start, said she personally struggled with high blood pressure. She grew up in South LA food deserts and didn’t start eating healthy until after join CII and learning about maintaining a balanced diet.

Gaines said an important part of working with children and families is encouraging a healthy lifestyle that includes fresh food. As Gaines promoted physical activity by leading Zumba and yoga courses at the Family Health Fair, she said families are often unaware of the potential negative consequences when they eat only processed foods.

“When we have high blood pressure or diabetes, it is usually caused by what we are eating,” she said.

Olga, who has been attending CII programs since her daughter Sophia was 3 months old, said she appreciated how CII promotes cost-effective ways to make healthy meals while living in food deserts. She said she was able to cook food that is healthy without abandoning family recipes tied to her own Hispanic heritage.

“It opens up a door for people who may not want just raw vegetables,” she said. “Tamales are part of our culture, but they can be vegetarian or vegan.”

Claudia Lopez took this philosophy and turned it into a business. Her restaurant, Mama’s International Tamales, was at the Family Health Fair serving vegan tamales with vegetarian sides.

CII shares alternatives to food deserts in South LAStaff from CII’s Early Childhood Education display healthy alternatives to chips and candy as after school snacks. 

“I felt our community needed more health-based food options,” she said. “It is easy to substitute healthier ingredients like jack fruit or stop cooking with lard.”

Lopez views her restaurant, located in MacArthur Park, as an opportunity to educate people on how cultural foods like tamales can stay delicious while also being healthy. She said people often try her tamales and say they are shocked it was vegan.

Edgar, a parent visiting the Family Health Fair with his three children, said he would have never guessed the food from Mama’s International Tamales were vegan. He said he was drawn to the tamales aroma at the food booth after only being at the fair for a few minutes.

As a parent, Aguila has noticed a positive shift toward healthier eating. He said it is easy as a parent in South LA to get into a routine of eating too much fast food. He was thankful to see cost effective balanced eating promoted by CII and other community organizations.

“We raised our kids on McDonald’s for years, but now we’re more into cooking at home with kale, arugula and cauliflower,” he said. “Eating well is a big factor in growing up healthy and not getting sick.”

As many pointed out at the event, long-term success for South LA is continuing to expand the number of healthy food options while keeping costs low.

The average household income for neighborhoods in this area range between $33,000-$45,000 according to data published by the LA Times. Spending $10-$15 for a quick and healthy meal, which is often the cost in Santa Monica or West Hollywood, is not within the budgets of most residents in South LA.

Lakisha May, a field marketer for fast food startup Everytable, was offering up an example on how businesses can better serve residents of South LA food deserts and stay profitable. May said Everytable has a sliding scale for menu items. In South LA, Everytable items cost less than at their restaurants in other parts of the city where average incomes are higher.

For South LA to eat healthier, having affordable options will be crucial.

“It is different for people with less resources,” May said.

Thank you to event support from: Herbalife Nutrition Foundation; Mama’s International Tamales; CII Intensive Programs; LA Public Library; CII PowerUp!; CII Project Fatherhood; Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC; CII PABC; CII PFF, P&A; UCLA Mobile Eye Clinic; Eyeglass Store of OC; CII ERSEA; Benevolence Health Centers, Inc.; CII ECS; Dignity Health; Susan G. Komen; California WIC; Fun Dental 4 Kids; AltaMed.

Building Skills One Robot at a Time

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Students from Chaminade College Prep brought robotics back to CII’s PowerUp! after-school program last week in what will be a monthly program at the Otis Booth Campus. The series aims to expand involvement of fourth through seventh graders in STEAM subjects by partnering with eager high school robotic students ready to share their knowledge.

The PowerUp! program at CII works with children facing adversity in Los Angeles by providing curriculum and activities that will enable them to succeed in school, at home and in the community. When the students from Chaminade’s robotics team, called Eagle Engineering, visited PowerUp! in the fall to present about robotics competitions, the group saw potential for a longer-term partnership. This would include PowerUp! kids learning to build and code their own robots.

Through two fundraisers, Eagle Engineering raised enough money to start a robotics program at PowerUp!. They purchased kits for two different robots that came with software to program commands for the machines. With the purchases, the group committed to leading monthly classes for the remainder of the school year.

Chaminade and Childrens InstituteA student from Chaminade College Prep goes over direction with a CII client as they work to assemble the robotic kit.

At their first meeting, many of the kids had little to no experience writing program code for robot commands, but by the end of the class, the kids were celebrating as their newly built robots mastered new activities like wheeling around the room or picking up a water bottle with a mechanical arm.

Christina Gideon, Senior at Chaminade College Prep and Vice President of Business Operations with Eagle Engineering, said he appreciated the opportunity to share his experience in robotics with a younger generation.

“I like working with the kids and seeing where they need to learn more,” Gideon said. “It is definitely awesome to see how much they already know,” he said.

Two kids benefiting from Gideon’s guidance were fourth grader Hector and seventh grader Katheryn. After figuring out how to program movements on the robotic arm, Hector and Katheryn paused for a moment to figure out how to write code for the remote control.

There will be millions more jobs created in this field and we currently don’t have enough people for them.

-Tommy Smeltzer, Robotic Program Director at Chaminade College Prep

“It is kind of hard and frustrating,” Hector said.

Katheryn looked to Eagle Engineering Business Manager Yiwen Zhao who was standing nearby. He pointed to a section of the code that might be tripping the kids up. Hector and Kathryn swapped ideas and eventually typed in some code that worked.

Other students from Eagle Engineering helped guide the kids through physically assembling the robotic parts. At two tables, the kids spent time screwing together pieces and testing wheels.

Kaylee, a sixth grader, took a break from assembling the robots with fifth grader Matthew. Kaylee said she was having fun while building new skills she would use later in school. She said her code being used to make the robot move around the room was her favorite part.

“I enjoyed the whole thing because I learned new stuff about computer science,” she said.

Chaminade Prep CII RoboticsVice President of Eagle Engineering Christina Gideon looks over CII clients as they write code for the robots.

Robotics Program Director Tommy Smeltzer said students are motivated to partner with kids at CII. They believe they are making an investment in bringing more diversity to STEAM fields. He said any of these kids could pursue a career in a STEAM field.

“We can’t continue to fill important roles in STEAM if we are not pulling from a balanced swath of our population,” he said. “There will be millions more jobs created in this field and we currently don’t have enough people for them.”

In the last decade, there has been a growing emphasis on STEAM courses and careers. According to Pew Research Center, STEAM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics, has seen a 79% increase in job growth since 1990. The career field is expected to grow steadily over the next decade. That same Pew study also found that on average, STEAM careers make 26% more than similarly educated non-STEAM careers.

Nawal Salim, Experiential Learning Manager at CII who oversees PowerUp! programming, said a robotics partnership was a natural fit. As an after-school program that works with kids facing adversity and toxic stress in Los Angeles, the program helps to grow self-esteem while supporting kids as they cope with trauma.

We’re trying to keep kids motivated academically and find value in learning.

-Nawal Salim, Experiential Learning Manager at CII

In addition to robotics, the program has given kids access to lessons in yoga, electronic music production and ballet. While fun for the kids, each has a strong educational component.

“We’re trying to keep kids motivated academically and find value in learning,” she said. “They may not see the importance of math as a subject, but can understand its purpose while building a robot.”

While pleased with what will be accomplished with the robotics program, Salim said she is looking forward to future additions to PowerUp! that will bring other new experiences to the kids in the program.

Father-Daughter Tea is Steeped in Fun

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Project Fatherhood welcomed 35 families to CII’s Otis Booth campus on a rainy Saturday in February for the 7th annual Father-Daughter Tea. The princess-themed party included tea cup painting, manicures, frame decorating and tiaras.

The event celebrates the unique relationship between fathers and daughters, and is one of a dozen special programs that CII’s Project Fatherhood organizes each year.

The Junior League of Los Angeles has been a long-time sponsor of the Father-Daughter Tea. This year, the group sent 30 volunteers and donated the tea sets and picture frames.

Noemi Vasquez, Care Coordinator at Project Fatherhood and lead organizer of the event, said the Father-Daughter Tea is one of the most popular events each year.

“From the moment the girls get that tiara you see them feel special,” Vasquez said. “It’s amazing to watch the reactions of daughters being celebrated while also looking up to their fathers.”

Victor lost his dad at a young age while growing up in a gang-affiliated part of Los Angeles, and never thought he could have a close, supportive relationship with his own children. He said going to the event with his two daughters is like a dream come true.

“My 5-year-old daughter was so excited that she asked me to go out with her to buy a dress,” Victor said. “Just knowing that she will always remember special times like this makes me feel happy and blessed to be a dad.”

Jessie was also at the event with his five daughters. Taking a break from doing crafts, he said he appreciated Project Fatherhood and what the program has brought to his life. He said it was clear why this event, and Project Fatherhood as a whole, was so important to his own relationship with his kids.

“Project Fatherhood taught me to never give up on my children and to never let them down no matter how rough life gets,” he said. “I just love being a dad.”

Just knowing that she will always remember special times like this makes me feel happy and blessed to be a dad.

-Victor, Father enrolled in CII’s Project Fatherhood

Tracy Klein, Chair of the Done in a Day Committee for the Junior League of Los Angeles, said the group has been a long-time partner of CII and loves supporting the event.

“It is always one of the most anticipated Done in a Day events for our member volunteers, bringing us as much joy in participating as we hoped it brought the fathers and daughters who take part,” Klein said.

For Keith Parker, Director of Project Fatherhood, the event is an opportunity to advance the program’s goal of improving the connection between fathers and their daughters. Parker, who joined CII in November to oversee Project Fatherhood, strongly believes in the event.

“Father-Daughter Tea is an opportunity for fathers to spend time with their daughters and work on ways to communicate with each other better,” he said.

Children's Institute Father Daughter TeaVolunteers from the Junior League of Los Angeles carry around trays of desserts to fathers and daughters as they enjoy the event.

While the Father-Daughter Tea is full of fun activities, the core purpose of the event is to educate and encourage dads to be involved in the lives of their children. This philosophy is central to the mission of the Project Fatherhood program at CII.

Started in 1996 by Dr. Hershel K. Swinger, Project Fatherhood ensures fathers who grow up facing adversity are given the tools, support and education to succeed when caring for their own children. Dr. Swinger believed fathers sometimes face barriers and challenges that can prevent them from fulfilling their parental duties. He wanted to create a space where fathers could openly share their love.

In the program, fathers gain access to a group support system, therapeutic activities, and discussions around healthier decision making in relationships.

At the time of the program’s creation, roughly 50 percent of children growing up in poverty lived with only their mother. Often, children who grow up in homes without fathers repeat the cycle with their own family.

A father poses with his daughter as they take a break from festivities at CII’s Father-Daughter Tea.

Edward Berumen, Senior Clinical Supervisor at Project Fatherhood, said Dr. Swinger saw the effects on children when a father is no longer present. With the right support, Dr. Swinger believed in Project Fatherhood’s ability to break the generational cycle of absent fathers. They could help them be present in their own child’s success.

“Fathers play an essential role in families and contribute to a child’s success in school and greater self-esteem,” said Edward Berumen, Program Supervisor, Project Fatherhood. “The focus of Project Fatherhood is to provide a space where fathers can openly share and affirm the love they have for their children.”

Over its 20-plus years, the program has worked with 15,000 fathers and 23,000 children across Los Angeles County.

Berumen said they also hold upwards of 12 events each year that give fathers time to bond with their kids. While the Father-Daughter Tea is all about the leading ladies in their lives, Project Fatherhood hosts softball games, group hikes and movie nights that aren’t gender specific.

“Each event is designed with activities that dads can replicate when they spend time with their kids at home,” Berumen said.

Children’s Institute’s Top Moments of 2018

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This month, we took a moment to pause and look back at a few highlights from Children’s Institute this past year. In 2018, we adopted an ambitious strategic plan that will double the number of children and families we serve over the next 10 years. As part of this strategic plan, we spent last year expanding services focused on supporting children and families facing adversity across Los Angeles. This included launching a new initiative in Watts supporting children and families exposed to gun violence. We also looked for ways to bring new experiences to kids in our programs like attending a theatre performance, camping or building their first bike.

Like previous years, our successes in 2018 were powered by the strong support of our greater LA community. Events were supported, attended and hosted by amazing volunteers and in-kind items were donated by local CII friends and businesses. The donors who fund crucial CII services continued to support our organization with a record number of gifts. We ended the year on a high note by raising almost $1 million at our inaugural Cape & Gown Gala on November 14 when we honored child advocates Beth & Bob Lowe along with Frank, Berta and Sam Gehry.

We’ve already started working to make an even bigger impact in 2019, and we’ll keep you updated along the way.

Supplied for Success

We celebrated our four year-old Head Start graduates with a back-to-school event ensuring a successful transition to kindergarten. The children received backpacks filled with school supplies provided by Age of Learning.

“It has always been our goal to achieve school readiness for our children and their families. The backpack donation ensures our children starting kindergarten have all the essentials,” says Justine Lawrence, Vice President of Head Start, CII.

The Healing Power of the Arts

Youth from our Individualized Transitional Skills Program  and Santee Education Complex were treated to a performance of Daniel Beaty’s “emergency” at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. The one-man show featured poetry, music and humor as Beaty played an array of characters coping with the effects of trauma. Read more about the event.

Supporting Children Exposed to Gun Violence

We launched a new initiative in partnership with the LA City Attorney’s Office and LAPD to support children in Watts who have been exposed to gun violence. The REACH TEAM ensures children and families in Watts receive appropriate and timely crisis intervention and support services through Children’s Institute and partner organizations. Read more about the partnership.

Gears for Kids

Our annual Gears for Kids event went off without a hitch thanks to our partners at Haworth.  Partners from 24 major design firms built bikes with kids from our Power-Up after-school program. Each kid got to take their bike home at the end of the day. In-N-Out Burger sent a food truck keeping our kids and volunteers energized.

Happy Campers

We held our 8th annual Camp Booth retreat at Booth Ranches in Fresno where kids got to spend time in nature and build camaraderie. Youth got to see a movie under the stars, interact with horses and make s’mores. Camp Booth was hosted by former board member and longtime supporter Loren Booth.

UCLA Career Day Opens Horizons for Youth

Our Power Up after-school program youth joined us for our first College & Career Day. The event was hosted by the UCLA Latino Alumni Association. Kids created resumes and figured out the skills they will need to make their dream jobs a reality. UCLA students and alumni also spoke to the kids about their unique college and career paths.

Cape & Gown Gala Raises $1.3 million for Services

Children’s Institute welcomed 400 guests to the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica to honor Beth & Bob Lowe and Frank, Berta and Sam Gehry at the first ever Cape & Gown Gala. The event raised close to $1 million for Children’s Institute’s programs. Read more about this successful event.

Early Head Start Expands to Compton

CII opened its first Early Head Start Program in Compton. Serving 140 infants and toddlers, the program provides crucial services to set kids up for future success. To celebrate the grand opening, CII invited kids, families and community members to an event with food and music.

A New Home in Long Beach

The day after we celebrated the new Compton Early Head Start, CII headed further south to celebrate the grand opening of our Long Beach center. The award-winning 20,000 square foot hub was designed by DSH // architecture.

Winter Family Festival Spreads Holiday Cheer

In December, we hosted our annual Winter Family Festival. The event opened our Otis Booth Campus to more than 2,500 children and families. The day included special holiday moments for kids including storytelling, arts and crafts and cupcake decorating. There was also an obstacle course and lots of giveaways for children and families who take part in CII’s programs.

Working as a Team

More than 30 CII staff members finished up the year by completing in the rigorous LASpartan Race. With several stunning displays of teamwork, the group pushed the limits as they climbed over barriers and swung through rope courses to finish as a team. Those who compete in Spartan races demonstrate a camaraderie towards other participants, embrace the challenge of the unknown and set out to prove they can accomplish difficult things. Mission accomplished.

Want to learn more about CII?

Read our 2018 Annual Report and Impact Report.

Make a difference in the lives of children and families exposed to adversity and poverty by making an end-of-year donation this holiday season.

 

For One Employee, the Holidays are a Full-Time Job

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Having served as the President & CEO’s Executive Assistant for seven years, leading holiday decorating at Children’s Institute was not originally in Josh Pleiness’ job description. When a contractor fell through for decorating the Otis Booth Campus five years ago, Josh jumped at the opportunity.

It doesn’t take much time talking to Josh to realize he loves the holidays. He puts up three different trees at home and has so many decorations personally, he needs a separate storage unit. This December, he wrapped up another year decorating the Otis Booth Campus as well as the Long Beach, Watts, Burton Green and Mid-Wilshire campuses.

“There’s always something going on in my head,” he said. “I do thoroughly enjoy holiday decorating, but everything I do stresses me out sometimes.”

Josh described both of his parents as creative and being the original inspiration for his enthusiasm for the holidays. He fondly remembers his family bonding over putting ornaments on trees and stringing garland.

Growing up with one parent in the military, he got to experience how different regions celebrated. He spent time in Florida, Germany, Michigan and Alaska. When he got his degree in interior design and interior decoration from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, he saw an opportunity to apply those skills to holiday decorating.

“It is all about families being together and spending time together.”

At CII, Josh sees an extra level of importance in his work. The decorations are a chance for the children and families served at CII to feel togetherness during the holidays. For many, past Decembers may have been a difficult or even traumatic time. Josh’s work helps provide a backdrop for happier memories and experiences.

“It is all about families being together and spending time together,” he said.

Josh remembers one year when a boy around the age of six had just come out of a therapy room. He was in a program that works with school-aged children, and clearly upset about something. He had just been crying. Josh invited him over to help him put the ornaments on the tree. Josh said he joined him in decorating for quite some time and the boy was eventually laughing at the end of it.

Experiences like these motivate Josh to go above and beyond simply pulling decorations out of storage and putting them up. Last year, he built a giant dreidel from scratch. A previous year he noticed the paint chipping off the ornaments so he carefully hand painted them to stay within budget and ensure everything looked perfect.

Knowing that the end of the year can be a stressful month for many staff, Josh sees the decoration as an opportunity to bring happiness to staff who may be feeling stretched. He said staff will often approach him and say how much they appreciate the decorations. It is something many look forward to during this time of year.

While Josh’s dream would be to one day design and decorate the holiday celebration at the White House, he is happy knowing how many people appreciate his work at CII. Josh jokingly said the only downside to all of his work is that it eventually must come down.

“If it were up to me, I’d leave it up all year,” he said.

The Gift of Possibilities

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My name is LaRae and I’m a working mother of four children. I survived years of living in a violent household, as a child and into my adulthood. I have fought to keep my children safe, because they are the most precious and important people in my life. Our family has experienced significant trauma, including multiple incidents of gun violence, personal injury, murder and homelessness.

I grew up in the projects in South LA where I learned very fast that I had to get tough, even though I was a child who didn’t like violence. One day, my dad sat me in a folding chair and invited all the neighborhood kids to hit and kick me. Afterwards, he said, “Now are you mad enough to go and fight?”

Throughout my life, I was also struggling with my own internal battle. I was constantly under the pressure of thoughts that the world and I just didn’t fit. I lived over 20 years of my life suicidal and it reached a point where I couldn’t take care of my children. This is when I was introduced to Children’s Institute. I didn’t know much about myself at that time. The therapist would say, “We are going to explore how to identify our feelings,” and I would start to release every secret I’d been holding throughout my life that I’d been ashamed of, or had weighed me down. I told it all — I got free.

Children’s Institute has been a part of my journey from contemplating the worst to accomplishing the best. From teaching me how to create a new vision for my life that is centered on purposeful living and stability, to attending conferences to help me transition back into work.

All four of my children benefited from Children’s Institute’s therapeutic programs teaching us to work together as a family, learning how to build healthy relationships with ourselves, with one another, and also with our community.

Today, my family is doing great, and we are exactly where we are supposed to be — happy, healthy and safe.

Happy Holidays,

 

 

Make a difference in the lives of children and families with an end-of-year donation this holiday season.

 

Dr. Todd Sosna Named Chief Program Officer at Children’s Institute

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We’re pleased to announce that Todd Sosna, Ph.D. has been named Children’s Institute’s Chief Program Officer effective today.

In this new role, Dr. Sosna will lead all Early Education, Behavioral Health, Family Strengthening and Community Innovations programs for the agency, overseeing a budget of more than $70 million and a staff of 800.

Dr. Sosna has served as Interim Senior Vice President of Clinical Services at Children’s Institute since April 2018 and held the role of Senior VP for Program Evaluation and Improvement from 2012 to 2014.

“Over the past eight months, Dr. Sosna has demonstrated strong leadership, collaboration and accountability, and has fostered strong morale throughout the reorganization of our clinical and community programs. We currently have the unique opportunity to unify our broad array of services to achieve lasting impact for the children and families we serve, and I am confident Dr. Sosna is the best suited candidate for this crucial role,” said Martine Singer, President & CEO, Children’s Institute.

“As Chief Program Officer, I look forward to strengthening CII’s position as a leader in child trauma, behavioral health and early education, and deepening partnerships with other community-based organizations, funders and policymakers,” said Dr. Sosna, Chief Program Officer, Children’s Institute.

Dr. Sosna’s prior positions have included Senior VP of Operations for Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles, Deputy Director for the California Institute for Mental Health and Assistant Director for Santa Barbara County Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Services. He is known for developing Santa Barbara County’s nationally recognized multi-agency Integrated Children’s System of Care, advancing California’s large scale dissemination of evidence-based practices, leading child welfare and juvenile justice reforms, and establishing early childhood mental health programs in partnership with Head Start agencies.

Dr. Sosna earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from Washington State University in 1991, and is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Children’s Institute Cape & Gown Gala Raises $1.3 Million for Organization

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On Wednesday night, Children’s Institute welcomed 400 guests to the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica to honor Beth & Bob Lowe and Frank, Berta and Sam Gehry at the first ever Cape & Gown Gala, which raised $1.3 Million for Children’s Institute’s programs.

Beth and Bob Lowe were recognized for their lifetime of dedicated service to children and families in Los Angeles’ most underserved communities. The Gehry family was honored for their generous pro-bono commitment to design a new 20,000 square foot campus in Watts, where Children’s Institute has operated programs on a two-acre campus since 2007.

The latest model of the design was displayed during the gala’s cocktail reception, which featured live music by Sylvia & The Rhythm Boys and a Coolhaus Truck with honoree-themed ice cream sandwiches.

The program kicked off with award-winning actor, singer and writer Daniel Beaty who silenced the audience with a special performance of Knock Knock highlighting the nationally-recognized youth leadership and social justice initiative, I DREAM, that uses performance arts to allow young people to express themselves and begin to heal from trauma. Children’s Institute will launch this powerful new program in partnership with Beaty and LA Partnership Schools in South Los Angeles in the New Year.

The emcee for the evening, actress and comedienne Loni Love, welcomed the audience and introduced CII’s President & CEO Martine Singer who offered a moment of silence for those affected by the nearby Woolsey Fire before discussing CII’s work.

“The common denominator for all the children we see at Children’s Institute is trauma. Prevention, early detection and intervention can literally be life-saving. Our home visitors, preschool teachers and therapists are on the front lines of a war on trauma. And – in keeping with the theme of the evening – they are everyday superheroes, supporting older foster youth to go to college, helping parents to get back to work, strengthening families in crisis or visiting a vulnerable new mother so that her child can grow to be strong and healthy,” said Singer.

One of CII’s program participants, LaRae, attended with three of her children and gave a moving speech about her journey and how CII has made a positive impact on their lives.

“CII has been a part of my journey from contemplating the worst to accomplishing the best. From attending conferences to help me transition back into work, to teaching me how to create a new vision for my life that is centered on purposeful living and stability. They even developed my public speaking skills — how am I doing? CII has helped me with all of it.

All four of my children benefited from CII’s therapeutic programs, teaching us to work together as a family, learning how to build healthy relationships with ourselves, with one another, and also with our community. These life skills got us through the hardest times and they continue to help us today and likely for the rest of our lives.

Today, our family is doing great – and three of my children are here tonight to celebrate CII’s work with all of you,” LaRae said.

Next up, auctioneer Billy Harris quickly got the room pulling out their checkbooks and credit cards to bid on auction packages that ranged from a week-long stay for 16 people in Jamaica to sailing on the Frank Gehry-designed yacht FOGGY. Loni Love surprised the room by placing the winning bid on a VIP dining experience at Wolfgang Puck’s Test Kitchen in West Hollywood. Billy Harris called out to Wolfgang Puck in the audience asking for additional packages to offer the eager crowd and quickly sold two more.

After dinner, Lt Emada Tingirides, LAPD and CII Board Member, introduced the Gehry family by saying:

“My husband and I both grew up in South LA, and we both spent many years working in and around the neighborhood of Watts. It’s a place with a very strong sense of community, with more children per square inch than any other part of Los Angles, and sadly — with an outsized share of tragedy and trauma. Many promises have been made to the citizens of Watts over the years – and many turned out to be just that – promises and nothing else. But the Gehry family are different. They have put in the time to hear the hopes and dreams of Watts residents – and understand the incredible resiliency of the families who call that area of South LA “home.” Frank and Sam made promises that they intend to keep.”

Former LA County Board of Supervisors Member Don Knabe introduced Beth & Bob Lowe: “Through all of their philanthropic giving, of both time and treasure, they have raised and nurtured a loving and giving family. Whether it is their own family, or pre-school families, or YMCA families, or CII families — they have helped raise millions of dollars to support programs offered by these organizations. They have touched the lives of thousands of children, many of whom have never met Beth & Bob.”

Beth and Bob Lowe both delivered speeches and Bob closed the program by saying, “Most important, we are so pleased to be supporting Children’s Institute in such a meaningful way. Because of the support each of you has provided this evening, the children and families in our community that are most in need will truly benefit. Thank you form the bottom our hearts.”

Thank you to everyone who generously supported the event and made it a success. For those still interested in making a donation in honor of our Children’s Champion Award recipients, Beth & Bob Lowe and Frank, Berta & Sam Gehry, you can do so here.

Cape & Gown Gala Auction Items Announced

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We are only a week away from our inaugural Cape & Gown Gala next Wednesday in Santa Monica! Below are some highlights from the upcoming live auction.

Proceeds from the auction will support Children’s Institute’s work with 26,000 children and families in our Los Angeles community.

Family Excursion to Jamaica
Donated by Teddy Greenspan & Family

Enjoy a week at Haystack, your own private villa that accommodates 16 people, situated on four acres with a beautiful view of the Caribbean Sea. Included in Condé Nast’s Gold List of “the best places to stay in the world,” the Tryall Club in Jamaica is an exclusive gated villa resort with one of the world’s most beautiful golf courses. Watch Video.

Restrictions & Blackout Dates: Airport transfers, meals, golf, tennis, spa and other expenses are not included. Gratuity is not included, it is suggested that guests tip the villa staff ($2,000 per week is recommended), and are required to pay a resort fee which is currently $135 per adult per week. Haystack Villa is 30 minutes from Montego Bay Sangster Airport (MBJ). Generally bookings are from Saturday to Saturday. All holidays are blacked out and dates to be mutually agreed upon.

Value: $25,000

Gourmet Backyard BBQ
Donated by individual chefs and produced by Billy Harris

Enjoy a private summer soiree for 50 of your closest friends and family. We will bring LA’s top five award-winning chefs to your home for a memorable barbeque feast, followed by the ice cream party of your dreams with the Cool Haus truck. Subject to availability, participants may include Ben Ford (Ford’s Filling Station), Neil Fraser (Redbird), Daniel Weinstock (Mapleblock Meat Co.), Ryan Denicola (chi SPACCA) and Shannon Spindle (Craft LA).

Restrictions & Blackout Dates: All dates must be mutually agreed upon.

Value: Priceless

Private Coastal Tour on Frank Gehry-Designed Yacht “Foggy”
Organized by Gehry Partners

You’ve yacht to be kidding me?! Enjoy a three-to-four hour afternoon sail on FOGGY with twelve of your nearest and dearest friends. This one-of-a-kind, privately owned, Frank Gehry designed yacht will take you from Marina del Rey up along the picturesque coast to Malibu.

Restrictions & Blackout Dates: This is to be arranged at a mutually agreed upon time and date. Expires 11/14/2019.

Value: Priceless

Weekend Getaway to Terranea Resort & Helicopter Ride
Terranea package donated by Beth & Bob Lowe and helicopter ride donated by Bridget Glass Keller & Paul Keller

Need to get away from the hustle and bustle of LA’s traffic? Enjoy a private helicopter ride for six people and see LA from a different perspective. Tour includes views of the coast, mountains, and downtown skyline. Then head to Palos Verdes to relax in a private three bedroom casita with an ocean view at Terranea Resort and enjoy a round of golf for six people.

Restrictions & Blackout Dates: Gift Certificate is valid from November 15, 2018 to November 14, 2019 excluding the months of July, August and holidays. Other blackout dates may apply. Please allow 30 days advanced notice when booking and refer to this certificate donated to: Children’s Institute. Reservations subject to availability at time of reservation. General public availability status does not apply to this certificate. Multiple night stays must be consecutive; if not, remaining nights are forfeited. Present original certificate to Front Desk upon check-in (no copies), otherwise you will be charged for the room rate until the certificate is received. Certificate is not redeemable for cash and is void if sold, transferred or conveyed for cash or any other consideration and or if listed or advertised for sale or auction on the internet in newspapers, magazines or other similar means. Resort is unable to reissue lost or stolen certificates. Neither cash nor credit will be issued for any unused portion of this certificate. The date and time of the helicopter ride must be mutually agreed upon.  

Value: $15,000

Wolfgang Puck Tasting Lab
Donated by Gelila & Wolfgang Puck

Located within Wolfgang’s experimental test kitchen in West Hollywood, CA, The Test Kitchen presents an nontraditional tasting menu for eight guests. Wolfgang Puck chefs from across the globe collaborate to deliver an immersive experience that challenges expectations and pushes the boundaries for the future of food.

Restrictions & Blackout Dates: This one-of-a-kind dinner will be held on any evening Tuesday-Friday. Subject to availability. Expires on 12/31/2019.

Value: $5,000

Home for the 10 O’Clock News 

Peel out of the parking lot before everyone else! A runner will take your ticket to the valet ahead of the event’s mass exodus and your car will be waiting for you – engine running – when you step outside.

Restrictions & Blackout Dates: Valid for one car on Wednesday, November 14, 2018; does not include gratuity.

Value: In LA? Priceless

About the Auctioneer: Billy Harris

Billy is a highly sought after auctioneer who lends his comedic style to the auction block. A cousin of Vaudeville great Georgie Jessel, Billy has been performing his entire life. By the tender age of five and a half, he understood how to work a room!

CII hosts first ever College & Career Day

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On Saturday, Children’s Institute partnered with the UCLA Volunteer Center & UCLA Latino Alumni Association to create PowerUp!’s first ever College & Career Day. The event benefited more than thirty children at our Otis Booth Campus. 

PowerUp! is an after school program designed to support children living in areas of elevated family and community violence and exposure to traumatic events. Youth, ages 7 to 10 at program intake, received a trauma-informed, fully integrated array of youth development, family support, and behavioral health services. Through twice-weekly after-school programs, monthly special events, and an annual summer camp, PowerUp! helps youth develop effective communication and coping skills, reduce risky behaviors, and lower symptoms of traumatic stress. Additionally, caregivers may attend workshops and family events.

With PowerUp!’s program focus in mind (especially around youth development), UCLA Volunteer Center’s 10th Anniversary and Hispanic Heritage Month coinciding together, the UCLA Latino Alumni Association was excited to support our nonprofit that serves 77% Latino children and families once more. With conversations and planning starting at the beginning of June the day was full of excitement with plenty of activities to keep our students engaged.

Children's Institute hosts first ever College & Career Day with UCLA Alumni group

The day started with a warm volunteer orientation filled with donuts and coffee to get our sixteen UCLA Volunteers (undergraduates and alumni) prepped and ready for a fast-paced, high energy day with our Power Up! students. When volunteer groups visit us for one-day events our Volunteer & Engagement Team give an overview of our services, ways to stay engaged, how to work with youth and most importantly, how to have fun together. After a short orientation and instructions on the two roles they would play (speaker and one-on-one mentor), volunteers were brought into our “Big Room” to join over thirty-five PowerUp! students for our opening introductions.

For our opening introduction, Stephanie Argueta, our PowerUp Program Supervisor, welcomed a full classroom of youth to their first College & Career Day. After a quick overview of the day and introductions, students were taught UCLA’s famous cheer, The 8-Clap.

Then students broke into rotations to hear how current UCLA undergraduates and Alumni made their way to college and found their career paths. Students asked great questions that included what problems students and alumni were currently or had already solved in their personal and professional journeys.

College & Career Day brings UCLA Alumni group to kids facing trauma and adversity

Two rotations of listening to undergraduate and alumni stories later, our PowerUp! children, alumni and students joined back again in The Big Room for a game of College Bingo, “I’m Going to College” photos and UCLA hand removable tattoos. Students and volunteers utilized this opportunity to fuel their brains with hearty snacks, but also to create rapport with one another. A UCLA Alumni Volunteer said, “There is a lot of disconnect from High School to College. Students need positive role models to talk to them about how to go to college and what skills they need for certain careers. There are several things that go on behind the scenes that are important for them to know.  It’s never too early to learn about the college process, especially to receive positive reinforcement along the way.”

After their break, PowerUp! youth and volunteers entered their last rotation of the day, which included writing and editing their elementary-friendly resumes. PowerUp! youth prior to this event have been preparing their own resumes, conceptualizing what their first job will be and the skills they will need to succeed. PowerUp! youth and volunteers worked together to perfect their resumes and jump start their goals and aspirations.

The last activity of the day brought everyone back into the Big Room to do a raffle. Lucky PowerUp! youth who won received UCLA Latino Alumni Association cinch bags that said, “OrgullOSO de ser Bruin” translating to Proud to be a Bruin, with several other UCLA goodies such as stickers, pens and a water bottle. After our raffle, students and alumni said thank you and goodbye to each other after a final collective 8-Clap.

College & Career Day at Children's Institute opens new opportunities to youth

When asked to share their thoughts about their experiences, one PowerUp! student said, “I learned that you need to work hard to go to college” and that “computer scientists have a cool job.” Another equally enthusiastic student said that he learned “that there are many opportunities in college and that you can’t give up.” After the day, students were asked to reflect on their strengths and name a few things that they like about themselves. One student said that she likes that she is “smart, kind, beautiful and passionate.” A father from Project Father said “my daughter’s education is very important for me, which is the reason that I came to this event today. She wants to be a teacher and loves school. I hope she achieves her dreams.” His daughter has been in PowerUp! for two years.

The day served over 35 PowerUp! Youth, with 16 UCLA Alumni volunteering from various networks, including the UCLA Latino Alumni Association, current undergraduate students and special UCLA Alumni guest, Congressman Jimmy Gomez, ’96. Overall, the UCLA Volunteer Center reported an estimated 18,767 hours contributed this year at a rough value of $463,000 to the communities at over 70 sites around the world. This year’s projects took place at schools and homeless shelters, veteran sites and food banks, with estimates of 2,681 total volunteers among the 52 projects in Los Angeles County and the 18 additional locations from San Diego to Washington D.C., Namibia to Taiwan and of course, at CII’s Otis Booth Campus in Echo Park.