Organization: Global Orphanages, Inc.
Purpose: Global Orphanages, Inc is a Los Angeles based non-profit that aims to enrich the lives of children around the world by providing them the basic amenities of food, clothing and shelter and to facilitate their education, which will give them hope and tools for a better future. Global Orphanages, Inc. was founded by Alexis Peters who by chance took a trip to India that changed the course of her life.
Global Orphanages, Inc. proudly presents the opening of the Alice in Wonderland orphanage for children in Faridabad India. There are over 12.4 million orphans in India who are in desperate need of a home and hope for the future. The Alice in Wonderland Orphanage for Children currently houses 12 impoverished children and is supervised by two caregivers (husband and wife) who live in the orphanage as well.
Alice in Wonderland provides the children with food, shelter, medical care, schooling, transportation to and from school, book fees, school supplies and an opportunity to live a meaningful life. The success of this program is based solely on donations that are tax deductible.
The organization recently held a charity “Fashion Show” at club Cinespace in Hollywood as a way to fund raise as well as create awareness in the Hollywood scene. The clothing featured was lingerie by Juel Park couture lingerie (juelpark.com) and the hip and trendy T-shirt line Fourmela (fourmela.com), and featured stylist Ambyr Hanks. The success of this event was made possible by the help from so many wonderful volunteers who gave their time and energy. Thank you to all who helped make the event a success!
Global Orphanages, Inc. holds one fundraiser per month and encourages young people to volunteer! The fundraisers range from car washes to fashion shows to silent auctions. The possibilities are endless. Global Orphanages, Inc. aims to get the community involved and is always in need of a helping hand!
How to Get Involved: For volunteer opportunities, please contact the founder, Alexis Peters, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . For more information about the organization, visit their website at volunteeringlove.org.
Organization: Freedom and Fashion
Purpose: Fashion is arguably one of the most influential industries out there. Freedom and Fashion has attempted to harvest this and raise consumer awareness about child labor, sex trafficking, and other human rights violations that plague the world. In their fashion shows, short films, and their Freedom and Fashion magazine, the organization only features nonprofit brands that promote fair trade. Their first show was held at UCLA on November 19.
How to Get Involved: For information about how to get involved and to stay informed about upcoming events, visit their website freedomandfashion.com
Organization: The Moth
Purpose: It is a rare breed – an organization devoted to showcasing intriguing performances that remain completely authentic throughout the whole show. There are no notes to use as crutches, there are no teleprompters to inform the performers of their lines. The reality is palpable and, in today’s world, that’s unbelievably refreshing. This is The Moth, a nonprofit live storytelling organization that holds shows – StorySLAMS – across the country featuring an array of unique, diverse performances by people who each have their own story to tell, all weaved together by a common theme of the night. Often colorful, endearing, and, at times, even heartbreaking, the stories are each little shards of the people who tell them, offering connections to those in the audience hanging on to every word. Past performers on the Mainstage – the original Moth series that featured performances by those invited to speak – have included some recognizable names like Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell, comedian Margaret Cho, singer Moby, and actor Ethan Hawke. The organization holds shows in Los Angeles, New York,
Detroit, and Chicago.
How to Get Involved: To participate in a show as a storyteller, you can just attend a show and sign up to tell a story on the night’s theme. Themes, dates, and locations can be found on their website, themoth.org.
Organization: Greater West Hollywood Food Coalition
Purpose: Operating all seven days of the week, year-round, the Greater West Hollywood Food Coalition (GWHFC ) is an organization that offers the less fortunate a warm, nutritious meal from food donated by establishments all around Los Angeles. GWHFC has been around since 1987, and has since built a solid reputation as a community-driven organization dedicated to helping the hungry and homeless population of the city find some stability and, of course, a fresh meal to go along with it.
How to Get Involved: To volunteer, donate, or learn more about the organization, visit their website at gwhfc.org.
Organization: SPACE Program
Purpose: Succeeding in an environment where opportunities are sparse is a feat, but the SPACE Program (Scholarship Purpose Access Community Empowerment) realizes that it isn’t impossible. They’re dedicated to helping inner-city high school students find career and educational opportunities through a series of workshops that provide guidance and information – and even success stories. Thirty high school seniors are chosen to participate, and at the end of the school year, five $5,000 dollar scholarships will be awarded to exemplary students. Guest speakers at past workshops have included the Vice-President of Marketing at FX Networks, Monica Koyama, the Head of the Motion Picture Script Department at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Cathy Tarr, and retired NBA basketball player A.C. Green.
How to Get Involved: To find out ways to volunteer, donate, or just to find out more, you can contact Eden Parish at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Northern California
Organization: San Francisco Organizing Project
Purpose: Though it’s always said that big cities have lost that communityesque sense that ties people together in their neighborhoods, it isn’t completely true. Pockets of communities around cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco still exist, and the San Francisco Organizing Project (SFOP ) is proof of just that.
The organization is a multi-ethnic, non-partisan coalition of congregations and schools creating innovative solutions to the problems facing the city. They engage their members in public life in order to create a safe, healthy, and livable city for everyone. Their core group of more than 250 volunteer leaders from over 30 member and affiliate institutions represents 40,000 families. Together with other PICO affiliates around the country, SFOP creates a new vision that unites people across region, race, class, family structure and religion. They work to train and develop strong and knowledgeable leaders and create a new generation of people from all ages and backgrounds who take responsibility for improving and strengthening communities throughout San Francisco.
SFOP transforms community residents from bystanders into players. Bystanders in communities are the people who learn about policy decisions after they are made and feel the impact of decisions made by others. Players, on the other hand, identify issues, shape and participate in the dialogue, understand policy analysis, come up with proposals and help implement them. Through their faith-based organizing model, SFOP contributes to the democratic renewal of our society and develops diverse leaders for public life. Since 1983, their leaders have been working closely with elected officials and public leaders who have the power to make changes at both the city and state levels. These officials are aware that an approach from SFOP carries the weight of an engaged and concerned citizenry.
Informed by ongoing and in-depth “listening campaigns” in neighborhoods across the city, SFOP continues to hear concerns from their members that center around the following issue areas and focus their work to ensure that all people have access to quality affordable health care nationwide, improve access to high quality education and ensure that children graduate high school ready for college or the workforce, end neighborhood violence and cyclical poverty by ensuring that all people have access to sustainable and sustained economic opportunities, ensure civil and human rights for all immigrants regardless of documentation status and ensure all San Franciscans have dignified, healthy, affordable housing. SFOP was founded in 1983. In 1992, it affiliated with the PICO National Network. PICO provides training for their staff and volunteer leaders, and aggregates power from across California and the U.S. on local, state and national issues.
How to Get Involved: For information about how to get involved, visit their website at sfop.org.
Organization: Image for Success
Purpose: You know that saying, “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have?” It’s a sad fact, but not everybody has the means to do so. The Image for Success organization in San Rafael realizes this. That’s why they provide two-week wardrobes with suits and other work-appropriate attire for those who are aspiring to gain a new job but don’t have the means to purchase it on their own. Volunteer personal shoppers even assist people in choosing the wardrobes that are right for them.
How to Get Involved: For more information, visit their website at imageforsuccess.org.
Organization: A Home Away from Homelessness
Purpose: Offering a support and help to the homeless and formerly homeless children of San Francisco and Marin counties, A Home Away From Homelessness is a nonprofit organization truly dedicated to enriching the lives of those in need. There are different programs designed to aid children – which include an after-school educational program called “The School House,” as well as a mentor program – and four “homes” all around the counties it serves.
How to Get Involved: For more information and to find out how to get involved, visit their website at homeaway.org.
By Tanya Ghahremani and Alexis Peters
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