Donate

This program grants Christmas wishes to children in Los Angeles' foster care system. Sandpipers receives 1,500 names of foster children with their choice of one gift for Christmas. This gift is frequently the only gift a foster child will receive during the holidays.

Sandpipers raises funds to provide new shoes and warm sweatshirts to South Bay school children with referrals from local school nurses and social service agencies. Please give now to provide for the most basic of a child’s needs.

Scheduled just before the school begins in the fall, this event matches a child from a local agency or shelter with a Sandpipers member who spends an hour purchasing a year’s worth of clothes to prepare the child for his or her return to school. A local discount department store generously agrees to open their store early for us, providing a discount on all merchandise, and underwriting the sales tax on all purchases.

Individuals and families are evaluated and referred to us from local social workers, agencies, and school nurses. Sandpipers’ goal is to provide immediate and confidential assistance to worthy members of our community - those suffering from a crisis, struggling to make ends meet, and actively seeking a means to remedy their situations. Having exhausted all other resources, Sandpipers is able to provide for the most basic of needs: shelter, food and clothing. For many families, our emergency aid makes the difference between being forced onto the street or preserving the family unit. Last year Sandpipers provided over $37,000.00 in emergency assistance to individuals and families in the South Bay.

Since its inception in 1931, Sandpipers has been delivering Holiday Baskets to financially struggling families, providing them with much needed material necessities and hope based on the realization that strangers really do care. Referred to us by local agencies, each family receives approximately $700 in household items (in actuality, an entire car load of items) including $250 in grocery scrip, $65 in gifts per child, $40 in shoe certificates per child, and many other toys and gifts donated by the local business community. Each "basket" is lovingly assembled and personally delivered by Sandpipers teams. 105 families were recipients of this program in December 2008!

Donate to the endowment program designed to increase Sandpipers’ assistance to the needy in the local community. Donations and capital appreciation will allow for continuation and growth of our core programs within the community as well as increase our outreach in the South Bay

Scholarship Program for 4 Year College Students

Each year, the Sandpipers Scholarship committee awards scholarships to high school seniors who will be attending a four year university. An extensive process of evaluation and interviewing with consideration of the financial need, community service involvement, leadership skills, and academic achievement of each student is utilized in awarding a Sandpipers college scholarship. In the 2009 – 2010 school year, 11 freshman joined 29 upper classmen in the Sandpipers Scholarship program totaling $150,000 in scholarships awarded for the year.   

Spring Baskets Program

The Spring Baskets Program is a smaller scale version of our Holiday Baskets Program. These baskets typically include a Payless Shoe Source gift card valued at $40.00 for each child, $100 Ralph’s/Food 4 Less Grocery gift certificates, household cleaning supplies, and Target gift cards.  

Summer Arts Program

Each summer, Sandpipers funds, organizes, and teaches a nine-week arts program made available to underprivileged children living in the South Bay. The classes are always full with eager children, 4 - 14 years of age, ready to create their own piece of original artwork. Parents are appreciative of the program as it provides a safe and positive place for their children during the summer; a place away from the influence of local gang activity and recruiting. The program is free to all children.