Festival Ballet Theatre  received a grant for the expansion of the Community Outreach and Donated Admissions for Disadvantaged Children Programs.  The mission of Festival Ballet is to enrich Orange County’s artistic and economic vitality, to inspire love and appreciation for dance and to invigorate ballet through exhilarating performances, a nurturing environment for dancers and choreographers and stimulating educational outreach programs for children and adults.  Festival Ballet Theatre received a  grant from the Leo Buscaglia Foundation in 2015 and 2019. 

Families in Criminal Justice received a grant to go towards program expenses that support the critical relationships between FCJ participants and practitioners. These include telephone and internet access costs, printing and duplication costs and home visitor mileage. Families and Criminal Justice operates under the fiscal sponsorship of Special Services for Groups. They were founded with the mission of preventing inter-generational crime and incarceration. Their goal is optimal health and development among the youngest children of families involved in the criminal justice system. Families and Criminal Justice also received a grant from the Leo Buscaglia Foundation in November 2016.

UniCamp annually links 500 UCLA student volunteers with over 1,200 urban LA youth.

UCLA UniCamp is the official philanthropy of the Students of UCLA. UniCamp is an independently funded non-profit that connects UCLA with the community. Each year, UCLA UniCamp inspires over 1,200 children from urban communities to envision brighter futures by sending them, along with 450 student volunteers, to its residential outdoor summer camp. Because of UniCamp, both volunteers and campers have a chance to: Lead, Play, Learn. 

Creating the opportunity for today’s kids from underserved communities to become UCLA UniCamp campers.

Enabling today’s campers to become tomorrow’s student volunteers.

Empowering today’s UCLA student volunteers to become tomorrow’s community leaders.

Creating opportunities for Community Leaders to contribute to the successful development of today’s underserved kids.

Bus 9 to Paradise
written by Leo Buscaglia

When I began the book, I expected a story about a trip on a bus.  The title is based upon a listing
on a bus schedule.  It is much more that a story about a trip.  It is instead a book of meditations on
a myriad of things we think about:  love (of course), self-respect, dignity, overcoming frustration, celebrations, all states of life, and more.  Reading it during the pandemic has been a balm and quietly
urges further thought.  Perhaps more important is recognition that Leo’s words are timeless.  The
book was released in 1986.

Here are a few quotes which I hope you will enjoy….

“We did not take Bus 9 to Paradise.  I am happy that we didn’t for it seems clear that paradise
is to be found only in our own immense and limitless minds, shaped by our own unique experience and willingness to continually grow and change.”

“What we call the secret of happiness is no more a secret than our willingness to choose life.”

“Life is paradise for those who love many things with a passion:  people, family, learning—an endless
list.  There is no need to seek happiness in some far-off future.  The more passionately we love many
things, the closer we come to paradise NOW.”

Perhaps you will consider browsing Bus 9 to Paradise or another of Leo’s works, I hope so.

In closing, here are two quotes that are special to me:

“Get wildly enthusiastic about the little things, play with leaves, skip down the street, run against
the wind”

“Only when we give joyfully, without hesitation or thought of gain, can we truly know what love means.”

by Keri S. Botello

The senior village concept was started in 1999 in the Beacon Hill area in Boston. Since then, over 140 villages have been established, and over 125 more are in development across the nation. South Bay Village, established by Ghislaine Davis and several other volunteers in 2014, started operations in May 2015, now serves Torrance and nearby surrounding areas. The Village provides services to its members to help them to remain in their own homes, while enjoying all that their familiar community has to offer.
The village is composed of several elements, all orchestrated to help senior members to continue to live full lives, while remaining in their own homes.

What do they do at RowLA?

“ON THE ERGS

The erg (short for ergometer) is used to help the girls train. Erg workouts offer focused practice on proper body position and rowing stroke technique while training the girls in regulating athletic intensity. The RowLA girls erg almost every day and they prepare for the annual Erg Sprints Race in late January. Our ergs travel to the local middle schools in the spring for Erg Ed, a program introducing rowing to middle school students.

ON THE WATER

RowLA girls meet at Recreational Boating at Parking Lot #77 off of Mindanao Way in Marina del Rey for rowing training. Coaching is from a launch and takes place in the main channel of the marina. The competitive team practices on the water every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday afterschool from 4pm-6:15pm and on Saturday and Sunday mornings. The Novice rowers, in their first year, practice on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoon plus on Saturday mornings. The middle school developmental team practices on Tuesdays from 3:30pm-5:30pm and on Saturday mornings.”