chick-fil-a continues to celebrate and support our local impact

Sharefest is happy to announce that Chick-fil-A will again be sponsoring our Annual Workday this year! Our hard-working volunteers will have happy, full stomachs thanks to vouchers entitling them to one free chicken sandwich. Coupons will be distributed at our workday sites on April 28^th—click here to sign up and volunteer (and get a free chicken sandwich as a thank you)!

This year, Chick-fil-A has doubled its number of restaurants in the South Bay by adding two stand-alone restaurants. Along with the fairly new South Bay location, Chick-fil-A recently celebrated the grand opening of the Del Amo In-Line location on March 29^th. Long live the cow!

churches work side-by-side-by-side to make a difference at jane addams middle school

JAMS garden in need of clean-up and weedingHere at Sharefest, we are all about collaboration. We love to work together and help a community’s dreams come true, right before their eyes. On April 28th, as part of our  9th Annual Workday, three of our partners, King’s Harbor Church, Lawndale Christian Church and South Bay Church of God will be joining forces at Jane Addams Middle School (JAMS) to create an imprint of lasting change. Volunteers from all three churches will be giving the middle school a facelift, with much needed paint jobs, general weeding and clean-up, and updating student bathrooms. They will also be giving teachers a vibrant, updated teachers lounge by replacing old tables, new furniture and upholstery, installing window treatments, applying new paint to the walls, and new decorations.

Jane Addams Middle School is a 6-year old school in Lawndale home to approximately 940 students and 50 dedicated teachers and support staff with a mission to “achieve academic excellence and to inspire lifelong passion for learning.” Like many schools, it has experienced drastic budget cuts, but continues The JAMS teachers lounge, prior to our Workday.its commitment to high standards, increasing student achievement, and enhancing educational opportunities for its students.

We are highly looking forward to helping JAMS get the facelift it deserves, and are eager to see our church partners side-by-side working hard on our upcoming Annual Workday. We love to see organizations partnering with one another in new ways! There is still time to volunteer or donate towards our efforts this Annual Workday—please visit our Workday page for more information or to help us spread the word!

collaborating to improve homes and lives this annual workday

Just as we could not tackle all of our Annual Workday projects without thousands of volunteers and sponsors, finishing any of them would be impossible without the proper tools and equipment. As in previous Workdays, The Home Depot will be a busy place for our Workday project managers as they look for hammers, nails, paint, soil, plants, and many other items needed to complete over 250 beautification and community improvement projects in Los Angeles County on Saturday, April 28^th.  

Along with our partnership with local Home Depot stores, we are also fortunate to be partners with The Home Depot Foundation. Established in 2002, the Home Depot Foundation provides additional resources to assist nonprofit organizations like Sharefest, and focuses on repairing and refurbishing homes and facilities that serve disadvantaged families and individuals.

We are grateful for the support we receive from The Home Depot stores and The Home Depot Foundation on our Annual Workday and year round. We couldn’t do our work without them!

If you would like to join us on our upcoming Annual Workday, there is still time—visit our Workday page for more information, to volunteer, or to adopt a project!

a new partnership with Redondo Beach Ed Foundation

This year we are once again heading out to Redondo Beach school campuses in full force, beautifying and modernizing campuses throughout the district.  While our presence in Redondo Beach has been steadily growing over the years, we are delighted with the opportuntiy this year for a new partnership. Our Annual Workday is generously  supported by our first-time sponsor, the Redondo Beach Educational Foundation (RBEF). Founded in 1991, RBEF is an all-volunteer staff and leads fundraising efforts to bring much needed financial support to Redondo Beach public schools. This non-profit has been instrumental in saving music, science, art,  and technology programs along with helping to rescind some layoff notices to teachers as well as  providing additional Elementary Science Teachers, College Liaison Counselor and Naviance Software to the Redondo Beach Unified School District.  Sharefest is thrilled to have RBEF as a sustaining benefactor for the coming years. We look forward to collaboratively helping RBEF give back to the schools and communities it serves in a new way.

“RBEF is thrilled to be part of Sharefest’s Annual Workday this year.  Our campuses have greatly benefited through the efforts of Sharefest over the years, and we are excited to be part of the collaborative process this year.  It is exciting to see community partners come together with a sole purpose to better our schools and enhance our campuses. The Redondo Beach community is fortunate to have such active and generous partners participating alongside Sharefest.”   - Brad Serkin, President

If you are interested in volunteering at a project in Redondo Beach or other local communities, please register here.  To read more about our upcoming Workday on April 28th, click here.

collaborating to deepen a company's investment in the local community

Sharefest’s 9^th Annual Workday will take place on Saturday, April 28, 2012. One of this year’s biggest projects will take place at Carson High School, where volunteers will be cleaning the campus, installing an outdoor kitchen, repairing and building benches, landscaping, painting, and completing other campus beautification projects.

These projects will be completed thanks to the generous donations made by Watson Land Company, founded in 1912 with a commitment to serve “as good stewards of the land.” It is built on a foundation of philanthropy and gives back to the community in substantial ways. Watson Land Company has partnered with the school since its beginning. Since 1987, they have given more than $45,000 directly to the school and have provided more than $91,000 in scholarships to Carson High School seniors and alumni.

“Watson Land Company is celebrating its 100th anniversary throughout 2012 with a series of events focusing on giving back to the communities we serve. With a theme of ‘A Century of Stewardship’ the company and its employees are partnering with community based non-profits to make a meaningful and lasting positive impact. Watson Land Company, along with a number of our customers and vendors, is pleased to partner with Sharefest and Carson High School by sponsoring the 9th Annual Community Workday. We look forward to combining our efforts to help foster an environment for students to grow both personally and academically,” -Watson Land Company President and CEO Bruce Choate.

Five years ago, through the investment and encouragement of Watson Land Company, our Summer Youth Development Academy was launched and remains a successful part of our programming to this day – touching hundreds of under-privileged middle school students. We are grateful to partner with corporate sponsors such as Watson Land Company. It is because of collaborations like this that through our Workdays we have completed $6,500,000 worth of projects at over 1,300 worksites at no cost to the recipients. Our 35,000 volunteers have spent Saturdays investing into our schools, parks, and neighborhoods to improve the quality of life for our community and to create cohesive communities of care. 

There is still time to be part of our Annual Workday, as a volunteer or as a sponsor for our many projects. Join us on Saturday, April 28^th and be a part of a creative collaboration for positive change. For more details on how to get involved, please click on our Workday Page—we would love to have you!