Social Impact

The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation supports such programs that improve lives one at a time, focussing on providing services to traditionally underserved and disadvantaged populations.

Recent grants include:

• Teach for America — Los Angeles, a national program begun in 1990 to train outstanding recent college graduates to fill teacher vacancies at under-resourced urban and rural public schools. Each participant agrees to teach for at least two years with the hope that many will remain in the education field. A Foundation grant is providing for recruitment, selection, training and placement of 110 new Los Angeles-area participants in Teach for America.
  
  
• Shoes That Fit, an effort to provide shoes and clothing to disadvantaged, elementary school children. In 1992, Elodie Silva heard about a young boy whose feet hurt, so he went to the office at his school. The child’s shoes were two sizes too small, but all the staff could do was massage his feet and send him back to class. Silva took action, jotting down the name and shoe sizes of local school children on index cards she then posted on a bulletin board at her office. All 45 cards were picked up by the end of the day and shoes were purchased. Today, Shoes That Fit operates in 151 schools in 21 states. A Foundation grant is providing support for this beautifully simple program that gives volunteers a very personal way to help a child.
  
  
• Echo Park Boys & Girls Club, a clean, safe community haven for children and parents in an area that suffers from violent crime and gang activity. In its small building with a gym, game room, computer lab and four meeting rooms, the club works to provide children with athletic and social skills, to motivate them to perform academically through after-school programs, to build self-esteem and to help them steer clear of drugs, pregnancy and gang activity. Enrollment includes more than 750 children (ages 6–17) and 200 active parent volunteers. A Foundation grant is providing general operating support.
  
  
• Wise Senior Services, a multi-service organization in Santa Monica that works to improve the quality of life for senior citizens and enable them to remain in their home communities for as long as possible. Wise provides services to frail adults including a separate, Spanish-language program for Latino clients and another program specifically for those impaired by Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. A Foundation grant is helping the organization to move from temporary facilities to a new adult day-care facility with a garden, hair salon, kitchen and quiet rooms.