Charities

Hardcor Police Softball



Hardcor Police SoftballPolice softball has been played for more than 50 years. In 2005, the many local teams were invited to join a national league with West and East coast teams playing in tournaments around the country for points. Today, well over 1,300 officers play on more than 100 teams, including the Hardcor Police Softball Club, which over the years have raised tens of thousands of dollars for charities throughout the United States.


Leukemia & Lymphoma Society



Leukemia & Lymphoma SocietyFounded in 1949, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s primary mission is fighting blood cancers. LLS is the largest voluntary health organization in the world and provides funding for research into leukemia and lymphoma as well as services for patients and education. Since it’s foundation, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has invested over $1 billion in research to advance blood cancer therapies and save lives.


Lifeforce in Later Years



Lifeforce in Later YearsLifeforce in Later Years provides life-affirming programs aimed at confronting the issues commonly faced by older people including inadequate health services, strained resources within nursing homes, and a prevailing culture that ignores the plight of the very old and their families. In order to truly make a difference for today’s seniors, some of LiLY’s programs are local. But, in order to make changes to benefit tomorrow’s seniors, many of its programs have a broader national scope.


The Heroes Project



The Heroes ProjectIt has been a leading advocate for veterans’ issues, leading a three-pronged campaign to:

  • Expand community service programs serving veterans and active service members;
  • Support educational and media outreach addressing the unique needs and success stories of the care for military personnel;
  • Lead expeditions to enable wounded veterans and active service members to rediscover their strength and pride by scaling the world’s most challenging summits.

Team Rubicon



teamrubiconIt combines the skills and expertise of veterans with those of first responders. Since 2010, the organization has sent emergency aid workers all over the world to deliver disaster relief through search and rescue missions and the provision of emergency medical aid. It employs thousands of United States military veterans, using their training and skills to provide efficient rescue and relief tactics. To date, Team Rubicon has sent aid workers to Haiti, Sudan, Burma, Chile, Philippines and Pakistan, as well as to last year’s U.S. disaster sites post-Hurricane Sandy and the Oklahoma tornado.


Love in the Mirror


loveinthemirrorLove in the Mirror helps homeless children obtain not only the food, clothing, and school supplies they need in everyday life, but also provides programs to empower children to succeed in future endeavors. Jonas Corona chose the name Love in the Mirror because he believes that “every kid should look in the mirror and love themselves.”


Rainbow Pack

Rainbow Pack an organization that gives fully-stocked backpacks to school kids in poor communities, is now supported by Civic Duty and its cofounders Dr. Michael Omidi and his brother Julian Omidi. The outreach of Rainbow Pack increases every school year. Last year, 1000 backpacks were donated to Haddon Elementary, so that every single student was given school supplies. This year, 2013, their efforts expanded to include Strathern Elementary School as well as Haddon, requiring a total of approximately 2000 backpacks. Next year, Rainbow Pack anticipates adding two more schools in Pacoima and North Hollywood for a total of 4000 backpacks.


Nafeer Sudan

Nafeer is a people to people initiative that seeks to help those affected by the floods and heavy rains in Sudan. Their activities include emergency assistance such as: surveying affected areas, providing temporary shelter, meeting immediate food needs, attending to medical emergencies, and providing medical services.


Penrickton Center for Blind Children

Penrickton Center for Blind Children is a unique, private non-profit agency, providing five-day residential, day care, and consultation/evaluation services to blind, multi-disabled children ages one through twelve. Penrickton Center utilizes its expertise to teach and serve families, children and professionals through support services, education and advocacy.


Anti-Smoking

Smoke Free AmericaThe Foundation for a Smoke Free America was founded in 1989 by Patrick Reynolds, a grandson of the founder of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. Mr. Reynolds watched his father and other members of his family die from cigarette-induced emphysema and lung cancer. Resolved to tell the world the affect smoking can have on health and life, Mr. Reynolds went on a speaking tour of schools, universities, and medical boards. He has even lobbied the US Congress and State Legislatures for public smoking bans, higher tobacco taxes, spending on youth smoking prevention, and FDA Regulation of tobacco.


Smiles through Art

Smiles through Art was founded by Sharon Persovski, a graphic and environmental designer with a passion for community development through art and design. Persovski, who has multitudes of experience in the design of large scale international projects – from shopping malls in Japan, Singapore and Mexico to luxury spas and hotels in Las Vegas and China, has decided to put her many years as an accomplished environmental designer to work — helping those in great need. The organization helps people suffering from degenerative illnesses explore different avenues of emotional healing. Adults and children in particular are allowed to use their creative instincts to help navigate their fears and anxieties about their illnesses in a way that expands their horizons.


STAND

STAND began as an outraged response to the horrors of Darfur, Sudan. A group of students at Georgetown University wanted to organize a student constituency for the purpose of ending genocide in Darfur. As STAND’s passion and mission became well-known, other universities responded by launching their own chapters. As the organization broadened, the scope of STAND’s goals expanded, and by 2005, STAND began lobbying for the end of genocide worldwide.


Leader Dogs for the Blind

Leader Dogs for the Blind provides guide dogs to people who are blind and visually impaired to enhance their mobility, independence and quality of life. Each year, over 270 clients attend our 26-day residential training program to be paired with a guide dog. This is a life-changing event that opens the door to independence, safety and self-worth for many of our clients.


Assistance League

Assistance League is a unique national nonprofit organization made up of member volunteers in 120 individually-linked chapters who are committed to improving their local communities through hands-on involvement and innovative philanthropic programs. Established in Los Angeles in the early 1890s, the League now boasts more than 26,000 member volunteers nationwide who live in the communities they serve and ensure that all the funds they raise are used locally. Chapters identify community problems, then deliver solutions through programs developed to fit the need, and which the member volunteers fund and staff. Over $38 million was donated to local communities across the country last year, with members investing more than 2.86 million service hours. As a result, the lives of more than 1.4 million people were positively impacted. The national organization helps its volunteers realize their vision for their communities, making volunteer training possible, providing educational support, assuring financial responsibility and providing the link for inter-chapter communication.


Hands for Hope

Hands for Hope provides the North Hollywood community with a safe and structured after-school environment for younger children who might not have proper supervision at home between the hours of 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. The kids are encouraged to allow their intellectual curiosity to run free, without the fear of being judged and without the distractions and negative influences of unsupportive street environments.


Autism Society of America

The Autism Society of America was founded in 1965 by a pioneering group of parents at a time when autism was virtually unknown to the general public. The Autism Society is the oldest and largest grassroots organization within the autism community. Over the last 47 years, the Society has grown from a handful of parents into the leading source of information, research and reference on autism. Today, more than 120,000 members and supporters are connected through a working network of nearly 150 chapters nationwide.


Wheels of Mercy

Wheels of Mercy was founded in 2003 by Charles Monson, himself a quadriplegic, who decided that he would collect unused wheelchairs and give them to people in need. Prior to distribution, all of the wheelchairs are refurbished to like-new condition and many are customized to suit the special needs of the users since a wheelchair that is poorly formed can actually encourage spinal deformities and sores.


The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation

Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is a non-profit organization that has been recognized internationally for its work spreading awareness and increasing engagement in kind actions. As a foundation that has 501(c)(3) status, is privately held and funded, accepts no donations or grants, and has no affiliations they are able to encourage acts of kindness throughout all of society.


The Sickle Cell Disease Foundation of California

The Sickle Cell Disease Foundation of California

The Sickle Cell Disease Foundation of California has a long history of helping to fight a disease that is estimated to affect between 90,000 and 100,000 people living in the United States.

When the Sickle Cell Foundation was founded in 1957 many of those afflicted with sickle cell disease were dying in childhood with those who survived suffering from debilitating strokes or chronic and recurring pain.

Although sickle-cell anemia was the first disease to have its genetic component identified, there is only one drug approved by the FDA to treat the disease. While bone marrow transplants have been used to success in some patients, this is not an option for many.

The Sickle Cell Disease Foundation of California serves as an amazing resource for those who are suffering from sickle cell disease, their loved ones, and those who want to help. Not only does the Sickle Cell Foundation provide helpful resources such as research information and a list of treatment centers and doctors, they also provide opportunities to volunteer, donate, or participate in events such as their Walk-A-Thon fundraiser.

Civic Duty is proud to support and partner with this amazing non-profit. Find out how you can help in the fight against sickle cell disease by visiting the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation of California.


Prescott Firefighter’s Charities

Prescott Firefighter’s Charities was founded in May 2008, due to a phone call made to the Prescott Fire Department in which torrential monsoons destroyed the roof of a home, as well as in December of 2007 when a family lost their home due to a fire during the holiday season destroying all of their belongings and presents. To give further assistance to the monsoon victim, Prescott firefighters worked speedily with Home Depot and Foxworth-Galbraith to raise funding for donations and supplies to remedy the roof of the house. The December 2007 family that lost their home found these same firefighters that gathered donations from the public well as surrendered money from their own pocket to replenish this family. The Prescott faithful, collected enough that took four truckloads to deliver.

The Trevor Project


The Trevor Project is an organization that gets involved in suicide prevention and crisis intervention of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning young people (LGBTQ) between the ages of 13-24. This group was created in 1998 by creators James Lescene (writer), Peggy Rajiski (director) and Randy Stone of the Academy Award winning of the short film ‘Trevor,’ filmed in 1995. The film depicts a gay junior high school aged student who ultimately commits suicide because of the bullying of his friends.

Steadfast in their quest to keep LGBTQ youths from suicide and crisis, The Trevor Project’s mission is to providing a 24/7 crisis intervention lifeline and advocacy/educational programs as an outlet for safe, supportive and positive feedback for the foresaid demographic. The Trevor Project saves lives through text messaging, instant message and free confidential phone calls with their intervention services. As the largest social network community for LGBTQ youth practice advocacy initiatives, resources for youth and adults and suicide prevention educational training.


The Nelson Mandela Foundation


The foundation in the name of the distinguished South African anti-apartheid movement leader Nelson Mandela, is to contribute to keeping the legacy of the foresaid innovator alive. The Nelson Mandela Foundation locates documents and instills the preservation of materials that were otherwise scattered, collects and curates Mandela’s personal archive, gives a promotional public access to these sources and ensues dialogue and fact check all the initiatives in the name of Mandela. The foundation also ensures worldwide-masses and those deprived within South Africa by creating outreach programs which includes travelling exhibitions, books, comic series and internships, brings access through the web and supports initiatives planned to expand access through research. Like Nelson Mandela’s philosophy, the foundation use his dialogue to better understand social issues and fight the present nuances that threat social injustices.


UCP Wheels for Humanity


UCP Wheels for Humanity began in 1995, when it delivered 130 wheelchairs to those in need based in a garage in Studio City. Since that time the organization has expanded to a warehouse of almost 11,000 square feet to accomodate the scale of services they are now able to provide. Employees and volunteers work side by side in order to distribute wheelchairs for those who cannot otherwise afford them in developing countries around the world from Mexico to Vietnam, Brazil to Thailand. Not only are the wheelchairs delivered, but specialists accompnay them to ensure that the right seating and training is provided.


Friends Helping Friends LA


The mission of Friends Helping Friends LA is to give those who suffer from homelessness and substance abuse a healthy environment where they can stay sober and safe as well as experience comfort. Resources and support are then provided so that these individuals can achieve healthy and positive independent living.
Friends Helping Friends specifically focuses on assisting American veterans in overcoming disabilities, mental health issues and other hardships. One method by which they have been able to focus on this goal is through a referral service with the Los Angeles Veterans Administration Hospital as well as other veteran focused non – profit organizations.