Let's Spread Holiday Cheer To Those In Need!
As we approach the holidays, we are reminded of the incredible difference we can make for those facing unimaginable challenges. One of our most heartfelt projects each year is bringing joy and comfort to the pediatric patients and families at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital.
GIVE NOW
At Connecting a Caring Community, it is our vision to create a culture of giving and encourage others into action through our programs and projects. We do this by providing opportunities and hands on experiences for our community members to get further involved with our partner organizations. We believe that our formula of education + opportunities + interaction + giving, affects both the recipient and giver. This in turn enables all of our participants, whether they are part of CCC or part of our partner organizations, to give, love and grow.
Our mission is simple.
We are Connecting a Caring Community
Connecting a Caring Community
Mobilizing the Community to Live a Life of Giving
Connecting a Caring Community is a non-profit organization dedicated to mobilizing people and communities to live a life of giving through time, money and meaningful projects. We create opportunities for Women, Men, Teens and Companies to make a difference for our partner organizations in our community. We also offer a program for Young Adults with Special Needs to provide opportunities for social and community engagement. Through educational programs and hands-on projects, we offer unique, one-to-one experiences, that bridge the gap between our community members and those in need. We also provide much needed grants to organizations we work with throughout the year.
Through educational programs and hands-on projects, we offer unique, one-to-one experiences, that bridge the gap between our community members and those in need.
Meet Lisa Kodimer
Watch The origin story
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Connecting a Caring Community is truly a story about how one person can change the lives of so many.
Co-founder and Executive Director
meet our executive director
Connecting a Caring Community is truly a story about how one person can change the lives of so many.
back >
'
Meet Lisa Kodimer
Watch The origin story
Connecting a Caring Community is truly a story about how one person can change the lives of so many.
Co-founder and Executive Director
meet our founder
In 2011, Lisa Kodimer’s son Kole came up with an idea of starting a special needs baseball league at Westhills Baseball. Lisa, together with her son, started Westhills Champions, which created an opportunity for children regardless of their ability to be able to play baseball. One of the ball players was Chase, a young boy with special needs. His parents, Richelle and Brandt Blanken, connected with Lisa and found that they had shared values and visions about giving back.
While it was Westhills Champions that brought them together, Lisa and the Blankens understood that there was much work to be done to unite communities in the spirit of giving. It was the Blanken’s and Lisa’s hope that they would be able to enrich and engage the community through compassion, kindness, giving, leadership and connection.
Through this spark of inspiration, Connecting a Caring Community was born.
get the full story
Lisa's story
By the end of 2023, CCC will have given out over $100,000 in grants, mobilized over 200 volunteers on a monthly basis, decorated nearly 150 dorm rooms for students coming out of the foster care system and going to college, provided over 1000 gifts for caregivers and families of children living with life threatening illnesses, been a partner with Hope the Mission to provide bedding, meals and help opening safe temporary housing for people experiencing homelessness, worked with 100’s of people in recovery, children with special needs, at risk youth programs, served 1000’s of snacks to first responders during the pandemic and so much more. Both the need and the desire to help are endless. CCC looks and listens for the needs of our community and provides that help.
If there is a need, CCC is prepared to fill it. That's how our projects are born.
Projects
Our growing impact
Our participants
CCC has become a leadership development program, a think tank for volunteers to collaborate with those in need, a resource for non-profit organizations to find volunteers and it has become a network of people who are interested in doing good in the world.
$100k+
in Grants
200+
volunteers per month
1000+
gifts to families with hospitalized children
1000+
snacks to first responders during covid
1000+
essential items for people experiencing homelessness
Through the incredibly unique relationships that CCC has cultivated with our partner organizations, we have been able to provide rare and often otherwise unavailable opportunities for our community members to work directly with the populations in need.
Programs
Women in action
Connecting with Teens
Men in Action
Connecting with friends (Special Needs Social Group)
Companies in Action
Our partner organizations
Grants
In 2022, CCC embarked on a new way of giving back to our partner organizations by forming a grants division.
In two short years, we have given over $100,000 to our partners for decorating hospital rooms for severely ill children, a music program for young men coming out of juvenile hall, a thrift shop to provide vocational skills for children with special needs, providing dorm room essentials for college bound youth coming out of the foster care system, a new kitchen staging area, patio furniture, a welcome area for a housing complex for homeless families, art equipment and supplies and more.
None of this would be possible if not for the unwavering efforts of CCC's founder, Lisa Kodimer, who has an obvious passion and commitment to "giving back" to underserved individuals and their families. CCC provides hope, resources and a venue to inspire and to be inspired, connecting caring individuals to a grateful community of special participants and their families.
CCC provides hope, resources and a venue to inspire and to be inspired.
Kind Words
Jennifer Lopata - Owner of Synergy Academics
UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital is so grateful to work with Connecting a Caring Community. We see many organizations, and I can say with certainty, it is rare to find a group of people who are truly looking to help where needed - whether the need is large or small. CCC is one of those unique organizations who just "get it" when it comes to hospitalized kids and their families. We are constantly blown away by the generosity and the humble nature by which they do business. We are proud to call CCC our partner.
CCC is one of those unique organizations who just "get it." We are proud to call CCC our partner.
Kelli Carroll, MS, CCLS - Director, Chase Child Life Program
UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital
Your contribution helps us create unique and meaningful give back opportunities for our participants AND a portion of your donation goes right back to support our projects and partner organizations. Whether it is serving a meal to the homeless, bringing a “bubbly Mother’s Day brunch” to moms of hospitalized children, providing dorm room essentials for over 100 youth coming out of the foster care system and going off to college, providing gifts for hundreds of hospitalized children and their families or through our grants program, CCC impacts the lives of thousands of people each year.
When you donate to CCC you are contributing in two very important ways.
GIVE
Join the Newsletter
Keep up with CCC via the newsletter! Here, readers will stay informed of opportunities to give to the community, find out about events, projects, programs and more!
Stay informed on our unique opportunities to give back!
Stay informed on our unique opportunities to give back to the community!
