(East Los Angeles, CA) December 28, 2021 [From The Editor’s Desk]: The ever-active and always generous Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) recently asked their highly popular Dodgers Manager, Dave Roberts, to take some of his time during this “off-season” period and gratefully Congratulate the Grantees of Non-Profit Organizations, based in both the City and the County, for their receipt and implementation of the greatly needed and donated grant funds for their clientele.

Let’s take a look at the press announcement and view the brief video that was made by the Manager congratulating the grantees. To view it, please watch below:

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 DAVE ROBERTS CONGRATULATES FOURTH QUARTER DODGERS FOUNDATION GRANTEES

 Total 2021 giving extends $6.2 million; four million meals donated to local communities

LOS ANGELES, CA – On December 21st, (11) Los Angeles nonprofit organizations received a video message from Dave Roberts congratulating them on receiving grant funds from the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF). These grants bring total LADF 2021 giving to $6.2 million. This includes $2.7 million in grants given via its LADF Gives program, topping the highest-ever awarded in a single year, and an additional $3.5 million provided in direct programs and initiatives to include Dodgers RBI, Dodgers Dreamfields and more. With an ongoing concentration on food insecurity, exasperated by the pandemic, LADF has also made four million meals available to Los Angeles families this year. LADF has now surpassed $40 million in support of homelessness, education, health care and sports-based youth development.

End of year grants included the Alliance for Children’s Rights, LA LGBT Center, Raise a Child, Playworks, Natasha Watley Foundation, CSUN Roy and Roxie Campanella Physical Therapy Scholarship, College Track, The Posse Foundation, Extraordinary Families, National Foster Youth Institute, and the Good Plus Foundation. These grants support a range of programs and organizations, including investments in foster youth, food insecurity, physical activity, scholarships, college access and success and so much more.

“Now more than ever we are pleased to be able to support local organizations with grants, programs and initiatives focused on pressing problems impacting those who need us most,” said Nichol Whiteman, CEO Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation. “Partnership remains the key to our overall success. These investments in the local community are made possible due to the tremendous generosity of Dodger fans, corporate supporters, foundations, individuals, municipal agencies and more.”

Total 2021 grants include 43% to organizations addressing homelessness and its root causes, 35% to education, 15% to sports-based youth development and 7% to health care.  Through its Dodgers RBI program, LADF afforded nearly 10,000 youth the opportunity to return to play at 76 locations throughout Los Angeles and Long Beach at no cost, after the pandemic shutdown sports in 2020. LADF also recently broke ground on its 58th Dodgers Dreamfield at Maywood Park, a $657,000 project that includes a baseball and softball field and training facility.

LADF continues to support food insecure families in LA neighborhoods including South LA, Inglewood, East LA, Lincoln Park and Watts. Key partners in these distributions include the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, ThinkWatts, YMCA Metro LA and Bento, a simple, text-based service that connects youth and families in need with prepaid, nutritious, to-go meals from nearby restaurants.