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We Give Kids From Marginalized Communities An Outlet They Deserve

Our mission is to improve young lives by creating access to personal development opportunities, resources, and supportive adult relationships that result in a positive impact in our most marginalized communities. We believe that every student deserves to be seen, heard, and to know their inherent worth & potential.

About
Our Focus
Community Challenges
Programs
Impact
Volunteer

We Believe

We invest in students, their families, schools and communities in South Los Angeles through creative retreat programs at a recreational summer camp in the Angeles National Forest along with camp programs in the community.

We offer a safe, nurturing, and enriching experience at no cost to participants, using these experiences to foster positive discourse, provide tools for reflection, and help young men and women set goals to rewrite the future of their schools and communities.

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Raised in 11+ years

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Of money raised goes straight to programming

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Children impacted

GuideStar Platinum Charity

HRF has earned the GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency. GuideStar is the world’s largest source of information on nonprofits. The platinum seal means that our organization uses more donation dollars for programming than over 90% of all other registered charities in the USA.

Here are a few ways we are helping the
community

Virtual Mentorship Program

Community Food Distributions

Community Gardening

Virtual Arts Programming

Virtual Dance Programming

Virtual Yoga Programming

Virtual Campfires

Distribution Events

Boxes Distributed to Families in Need

Pounds of Fresh Produce Distributed to the Community

We Focus On

Watts, CA

We want to create an impact in LA’s most marginalized communities. Watts has notoriously suffered through substantially higher violent and property crime rates compared to other neighborhoods not only in LA but also throughout the United States. These issues were found to be a result of poor race relations and gang activity within the community. Many children in Watts are pushed into gang membership due to negative factors, barriers, and conditions in their social environment such as poverty, family problems, and lack of success in school.

All of these factors are apparent within the Watts community, and we took a special interest in coordinating with this community to help youth overcome obstacles and challenges that their peers and elders have faced in the past.

Challenges our
communities face

Family Factors

Our Watts community consists of hard-working families with few resources available to provide the support students need to thrive. Parents work long hours and often several jobs to provide the basic necessities for their families, creating a void during critical hours after-school and limited capacity to help with homework or issues children may be dealing with in life.

Under-Resourced Schools

Physical and mental health, social-emotional well-being, and positive role models are undeniably linked with academic success. However, the basic fundamentals of quality primary education often don’t reach poor communities. These roadblocks include overflowing classrooms with 40 students to 1 teacher, outdated/limited supplies including books and other basic resources, police officers on campus, and little-to-no technology. These challenges hinder the students’ ability to believe in a better future or to see their own inherent potential.

Health & Safety

Violence and oppression within many marginalized communities create enormous obstacles for the families that live within them. Cornered between economic and criminal justice systems that have built the school-to-prison pipeline, along with the desperation of gang cultures that plague our most vulnerable communities, families struggle to create a better life for their children. Our youth often live entirely within a three-block radius with access to the safety and opportunities they deserve lying outside of their reach.

Challenges of Adolescence

The transition into middle school can be one of the most difficult periods in a young person’s life. Everything is changing: their academic responsibilities, social lives, and bodies. In our most vulnerable communities, there can be the added stressors of negative influences such as gangs and drugs. We intentionally work with this population to support our youth through their individual journeys and help guide their goals and desires towards a positive life path.

How we create
a lasting impact

Camp Ubuntu

Our flagship program brings school groups of 100 students and 36 adults to the forest for three days - the retreat is hosted at an ACA-accredited overnight campsite. For some of our youth and families, the retreat represents their first significant trip outside of the LA metro area. Learn More

Camp Ubuntu Watts

Camp Ubuntu Watts gives children from the Watts community a safe, fun, and educational outlet for 6 weeks every summer right in their community. Learn More

Pedal on the Pier

Pedal on the Pier is an outdoor physical philanthropy FUNraising event for the Watts Community. The event has over 100 teams pedaling on stationary bikes aimed at raising more than $1 million for the Watts Community. The event has consistently funded all Camp Ubuntu programming needs each year since its inception. Learn More

Community Participation

We know that it takes a village to raise our children. Extended family, friends, and positive role models all contribute to the successful development of our young people. The work we do at HRF is successful because of the commitment our Watts community has to support each generation of youth to see their inherent value and pursue their greatest potential. Learn More

Fundraising Events

We hold various publicly-available and private events throughout the year to bring communities together and raise funds for Camp Ubuntu. These events include ‘Pedal on the Pier,’ ‘Ubuntu in Motion,’ ‘Peace, Love & Funk,’ ‘Artists in Support of Camp Ubuntu, ’Cocktails for Camp,’ and more.>

Leaders in Training Program

At Camp Ubuntu, we believe that all our children have something to offer, and none of our children, despite where they fall on the socio-economic ladder, are without problems or needs. We believe we can work together, and heal each other. The LIT program provides interested high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to volunteer their time to mentor elementary and middle school-age campers.

What We've Accomplished

13 Years Serving the Community

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Schools Impacted

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Leaders in Training Participants

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Pedal on the Pier Participants

Over the past 12 years, we have worked closely with over 30 schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District to create a positive impact and development opportunities for more than 12,000 kids. We have expanded some of our most impactful programs for youth who want to get involved, and have exponentially increased the participation and success of our donor events.

Impact

"HRF puts kids in disadvantaged areas in camp programs. The kids come out of it communicating, problem-solving, and conflict resolution with other kids from other housing developments. For these kids who get selected it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s an incredible program and we thank HRF for their commitment and passion to serve our kids in Watts."

- Joe Buscaino, L.A. City Council Member 15th District

"I just want to thank you for coming out of your way. You didn’t have to bring all of us out of the hood. Just to take us to a nice place like that. The only part I didn’t like about the camp is that people are so nice and people make you feel at home and then we had to leave. I didn’t like that at all."

- Joshua, Former Camper

"It’s unbelievable to see a group of individuals come together to put the needs of children first. As I watch the impact of one weekend away from the stressful lives that some of my student’s lead and the positive effect on their self esteem, peer relationships, and academic achievement, all I can say is thank you for all that you do!"

- Jera Turner, Principal Barrett Elementary

"Thank you for inviting 99th Street School to camp for three days. Thank you for the nice cabins to sleep in and the warm and soft beds. When I went hiking I learned that leaves have bones like humans. Those three days were so much fun that I wanted to live there because that camp was like my new home."

- Juan, Former Camper

Get Involved

We are actively searching for volunteers who are passionate about helping people in our community.
Please see a list of volunteer opportunities below:

Camp Ubuntu Specialist

A Camp Ubuntu Specialist can volunteer at our Camp Retreats or any other camp event that requires their specific specialty. Examples: Yoga Instructor, Art Teacher, Skateboard Instructor, Swim Teacher, Dance Teacher, Writing Teacher, etc. See how you can be a Camp Ubuntu Specialist below.

If you are interested in getting involved and volunteering with The Harold Robinson Foundation, Please contact us:

via email at:

pd@haroldrobinsonfoundation.org

fill out our contact form by clicking below

Mentorship

A Mentor Volunteer is crucial in creating personal relationships with the kids during retreats and focusing on connecting with the children themselves while the counselors lead the group throughout the retreat. Read more about being a Mentor below.

If you are interested in getting involved and volunteering with The Harold Robinson Foundation, Please contact us:

via email at:

pd@haroldrobinsonfoundation.org

fill out our contact form by clicking below

Leaders in Training Program

LIT is for anyone who is still in high school and wants to give back to the community. We have roughly 60 LITs each year come to camp to volunteer as young mentors, which often results in creating valuable lifelong bonds with our campers that so many are otherwise deprived of. Find out how to be a Leader in Training below.

If you are interested in getting involved and volunteering with The Harold Robinson Foundation, Please contact us:

via email at:

pd@haroldrobinsonfoundation.org

fill out our contact form by clicking below

In-Kind Donations

The foundation presents a myriad of opportunities for businesses to provide in-kind donations. At Camp Ubuntu and Camp Ubuntu Watts, we supply our kids with everything they’ll need like warm coats, gloves, and scarves to swimsuits, t-shirts, and art supplies. At our fundraising events, in-kind donations are key to our success.

If you are interested in providing in-kind donations to The Harold Robinson Foundation, Please contact us:

via email at:

pd@haroldrobinsonfoundation.org

fill out our contact form by clicking below

Photographer & Videographer

At Camp Ubuntu, we aim to create meaningful experiences that camp participants can cherish forever. In order to capture that footage, we are constantly on the lookout for videographers and photographers that are able to connect with kids (and beef up their portfolio). Inquire about being a camp videographer/photographer here.

If you are interested in getting involved and volunteering with The Harold Robinson Foundation, Please contact us at:

via email at:

pd@haroldrobinsonfoundation.org

fill out our contact form by clicking below

Event Volunteer

We host several fundraising events every year and are always on the lookout for volunteers to help the day of the event. Check out our list of events to see how you can help.

If you are interested in getting involved and volunteering with The Harold Robinson Foundation, Please contact us at:

via email at:

pd@haroldrobinsonfoundation.org

fill out our contact form by clicking below

Our Most Popular Campfire Song!

Curious about the funny looking characters all over our site? We’re glad you noticed! They happen to be some of the little creatures from Camp Ubuntu’s most popular campfire song, “Moose, Alpaca.”

Not all campfire songs make much sense, and this one might be the king of nonsense! A ‘repeat after me’ song, Moose Alpaca, is sung in crazy, frantic unison of moose, alpacas, and unicorns. Throw in some mustaches, ninjas, and pufferfish, and you have yourself one of our all-time favorite camp songs performed at nearly every campfire and every school visit.

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haroldrobinsonfoundation

Harold Robinson
Foundation

A 501 (C) (3) CHARITY ORGANIZATION
FEDERAL TAX ID # 26-4807035

Mailing Address:

c/o Edward Charles Foundation

269 S. Beverly Dr., #338

Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Harold RobinsonFoundation

Harold Robinson Foundation

We Give Kids From Marginalized Communities An Outlet They Deserve