Mission: The Watts Bears use sports and mentoring as a vehicle to introduce and reinforce the concept of strong character, positive values, personal responsibility and academic excellence. LAPD coaches stress structure, discipline, team spirit, friendship, and positive competition.

The Los Angeles Police Department’s Community Safety Partnership has partnered with the Housing Authority to field a team of boys and girls from the Nickerson Gardens, Imperial Courts, and Jordan Downs Public Housing Developments.

Year Founded:  2011

Principals: Officers Swift, Goosby, Thompson and Holliman

Location: Watts, CA

Number of Kids Served: 100

Silver Bullet Grant:  Football Equipment

Charity Group Comments:  “We are so fortunate to be able to be supported by the Water Buffalo Club.  Thank you for your generosity and dedication to helping our kids. It’s important that they meet and spend time with business men; by showing up and caring you expose them to what’s possible, expanding their world beyond their neighborhoods.  Thank you, WBC!”  Coach Z

Mission: To improve the quality of life of the children of the San Fernando Valley and to provide enrichment for its senior citizens.

Year Founded: 1952

Principals: Robin Warren Siegel, Executive Director

Location: San Fernando Valley

Number of Kids Served: Thousands of K-12 grade students annually

Silver Bullet Grant: School uniforms

Charity Group Comments: “We appreciate the Water Buffalo Club’s support. The WBC showed up when we thought we were going to have to close our doors. We are grateful for the ongoing support and encouragement we received from the WBC and it’s members.” Robin Warren Siegel, Executive Director

Mission: Our ultimate goal is a community without crime, where children have equal access to opportunity, and where peace officers help drive the community’s vitality. Through a partnership between community and law enforcement, PAL’s mission is to nurture young people to become responsible, productive, and law abiding citizens by offering character-building, educational, sports, and life-enhancing programs.

Year Founded: 2014

Principals: LAPD Officers Johanna Lopez, Kenneth Johnson and Juan Estrada

Location: Canoga Park

Number of Kids Served: 465

Silver Bullet Grant:  Equipment and supplies to start Topanga PAL’s wrestling program

Charity Group Comments: “LAPD Topanga PAL Wrestling program started in November of 2014 with 12 kids, four months later it grew to 27 kids and is continuously growing. Wrestling builds character that contributes to ones ability to become a responsible member of society.  Thank you, Water Buffalo Club, for helping us to bring wrestling to our kids!”  Juan Estrada, LAPD Officer/Wrestling Coach

Mission: Our mission is simple, to close the achievement gap. Through our variety of events, programs, and partnerships, TBF finds effective ways to more deeply engage children to spark an interest in reading and provide a meaningful way for volunteers to participate in making a difference.

Year Founded:

Principals:  Ruth Stalford, Executive Director

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Number of Kids Served:  2,500+

Silver Bullet Grant:  Books and Backpacks

Charity Group Comments:  “Thank you WBC!  You helped to bring joy to over 2000 Foster Kids and their Moms.  For many of these children it was the first time they had a new backpack filled with books.” Ruth Stalford

Mission: After School Sports Program to develop underserved youth

Year Founded: 2005

Principals: Keith and Karen Johnson, Directors and Founders

Location: Watts (South Central Los Angeles)

Number of Kids Served: 2,000 annually, feed 1,500 children per day

Silver Bullet Grant: Custom Crafted Mobile Food Preparation Trailer and Homework Trailer in 2010

Charity Group Comments: “This food trailer helps us feed 1500 nutritious meals per day to the children of Nickerson Gardens, Jordan Downs, Imperial Courts, and the other housing developments in Watts. We thank the Water Buffalo Club for your continued generosity and support. You are truly Big Kids Helping Little Kids.  God Bless you.”  Keith Johnson, Founder/ED

Mission: Rainbow Pack is dedicated to providing elementary school students with the supplies they need to be successful learners regardless of economic circumstance. Rainbow Pack exists to inspire and implement solutions to the educational crisis.

Year Founded: 2012

Principals: Riley Gantt, Founder

Location: Pacoima and South Los Angeles

Number of Kids Served: 10,000 students in 2017

Silver Bullet Grant: Backpacks with school supplies

Charity Group Comments: “Getting an education is the way young people are going to be able to not only change their lives, but their family’s lives as well. If they can get out of that cycle of poverty, they can go on to high school and college, and it will make a big difference in their lives. Being able to provide students with school supplies, can make all the difference and I’m committed to providing this type of support to children in need.” Riley Gantt, Founder

Mission: The mission of the 77th Street Police Activities League (PAL) is to unite Police Officers and local youth in the community to engage in programs supported by Parks & Rec. Doing so, helps prevent juvenile crime and reduces violence in young people, giving them skills to excel as positive citizens.

Year Founded: 2003

Principals: Officer Joseph Marrone, LAPD 77th

Location: South Los Angeles

Number of Kids Served: 400 kids annually

Silver Bullet Grant: 15 Passenger Van

Charity Group Comments: “Words cannot express how happy we are to have earned your support! We are still in shock! This is going to help us to get even more kids involved with our programs. We appreciate the Water Buffalo Club so much and look forward to partnering with you. Thank you!” Officer Joseph Marrone

Mission: Las Fotos Project, a project is a non-profit, community-based photography program whose mission is to bring about positive change for teenage girls facing adversity. Through one-on-one mentoring, photography trainings, and assigned field projects, Las Fotos Project provides a creative outlet for students, encouraging them to express their artistic talents and explore their imagination, while building self-confidence.

Year Founded: 2010

Principals: Eric Ibarra, Founder

Location: East Los Angeles, studio in Lincoln Heights

Number of Kids Served: 150 per semester

Silver Bullet Grant: Equipment for a Dark Room

Charity Group Comments: “I founded Las Fotos after seeing a need for teenage girls throughout Los Angeles to have a skill that could help build their confidence and self-esteem. Las Fotos Project works with girls throughout Southern California, and has developed partnership with national and international nonprofit organizations and schools to expand the movement of inspiring teenage girls through photography and self-expression. Our current focus is on the Central, South, and East Los Angeles regions of Los Angeles. We are grateful for partnerships like the one we have with the Water Buffalo Club.” Eric Ibarra, Founder

Mission: The Daniel Hernandez Youth Foundation’s mission is to engage youth with an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of fishing, with an emphasis on good sportsmanship, environmental awareness, marine sciences, safety and fun. The Daniel Hernandez Youth Foundation’s vision is to help build healthy families and stronger communities by involving them in outdoor activities.

Year Founded: 2001

Principals: Dan Hernandez, Founder

Location: Los Angeles County

Number of Kids Served: 5,000 kids annually

Silver Bullet Grant: Fishing Equipment

Charity Group Comments: “The support that you’ve given our Foundation has had a huge impact, not only on the children who attend our events, but their families. Our events continue to grow, having additional rods and reels will help us to better serve our kids! Thank you, WBC, for all that you do and for helping us to introduce the sport of fishing to kids, many of whom, have never been to a lake or seen the ocean before attending one of our events!” Dan Hernandez, Founder

Mission: Crossroads was established by community members and officers in the Los Angeles School Police Department (LASPD) to provide at-risk and disadvantaged youth, who otherwise would not be able to afford the costs of joining a sports team, a chance to learn how to wrestle, free of charge. Crossroads is a non-profit organization established to mentor, counsel, and train disadvantaged at-risk youth.

Year Founded: 2011

Principals: John Paez, Founder and Officer Jessy Arana

Location: San Fernando, Pacoima, Sylmar, Sun Valley, Arleta and Panorama City

Number of Kids Served: 120 annually

Silver Bullet Grant: Wrestling Mat and Wrestling Equipment

Charity Group Comments: ““As the founder of Crossroads and an avid supporter of at-risk youth, I understand the importance of installing pride, dignity, and integrity in our youth. For the last 21 years, I have personally witnessed that sports can bring change in the lives of teenagers and young children. I can speak from experience, as I was born and raised in the city of Pacoima, CA and was labeled an “at-risk youth” myself.” John Paez