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Community Outreach Objectives. The primary purpose for issuing a community grant/donation is to give back to the communities where theaters are located. The secondary objective is to build relationships in the community that create goodwill for exhibition. The best way to meet these objectives is to answer the ‘Why’ question when selecting a recipient organization (i.e. grantee). What problem is the organization solving and why does that issue matter to exhibition? Why is this organization important to theater owners in California and Nevada. There are many worthy organizations doing wonderful work, but we cannot fund all of them. Ultimately, the Community Outreach program is to help promote theatrical entertainment. We can fulfill that goal by supporting organizations in the communities where there is an obvious connection for movie theaters. We will publicize our generosity to build goodwill in communities by leading with the ‘Why’ statement. |
Jacob’s Heart - $25,000 |
Side by Side - $30,000 |
Variety Boys and Girls Club - $35,000 |
Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY) - $15,000 |
Vidiots Foundation - $10,000 |
Lollipop Theater Network - $5,000 |
Union Rescue Mission LA - $10,000 |
Fulfillment Fund - $10,000 NATO of CA/NV recognizes the tremendous barrier for theater employees and their immediate family members to attend college or trade school. We appreciate the work being done by Fulfillment Fund and the partnership to help manage our scholarship program. |
Roybal High School For Film & Production - $50,000 NATO of CA/NV is proud to join the film community in supporting the Roybal school, named after a historic member of the US Congress (first Latino member) from Los Angeles; helping the next generation of underrepresented students start a career in movie making. |
Californians For The Arts - $5,000
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There is no denying the heroic work being done by our healthcare professionals and of the great personal sacrifices they are making during the Covid pandemic. NATO CA/NV is pleased to fund $200,000 in scholarships to The University of San Francisco School of Nursing and Health Professions. The school has a highly diverse student body, much like our workforce, 35% of incoming freshmen are the first in their family to attend college. We know this is a good investment for the communities where our theaters are located. |
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NATO CA/NV takes joy in providing a grant to safely bring back the joy of camp to children with cancer and their families this summer and continue the supportive services they need. This year, Camp Heart + Hands will bring renewed hope to over 300 campers including children with cancer, their siblings, parents, and volunteer medical staff. Most of the children come from low-income homes with high levels of unmet basic needs, even before their cancer diagnosis. Through our support of Jacob's Heart, NATO CA/NV establishes a positive connection to the young patients and their families who will support the theatrical experience. Additionally, our support of Jacob's Heart is now visible to many thousands of people who will see our logo on their new patient transport vehicle. |
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The movie theater industry is proud of our tradition of offering a young person his/her first job. NATO CA/NV is proud to support Side by Side because they are leaders in serving teen-agers with behavioral and mental health issues, as well as, providing interventions for LGBTQ issues, transitional housing and special education programs. We trust in Side by Side to help today’s youth reach their maximum potential. |
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Variety Boys and Girls Club - $35,000 |
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NATO CA/NV believes in partnering with organizations help young people to feel valued and supported, and have meaningful opportunities to live healthy, free, and productive lives that make stronger, safer, and more vibrant communities for us all. As employers of many young people, it means a great deal to theater owners that people starting their adult journey are supported, as well as, given the tools to be leaders in their communities. |
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Vidiots Foundation - $15,000 Vidiots has strong support from entertainment community: A24, Alamo Draft House, Cinema Eye Honors, Film Independent, Lionsgate, Sundance Film Institute, UCLA Film Archive, and Women in Film. NATO CA/NV joins a long list of entertainment community companies and individuals to support this iconic film center and advocate for theatrical entertainment. We are excited for the possibilities as Vidiots sets out on its mission to help generations learn and appreciate the wonders of movies, especially when experienced on the big screen. |
NATO of California/Nevada provided a $30,000 grant to the Union Rescue Mission to provide a fully operational computer room in their new facility The Angeles House in Carson, California. The 74,900 square foot community facility includes 55,900 square feet of housing units. The facility was opened in March of this year. The facility provides a safe and secure place for unsheltered children and their parents. It contains 86 transitional housing units with a capacity of up to 370 Low Income Persons. Support services are provided to the residents onsite by the URM.
In 2018 NATO of California/Nevada funded the Kids Computer Room at the Los Angeles facility of the Union Rescue Mission. It proved to be such a great asset for the residents at that facility that the NATO of CA/NV Board approved the funds for this second lab in Carson.
The Variety Boys' and Girls' Club members are very talented and have made great use of the NATO of CA/NV Digital Media Center. They have won back-to-back-to-back Boys & Girls Clubs of America contests. Our latest win is a SWEET and joyous moment for our member, Alexander, 13-years-old, whose digital design will be featured on the Chips Ahoy! package in May of 2022. He designed a graphic print on Adobe Illustrator that showcases what inspires him creatively. Congratulations to Alexander, VBGC and NATO of CA/NV are so proud of you!
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NATO of CA/NV, MPA, Warner Bros. and Regency Theatres hosted a movie night to honor and thank the First Responders, Front Line Workers and Community Leaders of the City and County of Los Angeles on June 17th with a screening of In The Heights. (Left) Guests Amina Washington, Patient Service Representative for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and DeJohn Downey dressed up for the screening with custom T-shirts designed by DeJohn. |
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Executive Director Patricia Siqueiros advised the Association, "On Tuesday (1/14/21), through the generous support of NATO of CA/NV, we began offering our Club members support with their remote/virtual learning. As of today, we have 33 Club members enrolled in the program; the participants are students from Assumption, Evergreen, Sheridan, and First Street Elementary Schools. They are here at the Club, M-F from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. We are now ensuring that our Club members have the support they need to navigate the various platforms being utilized by the local schools. In addition, our kids are receiving warm meals and snacks. Lastly, we decided to use this program as a way to support some of our college scholarship recipients whose families have been impacted by the pandemic. Consequently, we have hired 4 scholarship recipients to assist with the program activities. Now, they are able to contribute to their household income. Overall, the parents are overwhelmingly grateful to have this resource and the kids are having a blast, finally being able to interact with their peers. My heart has been filled with joy having our Club members here all day." The following video features cousins Yvonne and Michael who are participating in the remote learning program at the Club: VBGC Remote Learning Program |
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In light of the current financial situation, NATO of CA/NV has established a $250,000.00 Emergency Assistance Fund for employees of our Member companies. The fund will be managed by the Will Rogers Foundation. In order to qualify the recipient must have been employed by a NATO of California/Nevada member company within the state of California or Nevada for a minimum period of three (3) years. Employees who have been employed for five (5) or more years will also qualify for the Will Rogers Assistance Program.
Applications will be accepted starting Wednesday, December 16, 2020. For an application go to: www.wrpioneers.org |
Our industry like many others came to a full standstill because of COVID-19 resulting in the closure of our Member theatres and the loss of field level jobs. The board of NATO of California/Nevada realized the financial hardships the pandemic was causing and voted unanimously to establish a $1,250,000.00 Relief Fund to be distributed to field level employees of the Association members. The funds were allocated equally based upon the number of screens each member company has in California and Nevada. A total of 7,023 field level employees received funds from the NATO of California/Nevada Relief Fund. As one of the recipients of the fund wrote, “I am so honored to be a part of an organization that looks after their own without ever having to ask for assistance”. |
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There is no denying the heroic work being done by our healthcare professionals and of the great personal sacrifices they are making during these most trying times. And because of this, we are very pleased to be presenting $200,000 in scholarships to The University of San Francisco School of Nursing and Health Professions, whose undergraduate program consistently ranks in the top 5% in the country. The school has a highly diverse student body, 35% of incoming freshmen are the first in their family to attend college and they enter with an average GPA of 3.9. The $200,000 in scholarships from NATO of California/Nevada will provide each of five students with $40,000 over the course of the four-year program, and be met with matching funds from the university. We know this will be money well spent. |
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One Voice is a Los Angeles nonprofit organization helping families living at poverty level. The families served through its Family Assistance Program are in dire financial circumstances and have been referred by Head Start. With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting so many with lost jobs, the $50,000 grant will provide approximately 30 families with funds to help cover rent, food and other critical necessities for a one month period while they work to regain their stability. |
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REACHING OUT - $30,000.00 "On behalf of Pastor Ken Foreman, Pastor Kurt Foreman and Reaching Out Director Jim Gallagher, thank you for your thoughtfulness and generosity towards the Reaching Out Food Program. The need is great, but thanks to your kindness, we will continue to have the privilege of being part of the solution in meeting the needs of our community. Be safe. Be encouraged. Be strong and courageous." Blessings, |
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Side by Side will receive a $30,000 grant from NATO of California/Nevada to be divided equally between their Side by Side Our Space program and the Side by Side You Thrive program. The organization operates in four Northern California counties reaching over 2,500 children, young adults, and family members per year with much-needed services related to behavioral and mental health, early intervention in schools, LGBTQ issues, transitional housing, and special education. Side by Side has been at the forefront of best practices in child welfare, working with the most vulnerable youth in the communities they serve since their founding as an orphanage in 1895 and through subsequent years as Sunny Hills Services. The following are the programs. Side by Side Our Space program is a safe space for LGBTQ youth ages 13-24 and is the only LGBTQ youth provider in South Alameda County. Our Space serves over 300 youth each year with a focus on disconnected LGBTQ youth in the foster system. The $15,000 NATO of California/Nevada grant will support 4-6 multi-week school-based or virtual peer support groups for the youth over the fall and spring semesters, and 1-2 workshops for adult professionals. Side by Side You Thrive program is an early intervention program for 13-18 year olds is designed to prevent school failure and the escalation of criminal, anti-social or gang behavior, while increasing commitment to their education, personal development, and community. The NATO of California/Nevada $15,000 grant will cover You Thrive services at one school during the fall and spring semester, provide four parent support groups, and subsidize youth excursions or virtual social gatherings. |
A Place Called Home provides a safe and nurturing environment for the young people of South Central, Los Angeles an area historically plagued by generational poverty, violence and crime. Over the past 25 years, this dynamic youth and community center has evolved from humble beginnings. Today A Place Called Home delivers a full array of services to youth ages eight to mid-twenties and their families, empowering and inspiring them to self-reliance and ownership of their own lives. It provides a place where young people who face tremendous challenges can experience the joy, laughter and safety that should be a part of every childhood. The $35,000.00 NATO of CA/NV grant will be used to build out the much needed Counseling space for teens and a separate permanent workspace for their Theatre Department. Watch Video |
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Beauty Bus Foundation delivers loving kindness, support and compassion to seriously ill patients and their caregivers through free beauty services. With a $30,000.00 grant NATO of CA/NV is funding six Pop-Up Salons to help provide a day of beauty for young children and their siblings at six children’s hospital throughout greater Los Angeles. These Pop-Up Salons allow children, who are being treated for cancer related diseases, and their caregivers an escape from their hospital rooms to a specially created Salon where they are pampered with hair styling, makeup, nails, facials, and glitter tattoos. As one family said, “They gave us new energy to face the reality of what was to come.” Watch Video |
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Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has accumulated strong evidence to support the effectiveness of reducing pain associated with medical procedures through the use of Virtual Reality headsets as opposed to drugs which produce numerous side effects. The Division of Urology at CHLA will receive a NATO of CA/NV grant in the amount of $40,000.00 to help test ways of easing the traumatic experience of Catheterization for children in need of this procedure through the use of Virtual Reality headsets to engage children in 3D games as a way of distracting them from the reality of the painful procedure. |
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Dennis is a five year old boy who is ventilator dependent and unable to leave his home for an extended period of time because of multiple medical conditions including Congenital Hydrocephalus, a build-up of fluid on the brain, and Cerebral Palsy. He has endured multiple procedures to help him breathe and to simply manage his quality of life. Dennis has a wish - to have a movie experience with his family. Unfortunately Dennis is not able to go out to his local movie theatre. So NATO of CA/NV will fulfill Dennis's wish with a $10,000.00 grant to the Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada Foundation to build out a multi-media projection theatre in the comfort of Dennis’s own home providing him and his family with a full projection system, including surround sound, sensory lighting, seating and a curtain. We will even supply the popcorn! As they say Dennis, we will see you at the “movies”. Watch Video | See Photos and Story |
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Each summer the Harold Robinson Foundation provides a camping week-end in the mountains for 100 children from the Watts area of Los Angeles, home to some of the largest housing projects and all are infested by rival street gangs. For many of these young people the weekend at Camp Ubuntu in the Angeles National Forest is the first time they have been outside of the ghetto. Their camp experience promotes community building as well as respect and trust with one another as it provides them with an opportunity of co-mingling with other youths without the fear of the gangs. NATO of California/Nevada is proud to host their third group of 100+ Markham Middle School students to a weekend in the mountains. Watch Video |
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Side by Side a therapeutic school in Northern California that offers to its students a specialized environment of highly trained staff, guidance and support for their individualized education plans, all of which provides opportunities for a brighter future. The school has a continuous waiting list for every classroom. NATO of California/Nevada will provide a grant in the amount of $75,000 to purchase much needed technology resources including chrome books, desktops, and laptop computers that will be used in each classroom on a daily basis to more easily transition to a successful and confident adulthood. Watch Video |
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NATO of California/Nevada has renewed its support of the Variety Boys’ and Girls’ Club in East Los Angeles with another grant in the amount of $35,000.00. The funds will be used in the NATO of California/Nevada Digital Media Center Room where the children learn skills that will open their eyes to the careers available in Digital Media by offering them access to programs and interactive activities. Watch Video |
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COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM Total 2019 Contributions - $260,000 |
Union Rescue Mission Officially Opens
NATO of California/Nevada Kids Computer Lab
NATO of California/Nevada presented a check in the amount of $20,000.00 to the Union Rescue Mission in downtown Los Angeles at the June Association Membership Meeting. The funds were allocated for the outfitting of a computer lab at the mission solely for the use of the children who stay there. On any given night 100’s of homeless mothers with their children seek refuge at the Mission. Life goes on regardless of where you are housed, children have to keep up with their school work and unfortunately there was no designated area where the homeless children could find a quiet place or the necessary resources to do their homework assignments.
With the new Kids Computer Lab at the Mission, kids will have a designated place where they can spread out their books and work on school assignments. The lab is outfitted with nine computer work stations each with learning programs and research sources. In addition to the computer stations the room is also outfitted with desks and other resource materials. The Kids Computer Lab officially opened on Monday, November 5, 2018 and will be known as the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THEATRE OWNERS OF CALIFORNIA/NEVADA KIDS COMPUTER LAB.