By Amy V. Dewhurst
Everyone knows ya gotta give love to get love. So this Valentine’s Day instead of going out and breaking things (boys) or staying at home with a box of tissues (girls) why not give a little love to those who can use it most? The following local outreach services, non-profits and charities run solely on the communities’ time, talent and funding. As we learned from the Beatles “In The End The Love You Take, Is Equal To The Love You Make…” So go make some love!
A Window Between Worlds (AWBW) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to using art to help end domestic violence. Through creative expression, battered women and children gain a sense of renewal and power.
(310) 396-0317 • Info@awbw.org • http://www.awbw.org
Angels At Risk is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping teenagers and their families at risk for drug and alcohol abuse. (310) 457-1421 • http://www.angelsatrisk.com
Angelsatrisk.sas@gmail.com
Beyond Baroque Literary/Arts Center is based in the old Venice City Hall, built 1906. The Center offers an extensive program of public readings, free workshops, a project room, bookstore, publications, and chapbook/small press archive. During our forty years in Venice, we have nurtured and presented many of the best writers, artists, and poets from the West Coast, around the country, and world.
Beyond Baroque is always looking for new interns/volunteers! If you are flexible, reliable and have a love for books. 681 Venice Blvd. • (310) 822-3006
beyondbaroque@gmail.com • http://www.beyondbaroque.org
Boys & Girls Club of Venice
“Our mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring responsible citizens”
(310) 390-4477 • http://www.bgcv.org
The Electric Lodge is a laboratory for artists and environmentalists. We engage our community through the visual and performing arts, innovative classes, programs and seminars, providing experiential contexts and opportunities for dialogue. 1416 Electric Avenue • (310) 306-1854
Food Not Bombs
“We Protest War & Serve Healthy Vegetarian Food to the Hungry.” 365-0985 • venicesantamonicafnb@fastmail.fm
http://www.foodnotbombs.wetnostril.net
The Fruit Gallery’s “Venice Veteran’s Day Project”
is an awesome event honoring our troops here at home on Memorial Day, May 25. This is a critical time for our veterans here at home that need our help and support. Please spread the word of this project event. (310) 452-3034 • fruitgallery@yahoo.com
Harvest Home provides shelter and assistance to homeless pregnant women. As a full-programmed residential home, we equip our residents with the knowledge to make healthier life decisions; cultivate their parenting skills; and increase employability through education. (310) 452-1223 info@theharvesthome.net • http://www.theharvesthome.net
Inside/Out Community Arts
Through visual and performing arts workshops, performances and festivals, our mission is to give youth from all backgrounds the tools, confidence and inspiration to make a positive difference in their communities and the world…from the inside out.
(310) 397-8820 • http://www.InsideOutCA.org
Jessie’s Place is a non-profit corporation committed to providing assistance, food, shelter and education to disenfranchised people while building a bridge from a life of survival to one of fulfillment and choices. (310) 398-2594 • info@jessiesplace.org • http://www.jessiesplace.org
Latino Resource Organization provides advocacy, family life education, HIV/AIDS services, information and referral, substance abuse services and youth services. 578-6069
The Lincoln Place Tenants Association has successfully protected our tenancies and prevented developers from demolishing Lincoln Place for nearly two decades.
Our struggle is part of a much larger struggle to preserve quality affordable housing. info@lincolnplace.net
New Start
A counseling center for people whose lives are affected by unimagineable circumstances
(310) 664-1415 • http://www.newstart-aconversation.com
Oakwood Recreation Center
Our Venice park, in the heart of the community.
767 California Ave. • (310) 452-7479 http://www.laparks.org/dos/ereg/facility/oakwoodRC.html
Pacific Resident Theatre is a company founded by actors and dedicated to producing the classics, rarely performed plays, and the works of new writers. (310) 822-8392
prtboxoffice@earthlink.net • http://www.pacificresidenttheatre.com
Phoenix House
It is the mission of Phoenix House to: Reclaim disordered lives. Encourage individual responsibility, positive behavior, and personal growth. Strengthen families and communities. Safeguard public health. Promote a drug-free society through prevention, treatment, education and training, research, and advocacy.
(310) 392-3070 • http://www.phoenixhouse.org
SPARC-Social and Public Art Resource Center
The Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC) is an arts center that produces, preserves and conducts educational programs and community based public art works.SPARC espouses public art as an organizing tool for addressing contemporary issues, fostering cross-cultural understanding and promoting civic dialogue.
(310) 822-9560 • http://www.sparcmurals.org
St. Joseph Center provides a variety of emergency and
ongoing programs to assist low-income and homeless individuals and families in the West Los Angeles area. Services include child care, emergency food, homeless support services, mental health services, personal goods, services for older adults, services for veterans, and a thrift store. (310) 396-6468 •trideout@stjosephctr.org
St. Joseph Homeless Service Center has referrals to shelter, has pre-arranged beds with Samoshel. Services include child care, emergency food, homeless support services,
mental health services, personal goods, services for older adults, services for veterans, and a thrift store. Lincoln and Flower • 399-6878
The VENICE 2000/H.E.L.P.E.R organization and its various innovative programs, such as Gang Intervention, Safe Passage programs, Youth Impact sessions and the Amer-I-Can program, which teaches the responsibilities of self-determination to all people, empowering those exempted from power and participation in the mainstream.
(310) 823-6100 • http://www.venice2000.org
Venice Arts mission is to ignite youths’ imagination, mentor their creativity, and expand their sense of possibility through high quality, accessible media–based arts education programs; and to serve as a catalyst for people of all ages, living in low–income or underrepresented communities, to create and share personal and community stories through photography, film, and multi–media. 578-1745 info@venice-arts.org • http://www.venice-arts.org
Venice Arts Council
Venice is a vital hub for artistic activity in Southern California and the world. The Venice Arts Council celebrates and supports this tradition through preserving old roots and encouraging spirited new growth in the culture and community we cherish.
310-306-7372 • emilywinters@verizon.net
Venice Community Housing Corporation
VCHC works to preserve the economic, racial and social diversity of Venice and the surrounding area by maximizing affordable housing and economic development opportunities and providing needed social services to the area’s low-income population. (310) 399-4100
marlies@vchcorp.org • http://www.vchcorp.org
Venice Community Service Center
The agency provides health services, mental health services and substance abuse services for people of all ages who live in the Los Angeles County area. (310) 399-9883
Venice Family Clinic
Provides free, quality health care to people in need.
Founded in 1970 in a borrowed storefront dental office, the Clinic has grown into the largest free clinic in the nation. (310) 664-7532 • itrejo@mednet.ucla.edu
http://www.venicefamilyclinic.org
Venice Historical Society
Strives to increase public awareness of Venice’s irreplaceable historical, cultural and architectural resources.
(310) 967-5170 • info@veniceofamerica.org
Venice Neighborhood Council
We are governed by state and local laws and assisted by the City of Los Angeles Department of Neighborhood Empowerment. (310) 606-2015 • info@venicenc.org http://www.grvnc.org
Venice Peace & Freedom Party
The Peace and Freedom Party is committed to socialism, democracy, ecology, feminism and racial equality. We represent the working class, those without capital in a capitalist society. We organize toward a world where cooperation replaces competition, a world where all people are well fed, clothed and housed; a world of freedom and peace where every community retains its cultural integrity and lives with all others in harmony.
(310) 399-2215 • pfp@freevenice.org
http://www.venicepeaceandfreedom.org
Venice Public Art Walls (The Graffiti Walls)
ICU Art is a Venice based art organization that has been curating the Venice Art Walls since the year 2000. As an advocate for graffiti artist and public art in general, ICU Art has developed a broad-based network of artists and support personnel to work on issues and projects related to various forms of public art. (310) 309-7756 info@veniceartwalls.com • veniceartwalls.com
Venice Skills Center classes are designed for participants who seek to acquire a vocational skill, upgrade their current skills or master minimum competencies which will increase their marketability.
(310)664-5820 • http://www.lausd.net/Venice_Skills_Center
Venice Surf and Skateboard Association
The VSA’s main focus is to bring a world class skatepark to Venice. The preservation and historical recognition of the indigenous sport/art of skateboarding and the Venice skateboard/surfing community’s contribution to the world of skateboarding and surfing. venicesurfsk8@yahoo.com
venicesurfandskateboardassociation.blogspot.com
Venice Unchained
Is a non profit organization dedicated to passing a city ordinance that will ban formula retail stores from Abbot Kinney and Ocean Front Walk. http://www.veniceunchained.org
Vera Davis McClendon/Oakwood Youth and Family Center provides services including adult/child mentoring,
case/care management for at risk families, clothing, computer classes, family and individual counseling, health screening, job search/placement, occasional emergency food assistance, parenting skills development, recreational activities for youth, specialized information and referral for off-site social services and tutorial services.
(310) 305-1865
Women in Recovery, Inc.
The agency provides a twelve-step oriented sober living program for chemically dependent. (310) 821-6401
Categories: Venice
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