Help Shankita and her kids make a new start!

• $150 for holiday gifts for Skankita, Deon & Darlene
• $200 can help cover utilities
• $500 can purchase a laptop to help the kids remote learn.
• $500 can purchase the family groceries for the month
• $1500 can pay for rent for one month

Shankita is a single mom with three children. A little over a year ago, she was falsely accused of a crime and spent a year in jail. While in jail, she lost her job and her low-income housing. She and her children are currently homeless. She relies on hotel vouchers from different service agencies and has been going from motel to motel.

Shankita’s son, Deon, is 9 years old and likes video games, music, and taking pictures. He wants to design video games when he grows up! He daughter, Darlene, is 4 years old and loves dolls and playing with makeup, while her 18-year old daughter, Jania, loves fashion and film.

Myles is a single dad with two children living In Watts, CA. His son, Nasir, is 11 years old and loves video games, football, and basketball. His daughter, Hali, is 10 and loves to dance, make videos, and cook for her family. Both Nasir and Hali love to play violin and read when they are not distance learning.

Myles was laid off from his job in March due to Covid-19 and has had difficulty finding work during the pandemic. Due to the loss of income, he has not been able to pay his mortgage and must leave his home at the end of the year. GO Local Hero, Kathy Wooten, has been helping Myles to find employment and a new place for his family to live. They are currently using public transportation as Myles’ car needs repairs that he currently cannot afford.

• $50 can buy groceries for one week
• $200 can cover one month of utilities
• $300 can fix the car's oil leak
• $400 can purchase new ties for their car
• $1,500 can cover one month of rent

You can bring the holidays to the students at residents of Opportunity House this year in a BIG way! The residence had sat unused for 5 years before LARNB took over and moved the students in. The kitchen is desperately in need of repairs...your gift can help to make it fully functional for the students to use on a daily basis! 

• $284 can purchase cooking utensils, food storage containers, measuring cups/spoons and mixing bowls
• $352 can stock the kitchen with pots and pans
• $384 can purchase a NEW microwave, blender and toaster
• $440 can keep them cooking safely with first aid and kitchen safety supplies
• $5,500 can repair all of the kitchen appliances at the Opportunity House, allowing them to be used by the 20 residents daily to cook and learn to meal prep

About the Opportunity House

GO Local Hero Sam Prater is the Founder and Executive Director of Los Angeles Room & Board (LARNB). LARNB is working to end homelessness for college students, and their solution is using open spaces across Los Angeles to get students housed and provide wrap-around services, so students do not fall back into homelessness. Instead of building new housing, LARNB maximizes the efficiency that already exists on campuses and within our community by utilizing vacant/open spaces.

In September, they opened Opportunity House (OH), which was an unused UCLA sorority house that was converted into a 50-bed shelter. Due to COVID safety precautions, they currently have 20 students residing in the facility; they aim to increase the number next semester. The students residing at Opportunity House come from across Los Angeles County. Prior to being admitted into the program, many were couch surfing, living in their cars, or recently aged out of the foster care system. They were struggling to attend school, work, and to find a stable place to live. The majority of students residing at OH are enrolled in community colleges (Santa Monica College, LA Trade Tech, and Los Angeles City College, to name a few).

They are grateful for the opportunity to have a roof over their head. In addition to stable housing, students at OH receive food, internet access, tutoring services, counseling, and much more. Opportunity House is a new beginning for all these youth. They can reside at OH for up to two years as long as they continue to be full-time students in good academic standing. They aim to help each resident secure employment and housing during those two years.

Danielle is a single mother in Chicago with 4 children, Davion (9), a daughter Diamond (4) and twins, Addison and Royal (3). She is a domestic abuse survivor and recently diagnosed with Lupus. She suffers from painful outbreaks and has been struggling financially in the pandemic.

Their power is about to be shut off, and Danielle needs immediate assistance keeping the lights in their home on, and maybe even bringing the holiday to her children!

• $125 can purchase Christmas gifts for all 4 of her children, plus a birthday gift for Davion (his birthday is on Christmas!)
• $550 can keep Danielle's power from being shut off and help her get ahead on her bills