All photos by Tina June Malek

Amid white camellias and a rainbow of roses in full bloom, two hundred friends and supporters of 826LA gathered Thursday, May 11, at the LA River Center and Gardens in Cypress Park for Changing the Story, a fundraising event celebrating the many ways that writing enriches the lives of LAUSD students. 

A small group of such students—six poets from Ms. McGrath’s English class at Roosevelt High School—stole the show before the show even started. Guests lined up to have the young authors sign their copies of the students’ zine, The Art of Vulnerability. Sitting beneath large poster portraits photographed and designed by 826LA staff, the students got the full star treatment. 

Nearby, guests shopped at a pop-up version of The Time Travel Mart, remarking on products like a watch whose face says “Now” in place of numbers. “This is the best thing I’ve ever seen!” one guest exclaimed. 

They enjoyed food from Dame’s Doubles, Gino’s Seafood, Gogo’s Tacos, LaSorted’s Pizza, and Craig’s Vegan Ice Cream, along with Arrvo Coffee and St. Hildie’s Spiked Tonics, while listening to jazz performed live by Del Atkins and the Lyfe.

When the sun dropped behind the trees, the program began. Host Patty Guggenheim, of She-Hulk and the Groundlings, kicked things off, talking about the power of creativity in her own life. 

“A creative community is what 826LA brings to so many students’ lives and, well, I just think that’s awesome,” she said.

Co-chairs and Board Members Eileen Shields and Karen Van Kirk testified to the important role that 826LA plays not only in supporting students, but in supporting schools as well—826LA has partnered with more than 100 teachers this school year.

One of those schools is Roosevelt High School, where 826LA operates a Writers’ Room. This year, we’ve worked with college-bound students on their personal statement essays, English Language Learners on an anthology titled Seedfolks, and Ms. McGrath’s class on poetry.

Introducing the student poets on Thursday night, Ms. McGrath said, “These young authors created a safe space in which they shared their innermost thoughts, fears and yearnings with one another. In this environment, they learned that there is no such thing as a ‘perfect’ poem, that it is freeing to talk about painful moments in your life, and that strength lies within vulnerability.”

The six students who took turns at the mic—Jenny, Karime, Bettany, Mariana, Kenya, and Jesus—read poems that proved Ms. McGrath’s thesis with breathtaking clarity. Touching on topics from self-esteem to parent-child relationships, each poet demonstrated vulnerability in their own way, owning their feelings through language.

Mariana’s poem “Beautiful Bloom” concluded with these lines:

Audience members were moved to donate during the fund-a-need portion of the program which followed a live auction. Ultimately, the event raised more than $367,000 to help sustain and deepen our free programs for students who attend under-resourced schools.

In the words of Executive Director Jaime Balboa, “As people who believe in students and schools, as people who have access to resources, as people who work in creative fields, as people whose own lives have been changed by the power of writing…we have a call to action. 

“We can create a diverse, equitable pipeline to the creative industries. We can show our students that the creativity all around them—showcased in LA’s world class museums, universities, film, television, gaming, and music studios—isn’t only for them to appreciate, but for them to engage in as creators. Those industries need their voices.”

Changing the Story wrapped on a light note, as Patty Guggenheim invited several members and alumni from the Groundlings to join her onstage: Jordan Black, Stephanie Courtney, Kiel Kennedy, and Lyric Lewis. She asked the audience to help her call out words and scenarios for several improv games. When the actors played couples at a “game night,” Patty asked audience members to give each of them a defining personality trait.

“Loves shrimp!” someone called, and that became Kiel Kennedy’s raison d’etre. “Afraid of the carpet” was Stephanie’s, while Jordan’s was “very rich.”

The audience laughed and clapped and got to witness firsthand how writing—whether improvised or crafted over time—can enrich people’s lives.

Thank you to all our Changing the Story sponsors! 

Peninsula Pacific
Kira Snyder & Allen Blue
Terena Thyne Eisner
Griffin Capital
Eastdil Secured
Susan Ko
Karen Van Kirk & Andy Anganos
Jimmy Kimmel & Molly McNearney
Iman Farrior
Bad Robot
Douglas Hunnicutt & Derek Chatterton (Morgan Stanley)
Ben Au
David Boyle
Nickelodeon
Johnson Shapiro Slewett Kole
Gallagher Worldwide
Adriana Centeno
Amazon
Warner Bros. Discovery
Dreamworks
Peacock
Lauren Humphrey
The DHC Group
Munster Freeman Group
Mary Mendelsohn
MP
Ellen Goldsmith-Vein

Want to support 826LA? Consider donating or volunteering!