DC Entertainment has announced the second phase of their charity initiative "We Can Be Heroes." Julian Omidi discusses what this initiative has done in the last year and what it looks to accomplish in the coming year.

Roughly a year ago DC Entertainment and Warner Brothers started their We Can Be Heroes campaign in order to help the people in the Horn of Africa to provide clean water, healthcare, and food. Since then the campaign has helped to raise more than $2 million dollars to support organizations Mercy Corps, International Rescue Committee, and Save the Children.

Their new initiative utilizes popular crowdfunding platform Indiegogo in order to raise funds, with a variety of rewards offered to fans for participating at various levels of giving. [1]

The initiative will be rolled out in four phases which will be themed around DC's most popular individual characters (Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman) as well as the superhero team the Justice League.

The current campaign is focused around Batman and will attempt to raise a minimum of $50,000 before May 17. Rewards are provided at various levels of giving include:

• 5 Batman Comic Downloads for $10
• A signed copy of Arkham City for XBOX 360 at $100
• Have yourself drawn into Batman: Earth One Vol. 2 by artist Gary Frank at $5,000

This is a great way to help support the impoverished in Africa. Join the fight at DC Entertainment We Can Be Heroes Indiegogo Page.

By Julian Omidi

[1] Hudson, Laura. "DC Entertainment Launches ‘We Can Be Heroes’ Charity Fundraiser on Indiegogo." Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, 31 Mar. 2013. <http://www.wired.com/underwire/2013/04/dc-comics-charity-indiegogo/>.

March 22, 2013 is World Water Day. Julian Omidi discusses the awareness that is provided through the day and what cooperation can do to help provide water to those in need.

The Unied Nations is using World Water Day 2013 to highlight water cooperation. With water being one of the most basic and essential human needs, access for all of the people of the world to clean water is crucial in helping to eliminate poverty and improve health.

Lack of access to water can be an issue that directly correlates to poverty, but it can also be a purely geographic issue with uneven distribution of clean, fresh water through various areas of the world, making cooperation across countries imperative.

Not only is the increased demand for fresh water (more than 7 billion people globally require clean and fresh water), but in many nations political and social unrest can also affect water access. Climate change to is also having an affect on the supply of clean water around the world and all of these factors contribute to the 783 million individuals that lack access to safe water. Not only are there three-quarters of a billion people who lack a basic human need, but roughly 2.59 billion people (37% of the world's population) have no access to sanitation, resulting in disease and death for many in developing nations.

Other problems directly related to water include:

• Women and children spend 40 billion hours each year collecting water. Imagine what these women and children could accomplish in their lives if these hours could be spent in school or as part of the workforce.[1]
• Scarcity of water contributes to major food shortages.
  
• Water-related illnesses, specifically diarrhea, accounts for 3,000 deaths every day in children under the age of 5. In 2002 the United States saw roughly 1,500 deaths as a result of diarrhea, while in India the same year roughly 456,400 diarrheal deaths occurred, a huge discrepancy. [2]
  

There are several charities that work to provide assistance in the provision of clean water including:

• Charity: water
• Water.org
• UNICEF
  

To learn more about World Water Day 2013 and the goal to encourage water cooperation, view the message from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon below.

By Julian Omidi

[1] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/22/world-water-day-2013-facts_n_2927389.html?utm_hp_ref=impact
[2] http://rankingamerica.wordpress.com/2009/03/24/the-us-ranks-72nd-in-death-by-diarrhea/

The Los Angeles Marathon provides people and organizations with opportunities to raise funds and awareness for charity. Julian Omidi looks at the novel approaches being implemented in the LA Marathon for charity. 

The 2013 LA Marathon will be held Sunday, March 17th and not only will individuals be racing the 26.2 miles for personal achievement, many will be racing for philanthropic purposes as well. 

In February, Jennifer Jimenez noticed a message on the Facebook page of Team Spina Bifida asking for help to find more participants to race and help raise funds. This message inspired Jennifer and her husband Jesse of Stockton, California to participate in the race with their children Enrique and Jiya, both born with spina bifida. Despite this being their very first marathon, and signing up with less than two months to train, the family set out to raise $3,000. With almost a week left until the race the family has already achieved their goal and raised $3,165 for spina bifida. 

Team ARC will also be participating again this year in the LA Marathon in order to raise funds for their programs. Team ARC partners with individuals to run or walk in events to raise money for people with developmental disabilities. Those with disabilities also participate in the events as active members in order to promote awareness of the issues. In 2012 Team ARC had four athletes with developmental disabilities complete the LA Marathon, and this include the first two women with Down syndrome to complete the marathon. You can still help Team ARC raise money in the event before the race takes place and learn more about their programs at their website. 

According to the Asics LA Marathon website, less than 250 slots are open for the event. Luckily, whether you participate in the event or not, you can still help noble charities raise funds and build awareness. 

By Julian Omidi

Homelessness runs rampant through the streets of Los Angeles, which is why Julian Omidi feels it is important to combat it. Julian Omidi is sponsoring an annual event that works to provide a local non-profit with the fundraising that they need to combat this problem properly. 

Unfortunately, Los Angeles has been given the title of "homeless capital of America" as our city is the city that the most homeless people in the United States call home. Here are some statistics regarding the homeless population in LA:

• While 40 is the average age of homeless men and women in Los Angeles, there are many young children that are experience homelessness as part of a family or as individuals. 
  
• As many as 20% of the homeless are physically disabled and as many as 25% are mentally ill. 
  
• Graduation rates from high school and college are higher than the overall population's graduation rate: 48% graduated from high school, while 32% had a bachelor degree or more (compared to 45% and 25% respectively).

"An estimated 254,000 men, women, and children experience homelessness in Los Angeles County during some part of the year and approximately 82,000 people are homeless on any given night."

Sometimes it takes a bit of spectacle to grab the attention of people in the city of Los Angeles and that is why Upward Bound House, a non-profit organization that provides assistance to families and individuals that are experiencing homelessness, will be holding it's annual Welcome Home Celebration on October 9, 2012. This event will feature a silent auction, a dinner prepared by Wolfgang Puck, live entertainment, and more in order to raise money for the organization. The Omidi Brothers - my brother Michael Omidi and I - are proud to sponsor the Upward Bound House's Annual Welcome Home Celebration. 

If you live in the Los Angeles Area and would like to attend the event you can purchase tickets by clicking here. However you choose to get involved with combating homelessness in Los Angeles we, the Omidi Brothers, hope that you will especially by helping Upward Bound House. 


Source: 
Roberts, Joel John. ""I Love L.A." Means Ending Homelessness in L.A." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 24 Aug. 2012. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joel-john-roberts/ending-homelessness-los-angeles_b_1818446.html>

Statistics:
http://www.laalmanac.com/social/so14.htm

Hi Everyone,

Julian Omidi here, just stopping by to update you on what Dr. Omidi and I have been up to with our organization, No More Poverty. As many of you know, my brother, Dr. Omidi, and I created No More Poverty in order to help other organizations end poverty through a variety of different outreach efforts. Well, recently, we discovered another organization that we just had to place our support behind. Based in Los Angeles, Foundation for Second Chances is a very effective community based organization that offers mentoring programs, tutoring, after school activities and literacy support to scores of young people who are living in underserved communities throughout the city.

It excites us to hear about students who were once failing in school, but who are now achieving A and B averages thanks to the programs offered through Foundation for Second Chances. Once we learned about what the organization has been able to accomplish with the help of more than 300 volunteers, we wanted No More Poverty to immediately offer support. Despite being on a tight budget, Foundation for Second Chances works very hard to bring programs to about 150 inner-city youth in Los Angeles each and every day. Going above and beyond the pale, they also provide solid mentoring relationships to the children they serve. When Dr. Michael Omidi and I formed No More Poverty, helping community based organizations like Foundation for Second Chances was exactly what we had in mind.

Now, I’m not just telling you about this organization because No More Poverty supports it. I’m not even taking the time to write to you about it simply because they are doing such an awesome job in providing outreach assistance to so many bright and talented young people. While these are certainly topics I can spend a lot of time expounding on, my real purpose in taking the time to write to you today is to ask you to help Foundation for Second Chances, too.

There are a number of ways that you can help Foundation for Second Chances continue to make a positive impact in Los Angeles. To begin with, your financial contributions are always appreciated. Second Chances uses monies donated to them to purchase books and other school supplies, as well as to help fund their after school and tutoring programs. They even help children access regular medical check-ups and health screenings.

You may also help Foundation for Second Chances by volunteering your time. Whether you volunteer as a mentor, a tutor or you volunteer to help organize a special event, your hands-on assistance is always welcome. Most of the services that Foundation for Second Chances provides to Los Angeles youngsters are made possible by committed volunteers who recognize a need and are willing to stand with a legion of other volunteers in helping improve the lives of the 1500 or so young people and their families who are currently being served by the organization.

Michael Omidi and I also hope that you’ll help spread the word about the good work that Foundation for Second Chances is doing in Los Angeles. You can do this by telling everyone that you know about how No More Poverty is supporting the organization and why Dr. Omidi and I decided that NMP should do so. We also hope that you’ll tune into the NMP Facebook page to learn more about No More Poverty, Foundation for Second Chances and all of the other organizations that Dr. Michael Omidi, M.D. and I hope that you’ll support.

Thanks for stopping by and please remember to bookmark and return often for future updates about No More Poverty and the progress we are making in our goal of ending poverty wherever it exists.

-Julian Omidi

Julian Omidi formed No More Poverty in order to not only help those around the world but also those at home in Los Angeles. Julian Omidi is fulfilling his desire to help children suffering in the greater Los Angeles area by providing support to organizations like Children's Lifesaving Foundation. 

When my brother Michael Omidi and I began our non-profit organization our goal was to aid those suffering from poverty around the world, a goal that we continue to strive for through support of various charities like Drop in the Bucket and Simone's Kids. We also believed fully that helping children suffering in the Los Angeles area, a city that we call home, was imperative to our cause. This is why we have provided assistance to charities such as A Place Called Home and Under the Bridges & On the Streets. 

We are excited to announce that we are now providing support to another charity based in Los Angeles that helps the impoverished; whether that be at-risk youth or low-income and homeless families called the Children's Lifesaving Foundation. 

Children's Lifesaving Foundation has served over 50,000 children and thousands of additional families in Los Angeles through its many multifaceted programs. some of these programs include:

• Adopt-A-Family - This program helps to move homeless families out of shelters and into new homes in order to provide them with stability. These families become permanent members of their foundation family. 
  
• Kids Helping Kids - This program is aimed at children aiding other school-aged kids in getting the school supplies, books, and backpacks they need to succeed and excel in school. 
  

Other programs include their Camp4All and Project Angel Wings programs. 

Please get involved with this organization today so that families suffering in the Los Angeles can find some relief and help. 

No More Poverty is a non-profit organization founded by my brother Michael Omidi and I, Julian Omidi. We know that poverty does not afflict people in any one way and that it can affect people in facets ranging from homelessness to lack of education to hunger and lack of heatlhcare. 

We have supported a variety of charities from those that aid children in Uganda to those that fund sports programs for inner city children. We are proud to announce that we are now a supporter of Create Now, which mentors children in Southern California in the creative arts. 

Create now is a program that serves vulnerable kids and young adults from age 2 to 25. These individuals have been orphaned, left homeless, abandoned and neglected, have become teen parents or runaways, developed substance abuse and dependence, become gang members or been incarcerated to name but a few of the problems these youth have been affected by. 

Create Now then matches these children and young adults with a mentor that can teach them how to create through music, theater, and art. These kids are then provided with the opportunity to show and perform their works to the public. 

This is such a great cause, as the arts have been proven to be a great creative outlet for anyone, especially those who have gone through traumatic events in their lives.
At No More Poverty we encourage you to get involved and support this noble charity. Visit our Facebook page to get the latest updates and get involved with charities like Create Now. 

Omidi Brothers Michael and Julian Omidi support the efforts of A Place Called Home. Omidi Brothers Julian and Michael Omidi formed the not-for-profit organization No More Poverty to aid those suffering from poverty around the world and at home and through A Place Called Home they can aid those living in South Central Los Angeles. 

South Central Los Angeles has unfortunately become synonymous with urban decay due to its depiction in films such as John Singleton's Boyz n the Hood and Menace II Society as well as picture painted by N.W.A.'s famous album Straight Outta Compton. As a result of the decline of manufacturing in the area beginning in the 1970's the area saw a precipitous decline into street gangs and street crime, poverty, drugs, and riots. 

But many good and hardworking people reside in South Central Los Angeles, people that struggle to keep their children out of gangs and in school with very few resources at their disposal to ensure that their children find opportunity and, most importantly, safety. 

A Place Called Home is an organization in South Central Los Angeles that aids underserved youth and families by providing a safe haven for support, inspiration, and opportunity so that these youth can take charge of the direction and quality of their lives. 

A Place Called Home provides:

• Educational Services
• Health, Nutrition, and Well-Being Services
• Community and Volunteer Initiatives
• Recreation and Athletics Programs
• Programs for Creative Expression in Music, Dance, and Fine Arts
• And More

The not-for-profit organization I founded with my brother Dr. Michael Omidi, is aimed at providing those caught up in the cycle of poverty to find solutions and A Place Called Home provides solutions for the impoverished in South Central Los Angeles. APCH is fighting to decrease the amount of violent and gang-related activities, increase the number of high school graduates in the area, and provide an increased awareness of health issues as a few of their many goals they look to achieve over the next 5 years. 

You can help A Place Called Home in their efforts by visiting their website today.
You can learn more about other like-minded charities that we support in the fight against poverty by visiting No More Poverty today.