There have been many stories of struggle and trauma this year, but Greater LA also highlighted hope through The Helpers – about people who make unique differences in their communities.
Three of the volunteers we featured last year are still active in their efforts, sharing personal and professional news as we look back on 2021.
Dr. Meena Said, founder of Wellness Worldwide
Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in September, Wellness Worldwide’s focus has shifted from medical aid to food aid. The founder Dr. Meena Said, a Santa Monica-based endocrine surgeon, works with people in the Middle East to help a starving population that the United Nations says will very soon reach 97% poverty – the highest in history The population was in poverty, she says.
“It’s getting worse and worse. We get more and more desperate calls for help with requests for food aid. Malnourished children are on the street,” she says.
The work is not without sweat and tears, but Dr. Said says she was made for such work.
“Surgeons put in a Herculean effort every day. I’ve taken these qualities and I’m pulling these two together and doing what I can. I don’t want to look 20 years into the future and see this greatest humanitarian catastrophe on the planet, and I haven’t done everything I can to help. “
Shirley Raines, founder of Beauty 2 the Streetz
Shirley Raines, who founded her nonprofit Beauty 2 the Streetz in 2015, was in the spotlight this year. Since we last spoke with her, she has been honored with a CNN Hero Award, given to those who show an exceptional will to act on her values to improve the lives of others.
“The world would make you think, in order to be a hero, you need to be healed, and that’s not true. As broken as you are, you are still very useful, you are still very valuable. The thing about broken people is that we’re just a little bit rougher around the edges. We’re cutting you off a bit more, but that’s just because of the sharp edges. There are a lot of sharp edges in Skid Row and a lot of people don’t want to cut you, they just can’t help themselves. You are spicy. We have to throw them out. And that’s exactly what, in my opinion, our work is all about: polishing them so they don’t feel alone. “
Sue Mancini, owner of Sad Girl Creamery
We know ice cream can help when you’re feeling down, but Sad Girl Creamery goes a step further. Owner Sue Mancini uses her sweet treats to address sensitive issues related to mental health and self-care.
In 2021, she noticed that friends and coworkers in the hospitality industry were able to take what they loved from their jobs and leave the rest.
“I’ve seen a lot of people in my community start their own thing, start selling their houses or doing street sales, and it was very nice to see it flourish. There are many people who go into the food industry because they deal with their depression or anxiety in a tactile way. What I learned is that [the pandemic] took a semi-positive role [those] To be able to do something that makes people happy instead of working in a restaurant for so long. “
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