Born from a refusal to look away.
On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear reactor exploded in northern Ukraine. The world watched as radiation drifted across cities and farmland — and as a generation of children inherited illnesses they did not cause.
In 1991, a small group of volunteers in Los Angeles came together with a single, stubborn idea: send help. They incorporated as To Help The Children, a 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation headquartered in Calabasas, and began packing ocean containers — medicine, clothes, toys — bound for the kids who needed them most.
For the past 25 years, our work has grown well beyond Ukraine. We partner with community organizations across Los Angeles — and with trusted collaborators in Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Massachusetts and Ohio — to provide furniture, clothing, toys, food and medical supplies to local families in need.
The mission is the same one that started us: promote the welfare of children — at home and abroad — including children with physical disabilities and life-threatening illnesses.
Where we work
- • Ukraine — medical containers since 1991
- • Los Angeles, California
- • Georgia
- • Tennessee
- • Louisiana
- • Massachusetts
- • Ohio
What we believe
Every child deserves medicine when they're sick, a warm coat in winter, and a toy to hold at night. The geography of birth should never decide whether a kid receives those things.
Where we are
We're headquartered in Calabasas, California, and we're volunteer-driven and donor-funded — which means nearly every dollar you give translates directly into supplies in the hands of a child. Reach us at (818) 706-9848.