THE SWIM 2010

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Breast Cancer Angels

http://breastcancerangels.org/

The Mission of Breast Cancer Angels is to provide financial, emotional and spiritual assistance for women and their families as they are going through breast cancer treatment. Breast Cancer Angels is an independent, not for profit 501(c)3 organization founded in 2000 by two breast cancer survivors and their loving sisters.

Breast Cancer Angels started with 6 women sending in $20 a month. We are now blessed to have many “Angels” who send in monthly gifts but the need continues to grow. We have several fundraising events each year and we are so grateful to the other individuals and groups that host fundraisers for us. A corporate sponsor pays our overhead. This enables us to turn over 100% of all other donations to the women in treatment.

Every year we assist more then 400 clients and their families and every year the need grows. We are in critical need for “Angels” so together can we continue this important work.

Four Great Local Charities

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Habitat for Humanity

http://www.habitatlb.org/habitat.asp

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles builds and renovates homes in partnership with God and people everywhere with a goal of eliminating substandard housing by making decent, affordable housing a matter of conscience and action in our communities. 

The overwhelming need for housing in Los Angeles County has provided us with a unique opportunity to change lives in our neighborhoods. In our market, Habitat for Humanity is one of the few – if not the only – affordable homeownership program that serves families earning 30-80% of the median family income. Cost burden and overcrowding are the most serious problems experienced by very low-income area residents. Working with volunteers, families, corporations, congregations, and donors we are able to tackle this important housing issue throughout the Los Angeles area. We are dedicated to making homeownership possible for low-income, working families.

We offer a hand up, not a hand out. We do not give away our houses. We require our Habitat homeowners to invest 500 hours of "sweat equity" to help build their home and they must each qualify for a 0% interest mortgage.

Since 1990, we have built houses in neighborhoods all across Los Angeles County. Shelter is a basic human need, and Habitat strives to achieve its goal of eliminating poverty housing and making decent, affordable homes a reality for all families.

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Children Today

http://www.childrentoday.org/

It is the mission of Children Today to provide community based services to children and families experiencing homelessness, fostering long-term family stability and success.


Our vision is that all children under age six experiencing homelessness will have a safe, nurturing place to spend their days playing, learning and growing, while their parents take steps toward stability, knowing their children are well cared for.

Children Today was founded in 1997 by two working mothers in Long Beach, California, after one of them saw a toddler wandering alone down a busy street, wearing only a diaper, his parents nowhere to be seen. It was this haunting image of homelessness – as well as its often overlooked impact on children – that inspired the creation of Children Today.


Children Today is an advocate for the needs of children in a system that typically sees homelessness as a problem only affecting adults. The goal of Children Today is simple – to increase the safety, stability and confidence of children facing homelessness and provide quality early care and education programs absolutely free of charge.


Since our inception, the combined impact of the Play House West and Play House North has reached over 800 families in Long Beach.

Casa Youth Shelter

http://www.casayouthshelter.org/

Casa Youth Shelter's mission is to provide temporary shelter and counseling services to runaways and youth in crisis, enabling them to come through the crisis with increased personal strength and a sense of renewal while in a supportive environment, with family reunification as the primary goal.

  1. •Casa is one of only 2 youth shelters serving the Greater Long Beach Metropolitan area as well as one of only 2 in Orange County.

  2. •Casa has 12 beds and provides shelter to approximately 200 youth per year.

  3. •Casa provides temporary shelter for up to 2 weeks to adolescents, ages 12-17, who are runaway, homeless, or at risk of becoming runaway or homeless.

  4. •Many of the youths who come to Casa have suffered from abuse. Last fiscal year we filed child abuse reports on behalf of kids who were physically abused (50%), sexually abused (17%), and who suffered from neglect or abandonment (20%).

  5. •A primary goal at Casa is to help each child reunite with family if such reunification will not threaten the safety of the child. To help accomplish this goal, Casa utilizes an extensive counseling program that includes 3-4 sessions of family therapy each week as well as 2-3 sessions of group counseling and/or educational classes each day.

  6. •After Care family counseling is provided, ideally for 2-3 months following a child's departure from the shelter.

  7. •Parenting classes (in English and Spanish) are also provided to the parents of residents as well as to the community at large.

  8. •Casa hosts a youth leadership program for high school students. This program is called Youth Development Program (YDP).