Dear Friends,

Now more than ever, LA’s kids need your help.

The pandemic will have lasting effects on our children. 

This year, three major pediatric organizations declared a national emergency in youth mental health, citing the devastating impact of COVID-19 and ongoing structural inequities. The communities CII serves were hit hardest: the CDC estimates that 1 of every 310 Black children and 1 of every 412 Hispanic children experienced the death of a caregiver. In Los Angeles alone, that’s thousands of families left without a partner, a parent, grandparent or other caring adult they loved dearly.

Children’s Institute has been a lifeline for so many—providing more than $2 million in food and other basic necessities, along with virtual learning and telehealth to more than 30,000 children and their families during the pandemic. Yet families struggle to rebound from the economic, academic and emotional losses of the past 18 months, and they continue to need your support. 

Children’s Institute not only provides critical resources and services to those living in underserved communities, but also hope for a better future. Our youngest children were thrilled to return to CII’s bright and welcoming Head Start centers this fall. Youth ageing out of foster care are being supported to graduate from high school and go on to college and careers. Project Fatherhood is helping dads build meaningful relationships with their children. No matter how families connect to CII, we do whatever it takes to set them on pathways to success.

We are one LA community, and together, we can make the season brighter for children and families across our city.

We appreciate your generous support.

With best wishes for a Happy New Year,

Martine Singer
President & CEO

Together, we can make the season brighter for children and families.

G I V E   T O D A Y

In December 2021, Children’s Institute held  four Winter Festival Toy Drive-Thru & Walk Ups for the second year in a row. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, CII staff are still finding ways to safely make the season bright for our children and families across Los Angeles.

Thanks to our incredible sponsors—The Colleagues, Partnership for Families, Shelter Partnership, Good Plus Foundation, UCLA Latino Alumni Association, UCSB’s Chican@/Latinx Alumni Network, Film Craft LA, Film Tools, South LA Café, and countless individual donors—CII was able to distribute thousands of toys and baby items, and hundreds of grocery bags.

6,893 TOYS

570 GROCERY BAGS

1,687 BABY ITEMS 

Hundreds of families drove through 4 different CII locations—in Echo Park, Watts, Long Beach, and Wilmington—to pick up gifts, enjoy festive music and even catch a glimpse of Olaf (from Disney’s Frozen).

We’d like to thank our sponsors and community partners who made these events possible; our staff and volunteers who spent hours preparing, distributing, and cleaning up; and we’d especially like to thank the families who came out to celebrate with us.

Happy holidays to our entire CII community!