2020 Adopt-A-Family Program
This holiday season, Los Angeles Circle of Giving and Sister Angel Foundation for Education were so fortunate to partner together in raising donations from our incredible community of family and friends in order to sponsor 37 families in need!
With the intention of spreading love and making this time of the year bright for all, your donations enabled us to fulfill the wish lists of over 100 economically disadvantaged women and children.
Seeing the smiles on their faces and feeling the warmth emanating from their hearts provided a gentle reminder that the greatest gift is that of human connection. Whenever possible, if we have the ability to give—in any capacity—the intentional act of helping others creates a ripple effect of positivity and love that spreads far and wide.
We are so grateful for Sister Angel Foundation for Education’s commitment to supporting women & girls who are pursuing a college degree by providing clothing and scholarships. Without their network, we would not have been able to reach as many families as we did. It was truly incredible!
Thank you, again, to all of our donors and those of you who personally adopted families. Your generosity has been felt so deeply and you are so appreciated!
LACOG CARES - COVID-19 RELIEF FUND
In March 2020, a wave of change swept the world, as COVID-19 threatened the livelihood of people across the globe, causing devastation for individuals on all levels—emotional, mental, physical and economic.
As the pandemic ravaged the world, society as we knew it shut down. Unemployment rates began to skyrocket and many hardworking people found themselves without an income or the means to provide for their family.
With the intention of providing immediate financial relief to those who need it most, LACOG Cares - COVID-19 Relief Fund was created. Over the course of 3 months, stories of those acutely affected by COVID came pouring in, as our LACOG community came together with nominations of individuals in need of a helping hand.
These are the stories of the wonderful families that have benefited from the genuine love and care of our community during this trying time:
Zanee:
Zanee is an amazing single-mother residing here in Los Angeles. In March, due to COVID-19, Zanee lost her job at LAX and has fallen on hard times. While she has never had it easy in life, she's maintained an upbeat, positive attitude throughout it all. It was an honor to spend some time with her and to see how she has been able to raise such a respectful, charming young man.
LACOG was able to provide a $300 Wal-Mart gift card to assist with Zanee’s life essentials, as well as a $255 check to help wit her bills and upcoming move.
Thank you to her cousin Amber for submitting such a heartfelt story of Zanee and her son.
TAVEON:
Taveon was diagnosed with two extremely rare forms of cancer in 2013 (Rhabdomyosarcoma & Pleuropulmonary Blastoma) and has been exceeding doctors expectations and fighting for his life ever since.
Taveon’s grandmother, Iyonna, has been there eery step of the way, exploring all options and treatments to minimize Taveon’s pain and discomfort (while also caring for Taveon’s 4 siblings).
Funds raised by LACOG paid for the hotel stay and expenses for Tavern and his family in Kentucky, as they met with specialists for his care.
Please keep Taveon, Iyonna and the rest of their family in your thoughts and prayers as Taveon continues his fight.
Thank you to my dear friend, boxer and supporter of LACOG, Mike Lee. Mike has been there with Tavern from the beginning and continues to be a huge source of support, strength and inspiration.
Monica:
Monica is a lovely, hard-working single mother who works full-time at a restaurant in Malibu in order to provide for herself and her two children. Dedicated, she takes the bus everyday out to Malibu to get to-and-from work (for those familiar with Malibu, that is no easy commute). Like many in the restaurant industry, when COVID-19 restrictions forced her restaurant to close, it left her without income for an extended period of time.
To help Monica and her family, LACOG raised funds to provide immediate financial relief by paying for their rent in order to keep them afloat. During this time, Monica’s teenage son, John, has also stepped up in a big way. To help his mom with bills, he has taken a job at the same restaurant.
It was an honor getting to know Monica and her children. Her smile, appreciation and positive mindset is such an inspiration.
Thank you to Shannon for her nomination of Monica. Keep shining, girl!
Geysha:
Miss Geysha has to be one of my favorite people I’ve come across as of late, with her bright smile and amazing resiliency. Whether it was dealing with homelessness, domestic abuse or Fibromyalgia, she has endured it all and maintains such a positive and appreciative perspective on life.
Through the funds raised, LACOG was able to place a down payment for a used vehicle in order to make Geysha’s monthly payments affordable.
Trevon:
Struggling to make ends meet after losing his ability to work as an Uber and Lyft driver, Trevon found himself falling behind on his monthly bills, landing numerous of his accounts in collections. At the same time, Trevon was searching for a new apartment, but could not get approved due to the bills that had fallen in collections.
LACOG was able to provide financial relief by paying the remaining balance of his bills in collections, enabling him to qualify for a new apartment.
Thank you to the Engage The Vision family for nominating Trevon.
PASADENA BACK-2-SCHOOL GIVEAWAY:
LACOG teamed up with Pasadena Police Department’s Michelle White and Neighborhood Survants to provide 400 fully-stocked backpacks to families with children in need of school supplies. All backpacks were distributed safely via a COVID-friendly drive-thru delivery system.
Jennifer:
Jennifer is the epitome of a fighter and grinder. She has overcome so much in her life—from drug addiction to domestic abuse. A couple years ago, she decided to turn her life around for the betterment of her three boys. Now, Jenifer goes to Rio Hondo College and maintains a 4.0 G.P.A., all while providing for her boys.
To help Jennifer during these stressful and challenging times, LACOG teamed up with Sister Angel Foundation and provided $1,000 worth of gift cards to her local grocery store.
Jennifer could not have been more grateful and asked that we share her story, so other people know that anything is possible through faith and a consistent dedication to growth.
HOPE FOR THE HOLIDAYS- FAMILY REACH
For families fighting pediatric cancer the financial burden is often times a challenge. The amount of time parents dedicate towards work is significantly reduced and in certain cases stopped altogether in order to be there for their ill children. As a result, bills can be challenging on a monthly basis and the holidays can seem more demoralizing than uplifting due to this financial hardship. To address this need, LACOG teamed up with Family Reach to fulfill holiday wishes for those families in dire need with the ‘Hope for the Holidays’ initiative. 100% of the funds raised went directly to the families struggling with pediatric cancer to use for gifts, food, and other holiday essentials…giving them the means to celebrate and make memories with their children.
Mission Church- Ventura Fires
The devastating fires in Ventura county burned over 280,000 acres and forced over 100,000 residents to evacuate their homes. The Mission Church was one of many locations that provided shelter, food and clothing to the evacuees. The newly formed Los Angles Circle of Giving felt compelled to act to help provide the basic necessities for the evacuees. In a short amount of time board members and a volunteer raised funds and drove to Ventura county to purchase water, food, clothing, and other basic human necessities at the local Costco which were then provided to the Mission Church.
ENGAGE THE VISION- CHLA
At the start of 2018 LACOG decided to team up the mentorship program Engage The Vision, which works with inner city boys to teach them about leadership, accountability, and servicing their community. The goal of the partnership of Engage The Vision and the LACOG was to provide the boys with much needed shoes while providing a lesson of giving back selflessly to the community. To start the day, founder and president- Greg Kinsey spoke to the kids about the concept of giving and paying it forward... you attract the energy you put out into the world. With that idea in mind, the kids selflessly created beautifully crafted Valentines Day cards for the children at The Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.
