Our “signature” programs are Wellness Retreats. These retreats are 3-4 day journeys that transport our participants out of the everyday challenges of coping with cancer into a peaceful environment that provides them with opportunities to explore holistic healing modalities while developing a sense of community with other women along the same path. From our special healthy menus, educational workshops and classes that include yoga, guided meditation, art therapy and nature walks, as well as community-building activities, every aspect of their stay on a retreat envelops Living Beauties with compassionate care. Some examples of our retreats include:

Echoes of Hope received a grant to help with their Tomorrow fund. This is more information on that program.

“Leaders of Tomorrow is a hand selected group of aspiring young adults who receive scholarships from Echoes of Hope to obtain their college degrees, transition to adulthood, and advocate on behalf of the organization.

Scholars in this program are required to participate in three of the four quarterly “Days of Hope”. Day of Hope provides opportunities for personal, educational, emotional, and spiritual growth.

In collaboration with Echoes of Hope, some of our Leaders of Tomorrow have ventured into creating their own nonprofits.

Resources for Scholars include, but are not limited:

• Housing assistance
• Textbook/PC laptop assistance
• Grocery store gift cards and/or food vouchers
• Graduation expenses

In addition, scholars are eligible for: 

• Empowering workshops
• Paid speaking engagements

Qualifications: Application and two interviews”

 

Click here to learn more about other 2020 recipients.

FOOTPRINTS ON OUR HEARTS

a loving remembrance of Ginny Mancini

Ginny Mancini, a creative, inspirational visionary in the Arts – whether music, dance or theater – was a devoted and dedicated Board Director of The Leo Buscaglia Foundation for thirty-six years.

The Board members were blessed to experience her heartfelt belief in “paying it forward” and generous, supportive spirit. Ginny genuinely demonstrated Leo’s values of love, empathy and compassion. 

Ginny’s greatest superpower was to continuously share her extraordinary faithfulness to Leo’s memory with Board members. She and Henry were lifelong dear friends of Leo. 

Her guidance to the Board members was manifested by her collaborative spirit in oral presentation of the Arts when reviewing Request for Grants from non-profit organizations. Ginny uplifted and honored all of us with her presence and expert knowledge of the entertainment industry.

Her “footprints” definitely made a difference! If our legacy is measured by how many lives we touch, Ginny’s life was a tremendous success. 

P.S. The 50th Anniversary edition of “Love” and the 40th Anniversary edition of “The Fall of Freddie the Leaf” will be published in 2022 by Slack, Inc.

Hopefully, one of these books will be dedicated to one of the first and longest serving members of The Buscaglia Foundation – Ginny Mancini. 

Our sincere gratitude. 

“On a rare rainy day in LA, our wonderful Beauty Bus volunteers were working hard to brighten the gloom for the patients and caregivers staying on the oncology floor at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Set up in a conference room, bright shades of nail polish, glittering lip gloss sparkles, and the sound of soft giggles soon replaced the grey of clouds and the pitter-patter of raindrops on the high hospital windows.

While a small group of young girls debated the perfect shade of pink for their nails, moms relaxed into a soothing facial – the tension falling away from their shoulders, and two dads chatted quietly as they received a much-need trim. Here in the relaxed quiet of the temporary salon, it was easy to see the happy families joyful for a moment to just be, without the stress of the uncertainties that lie ahead.

One mother, Khadijah, shared, “My daughter was admitted to the Children’s Hospital due to complications from her brain tumor. I met some members of the Beauty Bus team while they were at the hospital and was given a bag filled with personal care items.” Allowing the pampering to continue even after their beauty services, each family that visits the pop-up salon is given a Bag of Beauty filled with hand-picked product to take with them and enjoy.

“The items were very useful and appreciated,” Khadijah continued. “The store in the hospital is not open on weekends and some parents don’t have anyone to bring them necessary items. Not everyone understands the struggles that caregivers are faced with. We appreciate what you do and look forward to supporting this organization.”

Khadijah’s kind words remind us of the reason Beauty Bus was founded and what motivates all we do each day. Loving kindness, support, and compassion will always be at the heart of the Foundation and we are grateful to be able to share that with our clients, volunteers, donors, and the entire amazing community that has grown around us!”

Join American Youth Symphony for their next concert in the park!

SUN, DEC 5th | 2:00pm

Tongva Park

1615 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Celebrate the holiday season with AYS’ Brass Quintet and Elemental Music at Santa Monica’s Tongva Park. More concert information will be announced soon.

This FREE concert is the second in our three Concert in the Park series with Elemental Music. No advance tickets or registration is necessary, but if you’re on Facebook let us know if you’re coming!

RSVP on Facebook

AYS and Elemental Music are following health & safety guidelines from Los Angeles County Department of Public Health for outdoor events. It is recommended that guests wear masks and practice social distancing. Read more on the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s website here. 

SOY believes it is important to be a vital part of the community in which we serve, both by providing our youth opportunities to get involved and by collaborating with other city and nonprofit organizations.

SOY provides Community Service opportunities for its students to get involved in the community and serve others in need. Many of these are day-long projects in the local area, including:

• Back Bay Clean-up in Newport Beach
• SOS Adopt a Family Project in Costa Mesa
• Label Bottles to Prevent Teenage Drinking in Local Area

“As the first Adult Day Program and Counseling Center in Los Angeles, OPICA (Optimistic People In a Caring Atmosphere) has been serving adults challenged with memory loss and their families in the West Los Angeles area for more than 41 years. Thanks to the visionary leadership of Professor Yung-huo Liu of UCLA and philanthropists Ted and Rita Williams, OPICA became the first social model adult day care center in the City of Los Angeles and later served as the model for the City of Los Angeles’ network for future adult day care centers. Clearly meeting a community need, OPICA’s client base grew rapidly. In 1984, with help of then-Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, a recreation facility in Stoner Park was transformed into OPICA’s current quarters. In 1998-99, a dedicated counseling wing was constructed with private funding, including a generous grant from the Parsons Foundation, to better meet the needs of family caregivers of older adults with memory loss.

In 2006, Mary Michlovich joined OPICA as its Executive Director. She brought with her more than a decade’s worth of experience in working with seniors as well as a passion and vision for a center that consistently provides professional and compassionate staff, a supportive environment and innovative programming to meet evolving community needs. Under her leadership, OPICA has developed and expanded early-stage memory loss and fall prevention programs, a research function to ensure best practices and extensive collaborative networks with community partners.

Today, OPICA provides comprehensive programming specifically focused on all stages of memory loss in a nurturing environment. Offerings include cognitive stimulation activities, such as therapeutic art and music, brain fitness, counseling, education, and The OPICA Brain Train early memory loss program. Through on-site and select satellite programs, OPICA fills a critical need as one of the leading not-for-profit community-based organizations focused solely on memory loss.

Celebrating 40 years serving the Alzheimer’s community, OPICA looks to the future with great optimism and excitement. We are in an era where we have more access to age-related information than ever before. We better understand the progression of memory loss, preventative measures and how to best care for ourselves and our families through the journey of dementia.

By 2050, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease may nearly triple, from 5 million to as many as 16 million, barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent, slow or stop the disease. OPICA’s mandate to help individuals and families suffering from dementia is more important now than ever, underscoring the need to continue and expand our efforts.

Members of OPICA have lived rich and full lives with amazing stories to tell, and we have the privilege to add to their stories. The looks of joy, wonder, learning and creativity on members’ faces remind us every day that we have so much to offer and learn from one another.”

Click here to learn more about other 2020 recipients.

Watch the story behind the L.O.V.E. Foundation and why it serves homeless & disenfranchised youth in Hollywood & L.A.

 

 

Click here to learn more about other 2020 recipients.

Leo Buscaglia Foundation supported the third year of their Lil Innovators Early Childhood STEM Project.  This three pronged project provides 1.) science, technology, math and engineering (STEM) learning opportunities for preschoolers in three preschools in La Habra serving low-income families 2.) professional development workshops for early childhood education teachers to teach STEM concepts effectively to future preschoolers 3.) opportunities for parent engagement – to help them support the ongoing achievement of their students into the future.  The mission of the Children’s Museum at La Habra is to encourage enthusiasm about learning that opens the world to even the youngest child, thereby increasing the chances of academic success.  The Friends of the Children’s Museum at La Habra supports this mission through fundraising efforts on behalf of the museum.  The Friends of the Children’s Museum at La Habra received a $1,500 grant from the Leo Buscaglia Foundation in February of 2018.