The Children’s immediately started raising funds for both long-time families in our Vita Network Program, as well as new families in LA County, as soon as the lock-down occurred, at the end of March, 2020. We also immediately posted a thoroughly updated COVID-19 Resource Page on our website-offering information about testing, free student resources, available pantry kitchens, coping strategies, job information, and much all current LA County updates and relevant websites.

With an amazing $25,000 Matching Grant from the Open Hearts Foundation, CLF was able to distribute $60,000 in crucial financial stipends and scholarships since that time, in addition to thousands of dollars in holiday gifts, back-packs, new children’s and baby clothing-and many other in-kind donations.

We also were able to procure gift bags for nurses in UCLA’s COVID unit, as well as provide virtual volunteer opportunities for our Project Angel Holiday Program, and begin a wonderful new partnership with 310-Tutors, an amazing tutoring company that is helping a group of our Care through College students through the challenges of distance-learning. Our Program Director Sean has been hosting a Guys “Quaran-Team” Leadership Group Online, and we have been hosting “Family ZOOM Calls” with families in our Vita Network.

As we mentioned, we are still distributing scholarships to our “Shining Stars Scholars.” We are also so VERY PROUD of Ricardo Juarez, who GRADUATED from the university of Merced last spring, in the very midst of this pandemic. (We love you, Ricardo!) We are also so very proud of our ten other students, who are all soldiering through this very tough and challenging time, and with great success.

We want to especially thank EVERYONE who has donated this past year, and to the foundations and groups who have supported us, including: The McHugh-O’Donovan Foundation, The Oder Family Foundation, The Dwight Stuart Youth Fund, The Open Hearts Foundation, The Fields Family Foundation, Capital One, the Rite Aid Foundation, the Carrie Estelle Doheny Foundation, the Santa Monica Rotary Club, the Venable Foundation, Costco-AND-to friends who helped tremendously with in-kind donations, virtual fundraising for the holidays and volunteer aid-such as: the amazing JAKKs Pacific, Suzanne Smith, Action-Agape, Mark Kramer, March & Cha-Cha Weinstein, Ellen Poyer, Marla & Jeffrey Michaels, Li LaVine & Hector Ortiz, Sol Emami, A+E Networks & Terrie, Rogue One Networking & LeiLani Quiray, 310-Tutors, OSEA Skincare, Dari Silverman & “She’s the One” Children’s Clothing Showroom, BU Sunscreen, Amazon Smile- and so many other wonderful individuals (YOU KNOW who you are!!!)

We are VERY excited to be kicking a NEW round of funding for the Step Forward Emergency Family Fund at the beginning of March, and we will keep you posted…

We also have our eye on this summer, and hopefully, CLF will be back up at our Camp for All Program, for another great summer season! We are also working with two great students for a Student Ambassador Initiative-where elementary school children will help procure school supplies, backpacks, and spread the word about CLF’s work to their respective schools and PTAs. Kayden and Isabella are our first 2021 Student Ambassadors-and we will be highlighting them in an upcoming post soon.

Thank you all so much again for your great support…We could not do this work without you!

xo Maria D’Angelo

CLF Founder & President