Help Group Opens Third Campus for Autistic Children

This is a regular feature on philanthropic activities by Valley-area businesspeople and companies. The Help Group held an opening celebration for its new autism center in Sherman Oaks on Jan. 24, the organization announced. The center is the Sherman Oaks-based organization’s fifth campus and third devoted to young people with autism and their families. The center’s major components include the Intervention & Day School Center, the Research Training & Conference Center and the Theater & Arts Complex. The Help Group’s Children’s Choir performed in honor of the opening, along with guest performers Louis Price and Nina Storey. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and several other local government officials attended the event. The new center is located at 13164 Burbank Blvd. Disney to Fund Projects The Walt Disney Co. plans to fund five environmentally-focused international projects voted on by children from other countries through its Disney Friends for Change program Web site, the company announced. The Web site’s most recent round of voting is the program’s third in total, and it is the first to include children from around the world since the program expanded into Latin America and Europe. Participating children make personal promises to reduce their impact on the environment by changing their everyday actions. They also have the chance to help allocate Disney’s $1 million commitment to fund environmental programs worldwide. The first-place $10,000 award went to BirdLife International for its program in China that aims to help conserve the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, a unique and highly threatened migratory shorebird. The company also gave out second- and third-place awards of $50,000 each, and fourth- and fifth-place awards of $25,000 each. Those recipients are receiving funding for projects related to rainforest conservation efforts in Canada, Iberian Lynx habitat conservation efforts, the creation of an eco-friendly system for raising fish and vegetables in order to protect gorillas and apes, and wetlands restoration in South Africa and Namibia, respectively. Lowe’s Gives to Schools Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation has awarded grants to two local schools to help with improvement projects, North Carolina-based Lowe’s Companies Inc. announced. The foundation gave out 51 Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grants during the fall 2010 grant cycle. Local recipients of the grants included John B. Monlux Elementary School, which received $7,000 for its Oasis Garden, and Shirley Avenue Elementary School, which received $4,645 for its Literacy Garden and Planter Beautification project. The Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grant recipients were among 480 schools or parent organizations that were awarded grants for parent-initiated improvement projects benefiting K-12 education across the nation. The grant program, which was launched in partnership with the parent-teacher organization PTO Today, has provided about $25 million through 5,000 grants since its inception six years ago. Bookstore To Help Youths Barnes & Noble plans to donate funds and books to the city of Burbank’s Youth Board though a book fair at one of the company’s Burbank stores, the city announced. The book fair will be held on Feb. 5 at the Barnes & Noble store at 731 N. San Fernando Road. Barnes & Noble will donate a percentage of every sale made with a special book fair voucher to the youth board. The funds will go toward the board’s “Pack for Success” program, which provides backpacks filled with school supplies to financially disadvantaged students. The store will also post a wish list of items to be included in the backpacks that supporters can purchase and donate to the program. – Jessica Vernabe