OUR MISSION STATEMENT
Serving the critical needs of Los Angeles children and teens through educational opportunities, life skills, tutoring, and the arts.
We are a grassroots, all-volunteer public charity, a registered 501(c)(3).
WHO WE ARE
Hope’s Nest is dedicated to enriching the lives of
children and teens in the greater Los Angeles area,
through meaningful educational experiences and
supporting basic human needs. Since 1989, we’ve sponsored art workshops for thousands of under-served children in South Central Los Angeles, provided instructive field trips for inner- city high school teens, and continue to organize inspirational speaker Saturdays for graduating seniors trying to determine “what’s next?” For the last 20 years, we’ve supported the tireless work of Miss Charmaney Bayton, who offers her home as a safe haven for homeless, abandoned, and neglected children in the heart of L.A’s most vulnerable communities. In 2006, when profiling her for a weekly feature, People Magazine called Miss Bayton, “Mom to a neighborhood.” Much of our work takes place “on the front lines” of the inner-city, as we try to improve — even in a small way — the quality of life for children, who, in the face of daily gang violence, rarely expect to see their 18th birthdays. Hope’s Nest is an all volunteer based organization, and our devoted team represents disparate businesses and careers. Our Board of Directors and vols include artists, TV and film production creatives, tech execs, attorneys, accountants, and teachers.
WHAT WE DO
The important things
ART IN THE PARKS
Hope’s Nest believes that creative expression is a critical component in the educational development of a child. Even before we officially became Hope’s Nest, we sponsored hands-on art workshops for thousands of schoolchildren in South Central Los Angeles. Partnering with the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, we continue to provide regularly-scheduled experiential art sessions at Van Ness Recreation Center on 2nd and Slauson.
CHARMANEY'S HOUSE OF REFUGE
Hope’s Nest is proud to lend its support to one of the most dedicated inner-city Moms in the country: Miss Charmaney Bayton, a woman who deeply inspires us with her indefatigable 24/7 dedication to housing, protecting, educating and mothering needy children. In her own words, she considers herself simply “one who was called to serve and answered.” She believes in strict rules and structure in her home, and any child living there must agree to focus on schoolwork and responsibilities first. We have seen Charmaney’s youngsters grow into remarkable, gainfully employed, caring men and women. Some have earned degrees in law, psychology, and criminal justice. We try to encourage her to slow down her pace, but there is no stopping her.
OUR 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 underserved inner-city children
needed options. Trained in fine art, Lardner suggested
starting a series of art workshops with the L.A. Parks
Department. The idea stuck.
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 instruction at Green
Meadows Park in South Central, then reading classes with a
charismatic teacher named Georgia Joseph at the L.A Public
Library. In 1997, Hope’s Nest, a public charity, was born.
Shortly after that, Lardner met Charmaney Bayton, the
aforementioned powerhouse advocate for children in need. It
didn’t take long for Hope’s Nest to find ways to support her
principles and practice, and learn from her example.