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Who we are... Hope's Nest is dedicated to enriching the lives of inner-city children and troubled teens in the greater Los Angeles area, through the arts and meaningful educational opportunities. Since 1989, we have offered art workshops for thousands of needy children in South Central L.A., provided educational field trips for troubled high school teens, and helped fortify a safe haven for homeless, abandoned, and abused children in the heart of L.A's "war zone." Many of our volunteers work "on the front lines" of L.A.'s most beleaguered neighborhoods, trying to improve the quality of life for children, who, in the face of daily gang violence, rarely expect to see their 18th birthdays. Hope's Nest: a history... In 1989, when TV newscaster Lonnie Lardner began to cover a story on drug-dealing kids, she had no idea it would change her life forever. While investigating a hardened 9-year-old dealer in South Central Los Angeles, it became clear to her that these beleaguered inner-city children needed options. Trained in fine art, Lardner partnered with the city parks department to launch a series of art workshops. After the Los Angeles riots of 1992, she met Chuck Mills, a concerned Calabasas businessman, and expanded the work to provide food, clothes and additional creative workshops at Green Meadows Park, as well as reading classes at the L.A Public Library. In 1997, Hope's Nest, a public charity, was born. Since then, its volunteers have extended their commitment to West Valley Leadership Academy in Canoga Park, and to Ms. Charmaney Bayton of South Central Los Angeles. |