A new life begins
with kindness.
Creating loving impact in Sherman Oaks,
through actionable steps towards
building a stronger community.
❤️ We’re now able to accept donations! ❤️
Help us Help Our Hood by clicking below
We are a registered, active California Domestic Non-Profit Organization • C4693190
Mama K.
Mama K. is a senior woman who has been feeding four feral cats for 10 years now. Her and another senior lady were doing it together, but sadly, the other lady is no longer with us. Now that Mama K. is feeding the cats on her own, she is struggling to pay for the cat food.
The four cats are older than 10 years old, and they are all neutered and spayed. The cats’ names are D’angelo, Tuxedo, Smudge, & Mister Man, and they are all related.
Our goal is to help Mama K. pay for the cat food. No donation is too small, and monthly donations of $5 from dozens of people would be extremely appreciated. Of course, we are also grateful for one-time donations, because anything we can do to help Mama K. is a blessing in itself.
Past Projects
Dear Community,
Danny Lopez has worked over 16 years at the fire department. He is presently at drill tower 81 in Van Nuys. His wife, Amanda, had breast cancer which spread to her brain. Amanda was an elementary school teacher.
She passed away in October this year, and she is leaving behind 3 children. A 10-year-old son, and two daughters who are 6 and 4 years old.
Please donate to help Danny with taking care of his wonderful 3 children who just lost their mother. You can help them by clicking below.
Dear Community,
This holiday season, we are raising funds to help a wonderful family community.
Firefighter Paramedic Daniel Chavez from FS 3 A-shift has been diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. Later, he found out that the cancer has spread into his lymph nodes. This battle will require 12 rounds of aggressive chemotherapy over six months. Please join us in supporting the Chavez family during this difficult time. Thank you!
When we come together as a community, anything is possible, as we have proven time and time before.
Please click the button below to help the Chavez family.
Dear Community,
Help Our Hood now has a Kitty Rescue Division! We have partnered up with the wonderful veterinarian Dr. Moon in Van Nuys, who will providing all of our rescues with spay/neutering services and shots at an amazing discount. We will be asking for an application/rehoming fee for all our rescue kitties to make sure they go to responsible, loving forever homes. We are very excited about this new addition to Help Our Hood; as an animal loving community, we know we can help our furry friends.
We are now accepting donations for our first kitty in need of help.
This Ginger, green-eyed angel is about to be a mama!!! She was found on the street, but now she has a safe, loving home to have her babies in. She will be having a veterinarian appointment next week to make sure she is healthy and happy. Once her babies are here, we will be taking wonderful care of them until we can find them forever homes. Mama kitty will also be spayed/get her shots and be up for adoption once the veterinarian gives the ok.
We hope you join us on our journey to help these kitties. We will be posting updates the entire way through.
When we come together, anything is possible.
Dear Community,
This is not an easy post to write.
Almost two months ago, Jimmy received a phone call that his son had been taken in to social services due to child neglect from the mother. He is 15 years old with Asperger’s Syndrome, and resides all the way in Nevada.
Jimmy, without hesitation, began making his way to Nevada with Boots. Unfortunately, Jimmy could not reach his son, no matter how much he wished to. He then encountered another major situation.
His van could not handle the drive, and broke down while in Nevada. Jimmy tried to make the repairs by himself, but the van had too many problems to run well enough to make the trip home. Even so, the repairs would have cost more than the van is worth, which he could not afford.
Sadly, Jimmy and Boots are homeless again.
When I told my 18-year-old daughter what had happened, she asked if I was angry that he took his van to Nevada, knowing that there was a good chance the van would not make the drive. I explained that as a parent, I would have done the same thing if my children were in that situation. I told her that when your child is scared, alone, and in danger, you would do anything to be there for them. Nothing should stand between you and your child.
Jimmy and Boots took a greyhound bus back home and arrived yesterday at 4:00 a.m.
I am proud of Jimmy for all the hard work he has done over the past 2 years to be a self-sufficient person. His handyman business has kept him independent, and he has never missed an insurance payment on his van. He has been able to take care of himself and Boots without any help from others. He has been proud.
It is incredibly heartbreaking that despite his thriving business and shelter we helped provide, Jimmy fell back into homelessness as if he never came out of it. It took years for him to reach a stable point, and now he has to climb his way out again.
Jimmy has a driver’s license, a bank account and the ability to work. He has come so far.
We helped him before, we can help him again.
Help Our Hood is fundraising the money to purchase Jimmy a new “used” van.
Please help. You can donate through our website at https://www.helpourhood.org
When we come together as a community to help others, anything is possible.
From Jimmy’s Perspective
“I just want to come home. I really can’t do anything for my son. So I’ve got no reason to be here. He knows I was here for him even if I wasn’t able to help. I’m sorry, I just couldn’t let him grow up only to find out I knew he was in trouble and I didn’t even show up. I couldn’t do that and respect myself.”
“I hope you understand why I had to be here.”
“I am sorry this has turned out the way it’s going, but I would do it again. I’ve had to live without my family, but it was not because I wanted it that way. I’ve never recovered from my loss. My world was taken. Time doesn’t heal all wounds.”
“If anybody wants to say it was irresponsible doing this, I beg to differ, like I said. I had to let him know I was there.”
Dear Community,
This Memorial Day, we are teaming up with Greater Good Charities. Help send Good Packs to homeless veterans and their pets across the country! Our goal is $2500, but no donation is too small! Every little bit counts, so please donate whatever amount you are able to. Our veterans need us!
The Problem
Nearly 25% of Americans experiencing homelessness are veterans who fought for our country. Many survive with the comfort of a furry companion - but most homeless shelters don’t allow pets. This forces veterans to choose between seeking shelter or abandoning the only family they know.
Click the button below to provide essential supplies to veterans in need. Just $26 sends a Good Pack full of basic survival supplies like clothes and hygiene products, and $20 sends a supplemental Pet Pack with pet essentials like treats, toys, and a collapsible dish.
Your donation will have a real impact for veterans in need.
World Central Kitchen
WCK is serving thousands of fresh meals to Ukrainian families fleeing home, as well as those who remain in the country.
On February 24, Russia launched a large-scale military operation in neighboring Ukraine, invading the country on several fronts. The UN estimates over 660,000 Ukrainians have fled since the attack began, with that number expected to rise dramatically. The journey is daunting, with many Ukrainian families traveling for days without food.
Working at a 24-hour pedestrian border crossing in southern Poland, WCK began serving hot, nourishing meals within hours of the initial invasion and are now set up at eight border crossings across the country. Additionally, we are supporting local restaurants preparing meals in five Ukrainian cities, including in Odessa and Lviv. WCK teams are also on the ground in Romania and Moldova, and arriving soon to Slovakia, and Hungary to see how we can best support.
As the situation continues to evolve, WCK will continue to help in the best way we know how, with a freshly prepared plate of food—and we're ready to expand our support for families in need.
We’re bringing The Real Change Movement to Sherman Oaks!
Our newest Kindness Meter initiative will provide long-lasting improvements for our beloved city of Sherman Oaks.
The Real Change Movement meter donation program involves specially designed meters to collect donations from the public community of Sherman Oaks.
All donations will be put into the "Hope of the Valley Organization"
The Real Change Movement is the first of its kind in Los Angeles County and involves many community partners to harness the power of our community. The two primary goals of the Real Change Movement are to:
1) Provide for the homeless with donations of small change and credit card contributions made through the meter program.
2) Raise awareness about the issues of homelessness within our community.
The Meter Donation Program involves specially designed meters to collect donations from the public. All donations will be put into the "Hope of the Valley Organization" and be used to fund their Tiny Houses program, which aims to house the homeless in our community and help them get on their feet. The ultimate goal is to help house the homeless, a more cost-effective method than giving money to panhandlers because 100% of the donations received will be distributed to Hope of the Valley that work with the homeless.
With this collaborative, community centric movement, we hope to strengthen and provide greater access to the resources for our city’s homeless population.
We strive to ensure that everyone has their basic necessities met and a place to call home in our community.
“People just want to help, but they don’t know how.”
Learn more about how you can join us to serve the community!
