2015-The BOYLE HEIGHTS COMMUNITY YOUTH ORCHESTRA is an orchestral training program that empowers children, fights poverty, and helps build healthy connections between young people and their community through music. They are part of the global El Sistema movement, which uses music education as a way to transform the lives of children living in poverty. Formed in 2012, BHCYO provides music and singing instruction, and instrument loans, free of charge, to children ages 6-12 who live in the East LA neighborhood of Boyle Heights. They offer after-school and summertime programs throughout the year. In this neighborhood where poverty is extreme, violent crime is higher than average, student achievement is low, and music education in the elementary public school curriculum is virtually nonexistent, the BHCYO is enriching children’s lives and changing the fabric of an entire community. MUSIC IS CHANGING LIVES.

AN AFTERNOON OF WORLD MUSIC!  On November 15, 2015 Phillips Lerner hosted a concert featuring The Boyle Heights Community Youth Orchestra performing alongside GRAMMY AWARD-winning recording artist ALOE BLACC; Maya Jupiter and the Band Quetzal. A dessert reception followed.

2014 – El Nido Family Centers – non-profit’s mission is to empower families in low-income communities of Los Angeles County to break the cycle of poverty, child abuse, violence, academic failure, and teen pregnancy through educational, youth development, health, and therapeutic services. El Nido’s vision is one of healthy families and communities that provide the resources and support for all young people to attain their full potential. Phillips Lerner hosted a Photographic Exhibit and Reception at the William Turner Gallery in Santa Monica where 25 stirring photographs taken by the youth (ages 12-20) of El Nido’s GRYD Program (Gang Reduction Youth Development) were on display. The majority of the framed photographs, along with unframed editions, were purchased by guests at the event through donations to El Nido. The proceeds from these donations and others collected by Phillips Lerner went to El Nido for future GRYD program supplies; each student photographer then received 30% of the proceeds from his or her individual work. One of the images was chosen for the Phillips Lerner 2014 holiday greeting card. The event was featured on KTLA Channel 5 News.

2013 – Los Angeles Youth Network – since 1985, LAYN has served runaway, foster and other youth, ages 12-21, experiencing homelessness by providing emergency, group and long-term housing, educational and enrichment programs teaching independent living skills and providing resources for productive lives. Phillips Lerner sponsored a bowling party event together with lunch and a firm gift. In addition, the children involved with LAYN created the artwork for the holiday card which Phillips Lerner used as the firm’s 2013 seasonal greeting card.

2012 – Imagine LA – a non-profit organization focusing on Los Angeles’ homeless family population and whose vision is to mobilize the community to help make Los Angeles a city where no child sleeps on the street. Working with this organization, the firm sponsored a skating event at a Santa Monica outdoor ice rink and enjoyed a pizza dinner with the families, staff, and all the invited guests. Each attendee was given a firm gift to take home.

2011 – Upward Bound House – founded in 1991, this community-based social service agency helps mitigate the affordable housing crisis on Los Angeles County’s Westside with a specific focus on homeless families with children and very low-income seniors. Phillips Lerner showcased the drawing of an 11-year old youth in the firm’s holiday card and took the families to see “Hairspray” at the Hollywood Bowl with a full celebrity cast – Harvey Fierstein, one of the Jonas brothers, among others. The families enjoyed a Broadway show and food under the stars and firm gifts to take home. One little girl said it was the best night of her life.

2010 – United in Harmony Mentoring Program – a non-profit organization providing homeless and impoverished children from more than 12 Los Angeles County shelters with hope and opportunities to develop positive self-esteem through enriching programs and interactions with teenage and adult role models. As part of the program, Phillips Lerner sponsored “A Day at the Getty” with a group of children, their mentors and the firm’s invited guests. Everyone enjoyed a picnic and a firm gift to take home.

2009 – Fred Jordan Missions Back-to-School Backpack Day – Phillips Lerner again spent a day stuffing backpacks (again, the firm provided the paper) and assisted other volunteers in passing them out to more than 5,000 students.

2008 – Fred Jordan Mission and The Levitt Pavilion Pasadena – the Fred Jordan Missions is a non-profit mission located on Skid Row, which helps homeless families and children. Phillips Lerner closed its office on a work day so that everyone in the firm could participate in the Fred Jordan Missions Back-to-School Backpack day. Backpack day is an ongoing program that provides thousands of needy children with filled up backpacks (the firm provided the paper), toiletries, clothing, haircuts and sneakers. In addition, the firm hosted children from the Missions at an outdoor evening concert at the Levitt Pavilion in Pasadena.The firm underwrote most of the cost of the concert and sponsored a folk group who performed. The firm provided dinner and a firm gift for the children, their leaders, and invited guests. See the video of the event.

2007 – Big Brothers, Big Sisters Los Angeles and the Inland Empire Chapters – the local arm of this national organization – helps youth reach their potential through one-on-one relationships with mentors. As part of the program, Phillips Lerner sponsored “A Day with the Dodgers” where a group of 300 Big Brothers with their little brothers enjoyed a Dodger game complete with food, drinks and a take home firm gift.

2006 – Dispute Resolution Services Youth Peer Mediation Program – (now known as The Center for Civil Mediation) Phillips Lerner adopted a group of Los Angeles inner-city school children who were a part of the Dispute Resolution Youth Initiative Program. As part of the program, a group of parents, children, sponsors and invited guests enjoyed “A Day with the Dodgers” with refreshments, t-shirts to take home and, of course, a very exciting game against the San Diego Padres.

2005 – Los Angeles County Bar Association/Dispute Resolution Services Youth Conflict Resolution Program – (now known as The Center for Civil Mediation) this non-profit, based in Los Angeles, is a nationwide collaboration of partnerships joining governmental, public and non-profit agencies with schools, families and community groups to teach positive conflict prevention, resolution and life-skills in K-12 children. As part of the program, Phillips Lerner hosted over 800 children, family members and invited guests at a private showing of “Chicken Little” at the El Capitan Theatre complete with 3-D glasses, popcorn, soda and a firm gift to take home. The event successfully raised enough funds to support additional workshops and instructional sessions for the children enrolled in the program.

2004 – Children Uniting Nations – provides academic and relationship-based mentoring for at-risk children. As part of the program, Phillips Lerner hosted a table at the group’s annual Academy Awards gala and sponsored “A Day with the Dodgers” at Dodger Stadium and the “Day of the Child” event held at Pierce College in Woodland Hills.

2003 – Ocean Park Community Center – based in Santa Monica, Ocean Park Community Center is a network of shelters and services for low-income individuals, the homeless, battered individuals and their children, at-risk youth and runaways to help rebuild their lives. As part of the program, Phillips Lerner sponsored and manned a kids’ booth as part of a big carnival.

2002 – Break the Cycle – the Los Angeles arm of this now national organization engages, educates and empowers youth to end dating violence and provides free legal services, advocacy and support to youth ages 12 – 22. Phillips Lerner hosted a garden party event (complete with a firm gift) at the world-famous Beverly Hills Greystone Mansion where, along with singers from UCLA, many of the youth performed a variety of song and dance numbers.

2001 – Venice Family Clinic – this comprehensive health clinic serves uninsured and low-income adults and homeless children regardless of their ability to pay. The firm hosted a group of clinic personnel and guests in painting decorative tiles that now comprise a floor-to-ceiling mural in the clinic’s second floor lobby. Each tile was personally adorned with special sayings, drawings and symbols by the “artists” (i.e., the guests invited to the event) from four-year-olds to eighty year olds. During that special Sunday afternoon, all enjoyed an “Old Fashioned Hoe-Down” with bales of hay and country rock music, a barbeque, beverages, multi-flavored snow cones and firm gifts.

2000 – Free Arts for Abused Children Foundation – this non-profit organization serves abused and neglected children in Los Angeles and Orange County through its “Art Heals” philosophy which allows expression through the fine arts. Phillips Lerner hosted an art auction at a West Los Angeles art gallery raising more than $20,000 to support this organization. The firm also hosted a “Free Arts Day” at Vista Del Mar where a group of children living at Vista Del Mar created art projects and enjoyed a pizza and ice cream lunch.

1999 – Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services – Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services’ mission is to provide comprehensive, family-centered social, educational and behavioral health services that encourage children, adolescents and their families to lead self-reliant, stable and productive lives. Vista Del Mar offers services for children with severe emotional problems, behavioral challenges, learning disabilities, autism, autistic spectrum disorders and developmental delays. The services include the Vista School (on 18 acres) which includes the Vista Pre-School and a K-12 school, a residential therapeutic treatment program, adoption services, therapeutic counseling for families and children through community school based programs and the Vista Del Mar counseling programs, and child care for low income families so the parents could go to school or to work. In 1999, Phillips Lerner hosted a cocktail party and two beautification days, planting trees and flowers on the Vista Del Mar campus, and gave monthly birthday parties for the children who lived there and could not go home for their birthdays.  Two different employees from the firm attended the monthly birthday parties where everyone enjoyed pizza, soda, ice cream and birthday cake. Each birthday child received a birthday present, a gift certificate from the Warehouse.