Emily Lerman

Photo by mil8 via Flickr If the warm fuzzy feeling of buying a child in need a toy is not enough, some local bars are giving you more reasons to buy toys and donate canned goods this holiday season. DRINK LIBERALLY ON THE WESTSIDE Tonight, join liberal Westsiders for the Drinking Liberally holiday party at Nocturnal Bar. Venice For Obama has teamed up with Drinking Liberally and they will be collecting food for the Westside...

Photo by ~db~ via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr. The loss of 1.25 million jobs (yeah, 1,250,000!) in the last three months clearly has an impact on the demand (and need) for social services. On the flip side, the not-for-profits are struggling as they face budget cuts and sharp declines in donations. An increase in demand coupled with a decrease in supply...not too encouraging, especially around the holidays. Sunday's LA Time's included a...

A few weeks ago, TOMS Shoes invited LA bloggers to check out their pop-up store on Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Due to their overwhelming success, the store, which was only supposed to stay until September, will continue to occupy the space until January. TOMS sells (and gives away) shoes all over the world, however this is their first and only store. This holiday season they aim to give away 30,000 pairs of shoes to children in...

Downtown celebrates the holidays this Saturday, when 4th and Main will close down to cars so people can party it up in the streets at the first annual Old Bank District Block Party. blogdowntown says: The 6pm to midnight event will close off two blocks and feature two stages of music, an art bazaar and charity booths....Pete's Cafe, Warung Cafe and Rocket Pizza will be offering special holiday menus, with ten percent of the...

What happens when you take a girl living in poverty and give her a uniform to attend school? Set to excellent music, this video offers a beautiful and moving look at the girl effect - the impact of investing in the education and empowerment of girls and the potential change this can bring about in society....

Tom's Shoes donates one pair of shoes to a needy child for each pair purchased. Photo by Emily Lerman/LAist Waking up early for Black Friday's "doorbusters" sounds like the anti-fun. So here are some of LAist's Holiday Picks for the philanthropist in you, none of which involve any malls, massive stores or long lines. All of these gifts have a charitable element to them, benefiting mostly local or national organizations so you're really giving two...

Photo by TomorrowGirl via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr SERVE DINNER IN THE PARK Every year, on Thanksgiving Day, the Union Station Homeless Services sponsors Thanksgiving Dinner-in-the-Park held in Pasadena's Central Park. How you can help: -Volunteer at the event (Thanksgiving Day; especially needed between 1pm and 4pm). -Volunteer the day before the event. -Donate prepared food; items needed (pdf). Call 626.240.4550 x542 or email for more details; families and children welcome. GOBBLE GOBBLE GIVE...

GOOD Sheet Image used with permission from GOOD Magazine | See larger and readable image here A NIGHT FOR HOPE Tonight, Our House hosts "A Night for Hope", their first annual fundraiser at Bodega Wine Bar in Santa Monica. Our House offers nonsectarian grief support for children, teens and adults. They seek to provide the community "with grief support services, education, resources, and hope." Throughout LA County, trained volunteers lead age- and relationship-specific grief support...

Photo by Sundogg via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr TAKE A WALK It was a historic night indeed; Americans joined together to demand change and Obama eloquently answered, reminding us that this victory is thanks to commitment and dedication on the part of the American people. While the election is over, the momentum must continue; we must continue to work together to truly bring change to our lives, our city and its people....

Sunday is the last day to catch Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) refugee camp at the Santa Monica Pier. The exhibit, which began last week in Griffith Park, provides visitors with an in-depth perspective into how a refugee camp operates. Aid workers lead small groups around the "camp" and recount their own experiences in the field as they explain what MSF does to provide mental and physical services to the 42 million people around...