Harbor Interfaith volunteers at a Thanksgiving food giveaway event. HIS programs empower homeless and working poor families to achieve self-sufficiency. File photo.
San Pedro is home to about 156 nonprofits. A big number for a “small town.” As a Harbor Area community, full of diverse people with differing views, residents value local nonprofits and step in to advocate for the environment, politically and for both social justice and well-being among other causes.
Nonprofits embody the best of local communities. They provide ways for people to work together for the common good, transforming shared beliefs and hopes into action.
Causes identified by nonprofits are for societal benefit and human services. This includes 100 Black Men of Long Beach, which serves Black youth in the wake of countless civil rights uprisings by aiming resources toward youth development. Amid an isolating pandemic, Heart of Ida helps older adults maintain independence.
Environmental and wildlife organizations, like Marine Mammal Care Center rescue, rehabilitate marine mammals and birds after recent disastrous oil spills and Long Beach’s Algalita Marine Research connects youth with scientists, experts, politicians and businesses to address plastic consumption.
Education, arts, culture and humanities organizations like San Pedro Waterfront Arts District and Carson’s Precision Dance Company give back to their communities providing respite and inspiration as well as helping youth fulfill their artistic endeavors.
Health organizations, like Torrance’s Evidence Based California Inc, help transitional aged youth and BIPOC members experiencing homelessness as Los Angeles wrestles with sheltering its population of more than 41,000 unhoused individuals. These and many other local nonprofits play a fundamental role in creating more equitable, connected communities in this region.
A resource and advocate for America’s charitable nonprofits, the National Council of Nonprofits is a link connecting the largest nationwide and sector-wide grassroots network of nonprofit networks. A report by the Council of Nonprofits shows how these organizations impact the Golden State, which, if it were a nation, would rank as the world’s fifth largest economy.
California nonprofits are key contributors to its economy; nonprofit economic activity generates about 15% of California’s Gross State Product. Nonprofits bring more than $40 billion into California each year from out-of-state sources, including the federal government, out-of-state foundations and individual donations from around the world. Despite being exempt from paying corporate income tax, nonprofits pay more than $37 billion in taxes each year at federal, state, and local levels.
Nonprofits rank as the fourth largest employment industry in California. One in every 14 California jobs is at a nonprofit organization, and more than 1.2 million people are employed by nonprofits in the state, accounting for 7% of all employment.
The nonprofit sector’s workforce is more diverse by gender and race/ethnicity compared to the adult civilian workforce. And California volunteers contribute about $16 billion in unpaid labor each year, the equivalent of 331,058 full-time jobs, most of it in direct work with people, animals and the land.
California nonprofits employ a significantly higher percentage of women and a slightly higher percentage of people of color than the overall civilian workforce. And in leadership positions, nonprofit percentages of women and people of color are more than twice as high as in the overall workforce.
Volunteers bring both economic and intangible value to communities through nonprofits of all sizes and types. They care for people in hospice, raise critical program funds, advocate for clean water, serve as CFOs, museum docents, bus drivers, tax preparers and surgical nurses.
There is a synergy between nonprofits and their communities as the organizations speak out for those they serve. Nonprofits engage in public dialogue. Staff and volunteer leaders speak at hearings, meet with public officials, participate in policy coalitions and take positions on policy matters that affect their constituents. In turn, the Council of Nonprofits reports Californians give nonprofits higher marks than business or government in spending money wisely and in working efficiently.
Yet, the nonprofit sector is in a state of uncertainty and flux in the wake of the pandemic and economic instability. For example, nonprofits led by people of color — which tend to be smaller, less resourced, and community-based — face a more challenging set of circumstances. Their survival, and the communities who rely on them, is at stake. However, POC-led nonprofits are leading and participating in advocacy and organizing efforts for equity and justice.
Council of Nonprofits reports that organizations led by people of color are preparing for multiple crises in the immediate future due to unmet survival needs, a resurgence of COVID-19, and policies that criminalize communities of color. Many leaders of color expect that unmet survival needs related to food insecurity, jobs, housing, more COVID-19 illnesses and deaths, and harsh economic consequences will significantly increase over the next year.
This is only a microcosm of a particular set of issues. In the larger picture, Council of Nonprofits posits that these challenges can be overcome through working together rather than by operating separately. The strength of nonprofits is in their collective numbers. They exist in every community, are closest to the problems and understand the issues. For those reasons the council says nonprofits should be sharing their insights with policymakers to help them make informed decisions. Policymakers need to hear the voices of their nonprofit constituents. Nonprofits can’t endorse or oppose candidates running for office, but can take positions on ballot propositions, register people to vote, educate people about issues and help them get their votes in.
Below is a list of nonprofit organizations to which you can donate money, time and energy and know it is making a difference:
Harbor Interfaith
The mission of Harbor Interfaith Services or HIS is to empower the homeless and working poor to achieve self-sufficiency by providing support services including shelter, transitional housing, food, job placement, advocacy, childcare, education and life-skills training.
Each year, the nonprofit’s 90-day emergency shelter and 18-month transitional housing program provide residence and support, including childcare to about 450 people. The Family Resource Center extends aid in all areas: free groceries, clothing and hygiene items; rental/utility assistance; case management and individualized referrals; access to medical and dental services; and enrollment in 14 benefit programs. Last year, 31,000 services were provided to 10,400 people.
Projects in need of funds:
The Family Shelter offers residence that provides up to 90 days of crisis housing to homeless families. It accommodates 20 families at a time.
The Children’s Center fills the educational gap for children and gives parents the peace of mind to focus on school or finding a job. Without the program, parents would not have the opportunity to enroll in school or to secure employment.
Despite the precautions that dealing with COVID-19 has placed on people, Harbor Interfaith will still distribute holiday food baskets to households and toys to the children for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Christmas Drive Thru Food & Toy Distribution
Time: 1 to 5 p.m. Dec. 20, 21 HIS accepts donations: Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 670 W. 9th St. San Pedro.
This year, HIS will not hold the annual holiday block party where donors give gifts to adopted families. You can however still adopt a family. Donations can be delivered to participant’s address or agency at 670 W. 9th St. San Pedro.
To donate toys, food or adopt a family for the holidays, go to www.harborinterfaith.org
Los Angeles Maritime Institute
The idea for the Los Angeles Maritime Institute or LAMI formed when retired science teacher and Coast Guard licensed Capt. Jim Gladson witnessed the positive effect that the experience of sailing at sea had upon even his most challenged alternative school students, even those with dyslexia.
The TopSail Youth Program mission is to use sail training to provide youth with the real-life challenges that would develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to stay in school and become healthy, productive adults. In its 23 years, more than 60,000 youth from throughout Southern California have directly benefited from participation in hands-on learning experiences through LAMI’s TopSail Youth Program.
Opportunity programs for volunteers include: Virtual Voyage, Summer Camp, Topsail STEM Program, Youth Crew Program, Topsail Youth Program and Explore the Coast.
LAMI’s at-sea operations require a lot of dockside support, and it always needs help. There is constant demand in areas including: general boat maintenance; canvas/sail repair; carpentry; marine diesel and electrical systems maintenance; grant writing; web design and retail/sales.
To volunteer, attend an orientation, held on a Saturday of each month at 10 a.m. Check LAMI’s calendar to confirm and email the volunteer coordinator at volunteercrewleader@lamitopsail.org.
International Bird Rescue Celebrates 50 Years
On Jan. 18, 1971, two Standard Oil tankers collided near San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, resulting in a spill that let loose 2,700 cubic tons of crude oil.
Retired nurse Alice Berkner came up with the concept of International Bird Rescue or IBR while trying to help the more than 7,000 birds that filled warehouses around the Bay Area during the oil spill. By April 1971, International Bird Rescue Research Center was incorporated as a nonprofit organization.
IBR’s wildlife clinics are open year-round to provide critical care to seabirds beyond treating oiled wildlife. In 2019, rehabilitation teams admitted over 3,500 birds, brought in by the public and affiliated wildlife groups, between its two California clinic locations. IBR’s focus has been to act toward balance with the natural world by rescuing waterbirds in crisis — since 1971 it has admitted over 125,000 birds and the count continues.
Since 1971, IBR has responded to 225 worldwide oil spills. It has provided oiled wildlife collection, rehabilitation and documentation services on an assured basis for companies that transport or hold petroleum products. IBR works with local state and federal biologists to look at what animals are in the area at the time of a spill and try to determine what species and how many of them may be exposed to oil.
Scientists are now documenting how this surge of plastic trash leaves a wake of death and disease that directly affects seabirds. In many places around the world, birds feed on plastic floating on the water, mistaking it for food, many times this ingestion leads to their death and that of their young.
Get involved by donating, becoming a member, bird adoptions and volunteering or internships. Adoptions start at $25. Your donation gives water-bird patients a second chance. To donate or learn more, www.birdrescue.org.
EIN: 23-7103245 — Fifty years ago, HCHC began providing San Pedro with high-quality health services.
EIN: 95-1661682 — The mission of The Boys and Girls club is to enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens.
EIN: 95-1868767 — House of Hope provides a safe, clean, sober and nurturing environment for substance-abusing women. Its mission is to help women to regain their dignity and learn how to live without alcohol and drugs.
EIN 20-5651596 — Empower under-served youth to transform their future and become leaders of collaborative community change.
EIN: 95-3855705 — Rainbow Services provides shelter and support to anyone impacted by domestic violence, empowering them to move beyond trauma, towards safety and stability.
www.rainbowservicesdv.org/who-we-are
EIN: 95-1643387 — Toberman Neighborhood Center is a nonprofit community-based organization committed to assisting families and individuals by delivering life-changing services.
EIN: 23-7376148 — The mission of the Beacon House Association of San Pedro is to help men recover from the disease of alcoholism or addiction to other drugs. The Association provides food, shelter, counseling and the time to build a foundation in recovery and to return to family, home and community.
EIN: 33-0798716 — Justice For Murdered Children is determined to see that the scales of justice are balanced, that murdered children are not forgotten and that the rights of the victims’ families are zealously protected.
www.justiceformurderedchildren.org
EIN: 45-2487333 — HCBF assesses, protects and improves the health, quality of life, aesthetics, and physical environment of the harbor communities adjacent to the Port of Los Angeles through grants, health service providers, learning institutions and nonprofits in support of healthcare projects and programs.
EIN: 33-0540669 — MAR3INE supports and raises money for the Marine Mammal Care Center at Fort MacArthur, which rehabilitates and releases injured or sick marine mammals.
EIN: 33-0585381 — CMA is a resource that inspires exploration, respect and conservation of Southern California marine life.
www.cabrillomarineaquarium.org
EIN: 47-0869771 — The Wildhorse Native American Association provides opportunities for youth to perform, to participate in pow wows and to contribute to their community in a meaningful way. It believes that cultural traditions and healing practices are important to the health and resilience of local Native American communities.
EIN: 46-3977904 — AltaSea accelerates scientific collaboration, facilitates job creation and inspires the next generation for a more sustainable ocean.
EIN 33-0630949 — SPCB’s mission is to identify, train and promote a world-class pre-professional dance company from the diverse population of the Los Angeles Harbor K-12 through dance, exercise and education in public schools and after school.
EIN: 47-1551519 — The mission of San Pedro Waterfront Arts District mission is to promote San Pedro’s diverse arts, culture, and creative economy through collaboration, advocacy, marketing, and education.
www.sanpedrowaterfrontartsdistrict.com
EIN: 95-3688214 — AGCC’s mission is to provide space for artists to work and to engage the community through arts education, exhibitions of contemporary art and cultural events.
EIN: 95-4570250 — San Pedro Art Association continues its role as a forum for networking, information sharing, promotion, peer access and council, professional assistance, art education as well as career and marketing opportunities for the artists living in the Harbor Area and beyond.
EIN: 95-4554570 — Local arts have the power to bridge cultural boundaries and unite communities. The city’s Department of Cultural Affairs operates the theater, and Grand Vision has a Memorandum of Understanding to act as its official Friends’ Group. As the Friends, Grand Vision assists the theater with advocacy, a corps of trained volunteers, restoration projects and the marketing of its events.
EIN: 95-4785457 — Shakespeare By The Sea’s mission is to create theatrical experiences for audiences in culturally diverse communities to make theater accessible to all.
EIN: 95-6091854 — The National Watercolor Society’s mission is to encourage innovation in watermedia through education, outreach, and exhibitions — promote the advancement of watermedia and inspire the next generation of watermedia artists.
www.nationalwatercolorsociety.org
EIN: 27-0059731 — The Golden State Pops Orchestra specializes in presenting media music via accessible concerts and festival style events that bring audiences together.
EIN: 56-2498078 — PFLS is a nonprofit, tax-exempt educational organization dedicated to the history and preservation of the Point Fermin Lighthouse in San Pedro.
www.pflhs.org/about-the-society
EIN: 33-0515416 — LAMI serves to empower youth to discover their greater potential through extraordinary at-sea experiences aboard educational sailing vessels built to train and equip young people with 21st century leadership skills, and inspire maritime and STEM career paths.
EIN: 94-3189517 — HBI was founded to meet a pressing need to educate a new generation of workers about the rich history of the labor movement; to demonstrate the working community and to showcase and celebrate the contributions of labor leaders as well as rank-and-file trade unionists, not only in the founding of unions, but in the continuous struggle for worker’s rights.
EIN: 82-5395777 — A global platform to bring women together. Solidarity provides the strength, support, credibility and power to make vital changes. Union jobs have always come with risk and the possibility of injury and women’s issues are still at the forefront. Now, more than ever, women need to join together to uplift one another, build community and build long lasting friendships, locally, nationally and globally.
www.unionwomeninsolidarity.org
EIN: 95-1882853 — Assistance League of San Pedro-South Bay is devoted to the needs of the children, families and seniors of its community. It identifies the changing needs of the community and is committed to the growth, development and expansion of its chapter.
www.assistanceleague.org/san-pedro-south-bay
EIN: 47-2358536 — Green Girl Farms is leading the effort to build an environmentally sound and socially just food system in the communities surrounding the Port of Los Angeles.
www.green-girl-farms.square.site
EIN: 81-4833490 — Feed And Be Fed raises funds to support its critical projects.The nonprofit has fed a record number of people struggling with food insecurities. And the need continues to be strong in the San Pedro community.
EIN: 95-2803612 — The mission of San Pedro Meals on Wheels is to supply nourishing meals at a minimum cost to people who are unable to cook, drive, shop, or leave their home for temporary or longer periods of time.
www.sanpedromealsonwheels.org/home
EIN: 30-0541637 — Its mission is to enhance academics, extracurricular activities, and athletics for all students in grades 9 thru 12 at San Pedro High School.
https://sanpedropirateboosters.com
EIN: 30-0870923 — Dana Middle School’s mission is to provide an engaging environment to support all students in becoming socially responsible, intellectually curious, and college and career ready individuals.
www.danams-lausd-ca.schoolloop.com/dana
EIN: 82-3551385 — A Needy Wilmington is committed to the Wilmington Community and with your support and its grass-roots movement, it will address the serious need for food, clothing and basic necessities within Wilmington.
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