Boeing Employees Help Fund Poppy Festival Display

This is a regular feature on philanthropic activities by Valley-area businesspeople and companies. The Boeing Employees Community Fund recently donated $6,000 to the city of Lancaster to be used toward the animal and rain forest display held at the annual 2011 Poppy Festival. The display included live animals and daily educational shows at the festival, which was held on April 16-17. “Investing funds in this venue to educate people of all ages on the importance of exotic animalsand their habitat is a great way to reach many and celebrate Earth Day,” said Shelley Jacobson, a Boeing employee who handed to check to city officials. On behalf of the Boeing Employee Community Fund, the city of Lancaster distributed 1,500 tickets for free festival admission to elementary schools throughout the Antelope Valley. “The wonderful people at Boeing help us put together a great nature exhibit every year with their donation,” said Jeff Campbell, Lancaster’s recreation supervisor and Poppy Festival organizer. “In turn, we make sure our local youth have an opportunity to attend the Festival and benefit from the education these funds help to provide.” Nurses Help Build A Home About 15 emergency department nurses from Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills recently joined hundreds of women in building a Pacoima home for a low-income family. The nurses volunteered for the Habitat for Humanity event on May 14-15. The event drew more than 500 women, including team members and actresses from television shows “The Young and the Restless,” “The Bold and the Beautiful” and “Days of Our Lives.” The Women Empowered, or WE, Build project marks the last in a 61-home neighborhood built by Habitat for Humanity. The project, which includes a children’s play area, is Habitat’s first Enriched Neighborhood Model in the area. The organization will bring health screenings, English language lessons and other programs for new residents. Grocery Stores Collect Food Five local Albertsons and Lucky grocery stores launched a food drive this month to benefit clients of the San Fernando Valley Community Mental Health Center Inc. The drive is being held until the end of May in honor of Mental Health Month. Shoppers can buy $10 worth of healthy food that will feed a family. The bags of groceries are distributed to those who suffer from mental health and economic issues. “We are proud to support the center and our community,” said John Porter, director for Lucky store in Van Nuys. “The response to this has been tremendous and it’s for a great cause.” The nonprofit organization also recognized Albertsons for having partnered with the center for years through cash, food and other in-kind donations. The grocery chain has also hired and promoted clients from the center, the organization announced. Actors Fundraise for Actors The Screen Actors Guild Foundation will hold its second annual charity golf tournament at El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana next month. All proceeds of the June 13 event will go toward the nonprofit foundation’s Catastrophic Health Fund, which supports actors when illness or injury threatens their ability to work or access affordable health insurance. In addition to golfing, the day’s activities will include a live auction and an awards gala. “The acting community has a long tradition of support of charitable organizations,” said “Criminal Minds” actor Joe Mantegna, one of the event’s hosts. “With the SAG Foundation it gives us the opportunity to practice the adage of charity starting at home. To help us help others, we need to help our own.” Businesses, Groups Sponsor Comedy Event Businesses and nonprofits helped bring laughter to children and their families in honor of National Foster Care Awareness Month. Counseling4Kids organized a Healing Through Laughter event at Flappers Comedy Club in downtown Burbank for 200 foster care children and their families on May 14. The children and their families attended the club’s “Two Milk Minimum” family show. The event was free for all guests with the help of sponsors such as U.S. Bank, Super Shuttle, City National Bank, Burbank Sunrise Kiwanis and Rotary Club of Burbank Sunrise. It included a red carpet walk, buffet lunch, family comedy show and goodie bags. The event was held to celebrate the people who make a difference in the lives of Los Angeles County foster children, including foster parents, relative caregivers, advocates, volunteers and the children themselves.