L.A. GOAL: Opportunities for Adults with Developmental Disabilities

L.A. GOAL is working to provide services to hundreds of adults with developmental disabilities and their families. Serving over 350 people total, L.A. GOAL arose as a reaction to families with disabled children graduating from high school. At first it was a social club that would teach these adolescents about money and the essentials of daily life, and then it transformed into a place that involves disabled adults into focusing on self sufficiency and self advocacy.

L.A. GOAL serves adults with Autism, Down Syndrome, Mental Retardation and neurological problems such as Epilepsy and Cerebral Palsy. Their programs include ways to move people with developmental disabilities into being fully participating members of society while challenging them educationally and creatively.

Giving Back to L.A. GOAL

You can always donate to L.A. GOAL or register with Ralph’s to give them a portion of all of your purchases made with your Ralph’s Club Card. First, log onto the Club Card Program website, type in their NPO number which is 81413, and fill out the given info about yourself. Their Federal Tax ID number is 23-7269692. If you have any questions about donating contact Laura O’Neal at 310-838-5274 or email her at info@lagoal.org.

Getting involved with L.A. GOAL is easy. Contact Margaret Goodenough for volunteers in the art and sewing studio at iop@insideoutproductions.com or 310-838-5274. You can contact Cathy Reed or Petite Konstantin at info@lagoal.org or 310-838-5274 for more information about volunteer opportunities with their Independent Living Skills program. For more information, visit the L.A. GOAL website.

You can also donate to their Wish List.

The Art of Elysium: A Place of Ideal Happiness

Founded in 1997, the Art of Elysium works with children battling serious medical conditions to provide them a foundation in the arts specifically in acting, art, comedy, fashion, music, radio, songwriting and creative writing. They encourage actors, musicians and artists to volunteer their time and talent to give these children an outlet to the world of arts.

Ultimately, these critically ill children will find hope and appreciation, as will the artists who donate their time. Art gives these sick children a break from worrying, from feeling alone, and from the regimen of the medical procedures that they go through on a daily basis.

A Testimonial from a Parent

“One of the most overlooked things in the hospital environment, because the children are so ill, is what they do with their time. My daughter first spent eleven days in the hospital, and more recently another seven. If an organization can take a child’s mind off of their pain for five minutes then it is worth it. Each minute in the hospital is long to a child; each minute is a part of their childhood slipping away as they face pain, fear, and possibly death. Jennifer has sat in ICU with my daughter and made her laugh and smile, temporarily helping my daughter to forget her anguish. For every child in the hospital, there should be someone like Jennifer, who helps the child forget and the parents believe.” Susan Milliken - Parent

Give Back to The Art of Elysium

You you can help places like The Art of Elysium to keep making an impact on critically ill children by making a donation, volunteering as an artist, donating art supplies, buying art, or purchasing an art kit.

To make a monetary donation, click here. Every $25 you donate purchases an art kit for a child.

You can also donate art supplies in the form of beauty supplies (new and unused), children’s books (all ages), costumes (new and unused), musical instruments, or basic art supplies. You can mail your donation to The Art of Elysium, 3278 Wilshire Blvd – Penthouse, Los Angeles, CA 90010.

To volunteer as an artist you will need to attend an orientation. For information visit their website or email Leslie Culp, Program Director of Los Angeles at lculp@theartofelysium.org.

To buy art, visit their art gallery and if you are interested in purchasing contact Deborah Marcus at 213.387.3918 or email her at dmarcus@theartofelysium.org.

Westside Center for Independent Living: Serving People with Disabilities

As a non-residential center, the Westside Center for Independent Living is dedicated to creating better lives for people with disabilities. This center for independent living focuses on maximizing the independence of individuals with disabilities and tries to make the communities they live in more accessible. Although a lot of the funding comes from private donors, the center is also funded by the US Department of Education to offer services which include independent living skills training, information and referral, peer counseling, and change advocacy.

Peer-led Programs Leading to Success

The key is through peer-led programs.  These programs work to break down environmental, economic, and social barriers for people with disabilities. They are focused on reshaping the attitude of people in these groups to make them feel more enabled and self confident.

Giving Back to Westside Center for Independent Living

Donating to the Westside Center for Independent Living is easy. You can give a donation online or you can mail a donation to WCIL Development, 11201 S. LaCienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045 or call them at 310-568-0107 ext. 24 or 25.

You can also volunteer by taking part in one of their groups. To see the WCIL Calendar, click here.

Contact the Westside Center for Independent Living at 12901 Venice Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90066 or call them at 1-888-851-WCIL.

Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic: Serving People with Visual and Learning Disabilities

Also known as RFB&D, Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic primarily works with publishers and technology innovators to give people with visual and learning disabilities the tools and materials they need to further their education. Their textbooks are used nationwide, and the collection includes classic novels and current state-adopted textbooks to ensure that these people get the same opportunities of their peers and classmates.

Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic allows students the educational equality they deserve so that they can learn alongside students in class as opposed to being singled out. RFB&D provides the nation’s largest digital audiobook library that makes it easier for students and people with disabilities to be able to read and learn like everyone else.

Advocacy for the Learning and Visually Impaired

Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic has collaborated with the US Department of Education to promote the academic and personal success of individuals. They have been extremely successful with partnering with federal, state, and local governments to serve hundreds of thousands of students who need educational materials catered to their special needs. These partnerships are key to RFB&D’s success.

How You Can Help

The Los Angeles studio is located on 5022 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027. They are open Monday through Thursday from 9:30 AM to 9:30 PM, Friday and Saturday from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM, and are closed Sunday.

In order to volunteer with them, you will need to attend a volunteer orientation which is the first Wednesday of each month from 6 to 7 pm. If you are interested complete the volunteer form and send it to Alice Way at away@rfbd.org, or call her at 909-942-4245.

You can also donate to Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic and even select where your money goes. To donate, click here.

 

The Braille Institute: Empowering Visually Impaired People to Live Fulfilling Lives

Since 1919, the Braille Institute has provided services at 5 regional centers including Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Rancho Mirage, as well as over 350 community outreach locations in Southern California. They offer a large variety of services for vision-impaired people to help them live fulfilling lives.

The Braille Institute is funded 100% through private donations to provide free services including:

• Child Services
• Children’s Literacy Services
• Youth and Teen Services
• Career Services
• Adult Services
• Low Vision Services
• Library Services
• Braille Publishing
• Public Education and Resources
• Recorded Media
• Vistas Store

Free Books in Braille and Audio

As the 2009 winner of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the Braille Institute provides a lot of free books in braille and audio for people with vision impairment. They received a $10,000 award for recognition of their fantastic contributions.

“For 90 years, the Braille Institute has served as a vital resource center and true beacon of light for the visually impaired throughout Southern California. Every year the hardworking staff and volunteers of the Braille Institute touch the lives of tens of thousands of people with visual impairment by offering a whole host of services, resources, and cultural events geared toward their needs.” – U.S. Representative Xavier Becerra

Giving Back to the Braille Institute

“Team Braille Institute” is a wide range of volunteers ages 16 and older who are dedicated and enthusiastic. The ratio from volunteers to employees is 13 to 1, so volunteers make up a big part of the impact the the Braille Institute is able to make.

You can be a community ambassador, a community networker, a regional center volunteer, or a virtual volunteer by joining them on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Check out the Volunteer Guide to learn more about volunteering with the Braille Institute.

There are a handful of ways for you to donate to the Braille Institute. For a list of ways to give back click here.

The Braille Institute Los Angeles Center is located at 741 North Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90029. Call Michelle Sheridan at 323.663.1111.