Greetings,
At the Los Angeles City College Foundation, we have the honor and responsibility of raising funds to help support the students and faculty at this important institution located in the heart of the Hollywood community. While our primary function is providing scholarships to deserving and dedicated students, we also work to raise funds through grants and partnerships.
The highlight of each year at the Foundation is the annual Scholarship Ceremony that is held in the spring. This past April 29, the Foundation awarded scholarships totaling more than $145,000 to 232 worthy students who distinguished themselves academically. El Camino Theater was filled to capacity with the scholarship recipients, their families and friends, faculty, administrators, and Foundation Board of Directors who witnessed the students striding proudly across the stage to accept their certificates and checks.
At the reception following the ceremony, congratulations and praise for the scholarship recipients could be heard echoing throughout the venue. Some of the fortunate recipients and their families had the opportunity to chat with and thank the donors who created the scholarships.
We would be remiss if we neglected to mention the large number of Scholarship Committee members who dedicated long hours to evaluating the more than 1,300 applications we received this year. Without the Committee’s thoughtful consideration and dedication to the selection process, the Scholarship Ceremony could not take place. We are grateful to the many Committee volunteers who donate their valuable time each year to make a difference in the lives of LACC students.
 As some of you may have noticed, there is a new Student Lounge located at the southeast end of campus. What makes the Student Lounge unique is that is located in a Tully’s Coffee shop. Students, faculty, and staff now have to opportunity to start the day with great brewed coffee and pastries without having to leave the campus. The best news is that the purchase of each cup of Tully’s coffee or each flaky croissant helps to raise funds for LACC scholarships. We invite you to stroll over to the Student Lounge/Tully’s to sample the large variety of tasty offerings.
 In other news, we are pleased to announce that the Sunday Swap Meet is now the Weekend Swap Meet. Bargain lovers can shop at the Swap Meet, located in the LACC parking lot at Vermont and Marathon, from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM every Saturday and Sunday. Proceeds from Swap Meet sales help the Foundation provide scholarships and meet other critical needs on campus.
 The Foundation has also established a partnership with Ralphs and Food4Less through their Community Contributions Program. Participants can designate the LACC Foundation as the beneficiary on their Club Cards and support LACCF each time they shop at the grocery store. It’s easy to sign up for the program and can be done by visiting www.laccfoundation.org, clicking on the “Support” page, and following the links on the “Shop & Help” segment.
 In addition, we have registered with V-DAC (Vehicle Donation to Any Charity) to make it easy for anyone who would like to donate any type of vehicle—car, truck, RV, boat, tractor, or airplane—to help raise funds for the Foundation. Donors can access V-DAC through the “Support” page on the Foundation website. The process is simple and the staff at V-DAC can help donors with questions about the DMV, pink slips, and smog checks. Think of it as cars for cash to help the students at LACC to reach their goals.
 In news related to grant funding, there is now additional assistance for veterans on the LACC campus, thanks to a generous grant from ACE/Walmart. This grant is designed to reduce the obstacles that veterans and their families face as they re-enter the civilian world after their deployments; it helps to provide easier access to training, education, and careers. Also, the grant funding will provide services to improve college graduation and transfer rates of veterans and their family members.
 Students from four local high schools who are studying the field of early childhood education benefit from funds provided by a multi-year grant from First 5 LA. Students have the opportunity to take classes on site and observe the young enrollees at the LACC Child Development Center and two other pre-schools. The goal of the funding is to encourage high school students to pursue early childhood education as a vocation.
 Another multi-year grant in place from The James Irvine Foundation funds a partnership with three local high schools that enables low-income students with academic deficits to take classes at LACC. Students from the targeted high schools are enrolled concurrently in a certificate program at LACC where they receive rigorous scholastic and career-focused support.
Through partnerships, grants, individual, and corporate donations, the LACC Foundation is able to provide vital resources that allow deserving students to pursue their dreams of a better life through higher education. The Foundation staff is proud that their work focuses on changing and improving lives for the more than 17,000 students who come to this campus each year. Without critically important support from our partners in the community, this work would not be possible.
Thank you to everyone who helps us provide for the students and faculty at LACC.
Warmest regards,
H. J. David Ambroz, Esq.
Executive Director |
