Care for the Canyon Project

Care for the Canyon Project Back In Action:

BAG BIN #2 Clean-up

GROWTH Foundation launched the Care for the Canyon Project in 2006 to clean up litter in Runyon Canyon dog park. The project was ongoing until mid-2008.

We partnered with Recreation & Parks and Council District 4 to hold our kick-off "Litter Scavenger Hunt." The GROWTH girls came out in full force and bagged up hundreds of pounds of trash and debris. CD 4 provided cash prizes to reward the kids for their efforts. Our friend Park Ranger Joyce was on hand to talk with the kids about the importance of park maintenance.

The Care for the Canyon Project held a clean up activity on February 19 to get things going again. Located throughout the park are three Bag Bins. Park users donate their unused plastic bags for poop cleanup. Bag Bin #2 has been overstuffed for days with garbage, used bags, starbucks cups and fliers.

GROWTH was on the job! We bagged up this mess in no time and enjoyed our hike.

GROWTH Foundation will join the Recreation & Parks Department at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 26, 2011 for a clean-up. Join us!

GROWTH Foundation Update

Whew! We made it!

The past couple years have been a real doozy! GROWTH Foundation's after school program was under siege and we had to vacate our lovely home at the Woman's Club of Hollywood.

As Secretary of the Board of Directors for the Woman's Club, I exercised my fiduciary responsibility and reported financial discrepancies and rampant mismanagement. Several investigations ensued since 2008. The Club continues to undergo restructuring.

As a result of "blowing the whistle," GROWTH lost its meeting space for our award winning after school program for at risk youth.

Like many 501 (c) (3) organizations, GROWTH Foundation suffered service cuts and we downsized. I like to think of it as time well spent in a cocoon. After several months of reenergizing and rebuilding, GROWTH reemerges as a vibrant butterfly, actually more like a fairy.

Corporate headquarters is bustling with fundraising activities so the Foundation can continue helping youth. We established the Mike Rodriguez Scholarship Fund to kick off the new year! The sale of Mike's book Children of War will provide funding to help GROWTH Foundation continue fulfilling its charitable mission.

Thank you GROWTH Board of Directors - Mr. Tom Nelson, Mr. Sam Ruggieri, Mr. Dean Pleasants and Mrs. Linda Levine, GROWTH
Accountant - Ms. Vivienne Ruggieri, The Leo Buscaglia Foundation,
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Community Foundation, and Gold Star Donors Mr. Donald Smith & Ms. Natalyia Shur, and Miss Angela O'Valle, for keeping GROWTH afloat during a challenging time. Thanks for being GROWTH superstars!

Stay tuned for more on GROWTH Foundation activities.

With Love & Gratitude,

Deana Ruggieri, Founder and Executive Director
GROWTH Foundation

P.U.P project

The girls of GROWTH continue to be of service to our community. We partner with the Youth Development & Recreational Resource Committee of the Hollywood Hills West Neighborhood Council to manage the P.U.P. project. P.U.P is an ongoing project which aims to reduce the amount of dog waste in Runyon Canyon Park.

P.U.P is a collaboration sponsored by the HHWNC, featuring GROWTH Foundation, Girl Scout Troop #3500, the Hollywood Police Activities League (PAL), City of LA Recreation & Parks Department, and Council District 4. Well over a dozen youth service providers have been invited to participate in monthly clean up efforts.

To start the summer, the kids filled four big trash bags with litter, including a Spongebob balloon! They also posted and passed out fliers to park users about the importance of cleaning up after dogs. Armed with extra poop bags for dog walkers, the kids gave the dogs treats so they wouldn't feel singled out. Many people said, "Heck, if I'm bending down to clean up after my dog, I might as well clean up after someone else's." That's the spirit!

Big thanks to Lin from Diamond Nails Spa on the Northeast corner of Hollywood & La Brea for donating a $30 gift certificate to the person who collected the most trash! Congratulations Krystal! Great job everyone!

Friends of Animals

The girls of GROWTH have been helping animals in need for well over two years by volunteering their time at Friends of Animals no kill shelter in West Los Angeles. Located on Sepulveda Boulevard between Pico and Olympic, the shelter houses somewhere between 40 dogs and 30 cats at any given time.

The lady in charge is Martha. What a wonderful woman she is to do what she does! She has an incredible crew of dedicated volunteers. Angels! Sometimes we go and walk dogs...I should say run dogs, or we play with the cats and clean their cages. What time well spent! To adopt an animal who needs love and a great home, or to donate money, time, or plastic bags for poop, please call Martha at 310.479.5089

Art With Haigouhi

We are lucky to be visited twice a month by Haigouhi Meymarian. Haigouhi is not only a wonderful woman, but also a talented artist. Haigouhi worked hard to attend art school in Los Angeles when she immigrated to this country as a young woman. She later taught art in local schools. Haigouhi is an accomplished local artist, holding many art openings over the years. We are delighted that she volunteers her time to complete art projects with the kids at the after school program. One of our favorite art projects was making GROWTH t-shirts last year. We still wear them to do our volunteer work in town. Most recently, Haigouhi has introduced us to pen and ink, and collaging with postage stamps. With Haigouhi's help we hope to hold our second art exhibit later this year.

Cooking 101

The girls of GROWTH have been cooking up a storm with Chef Teri in Cooking 101 since last year! Teri Dartez has been volunteering her time to teach the girls about many aspects of being in the kitchen, such as appropriate kitchen etiquette, shopping on a budget, setting the table, and preparing fast, easy meals. We've had a ball! Thank you Chef Teri for your dedication to the girls! And we thank members of the community for donating items from their kitchens to equip our class with the tools we need.

After summer break we will expand Cooking 101 to feature international cuisine and guest chefs from fabulous Los Angeles restaurants.

Baking With Barbara

Pecan Pie Squares! Thank you to Barbara Testa! We appreciate you spending time to teach us to bake, and for sharing your incredible recipe with us! Umm umm delicious!