Direct Relief began during a time of war, geopolitical tension, political division, and global economic instability. More than 80 years later, the world still faces hardships similar to those that led Estonian exile William Zimdin to start the aid organization in Santa Barbara after fleeing Europe during World War II. What began with Zimdin sending [...more...]
Diana Ingram counts her blessings, big and small. And that has made her a blessing to countless others in Southern California and beyond who strive – against the odds – to reach their potential. Disadvantaged [...more...]
For the Children
For Jorgette, foster care was a generational cycle. “My grandmother and mother were in foster care, my sisters were in […more…]
Sergio Carrillo was 10 years old the first time he was arrested; his brother bailed him out of jail because […more…]
Every morning before breakfast at Brave Trails, the whole camp gathers at the flagpole. A different identity flag rises each […more…]
Bright Futures
When Thierno’s eyeglasses broke in college, he faced the sort of decision that never appears in a course catalog. Replace […more…]
For 80 years, Pacific Oaks College has expanded access to high-quality education while preparing graduates for meaningful careers that strengthen […more…]
At a First Star gathering of 30 Los Angeles women this past February, alumna Amy Duarte spotted First Star CEO […more…]
Advocacy
Currently gun violence is the #1 cause of death for children in the United States. Read that again if you […more…]
Ask Shane Murphy Goldsmith what Liberty Hill Foundation is, and she does not begin with its programs. “Liberty Hill Foundation […more…]
Human Rights
Peggy Callahan thought Abraham Lincoln had taken care of slavery. Then Callahan, a former television journalist and filmmaker, learned that […more…]
Kanthi Salgadu doesn’t want you to think of her as a victim. She is a survivor of human trafficking, certainly. […more…]
Creative Endeavors
The American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA) is the largest ceramics museum in the country, but its reach extends well […more…]
On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights in downtown Los Angeles, there is a free live concert in the lobby of […more…]
Earth First
When the Eaton Fire tore through the Altadena foothills in January 2025, it melted two of the three wildlife cameras […more…]
Education
Based at UC Berkeley, the Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) explores the roots of happy and compassionate individuals, strong social […more…]
Connor was only eight months old when he had his first debilitating seizure. His mother rushed him to the emergency […more…]
The loneliness epidemic. Toxic social media. Teen depression and worse. These are modern problems. But the unmet needs that drive […more…]
Health & Wellness
In 2012, Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller Rogen launched a fundraiser that they called Hilarity for Charity (HFC). The memorable […more…]
Every child who walks into Rifkin Raanan Cosmetic Dentistry on a clinic day gets what the Beverly Hills clientele gets […more…]
When Pamela Hirsch’s daughter discovered she couldn’t carry a child after years of failed procedures, each ending in miscarriage, the […more…]
Housing & Homelessness
For most incoming freshmen, moving into their first dorm means parents, a packed car, and hours spent on Target runs […more…]
In Los Angeles, nearly two out of every three people experiencing homelessness are living unsheltered on the street. DignityMoves offers […more…]
Adoris, U.S. Army Veteran and former Lockheed Martin welder, struggled with the lasting effects of post-traumatic stress disorder and turned […more…]
Critical Response & International Impact
Direct Relief began during a time of war, geopolitical tension, political division, and global economic instability. More than 80 years […more…]
When a recent earthquake devastated Venezuela, the Los Angeles County Fire Department sent six teams to help sift through the […more…]
Kerri Murray keeps a photograph that has stayed with her. It’s the face of Esther, a young Nigerian woman whose […more…]