Need knows no bounds. A helping hand can change the life of someone at any age from any background who is experiencing any variety of personal hardship. This can range from soldiers who’ve returned home to face mental and emotional struggles to children and teens struggling to get ahead and even women who’ve battled homelessness and pregnant women facing the same challenges. There’s no safety net that can save everyone so it’s up to those in a position to help to find a way to improve outcomes. This has been the mission of Elan Shukartsi and the organizations he has provided assistance to can point to many examples of where his help provided for additional resources. We’ll spotlight some of those organizations that Elan Shukartsi, president of Olive Branch Properties and founder of the Moe Life Foundation, has helped and highlight how his contributions were put to use.
Save A Warrior: Founded in 2012, Save A Warrior is an organization that aims to address post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) through its “war detox” program. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs describes PTSD as a condition affecting someone who has gone through a traumatic event “like combat, assault, or disaster.” According to statistics noted on EverydayHealth.com, upwards of 30 percent of Vietnam War veterans have reported having PTSD. Between 11 and 20 percent of those who returned from the Gulf War and operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom also reported having PTSD. It’s these statistics that encouraged Mr. Shukartsi to sponsor two participants to go through Save A Warrior’s program in 2018.
A Place Called Home: This Los Angeles, California-based group gives children and teens the creative outlets, educational opportunities, counseling and community contacted needed to help shape lives. A Place Called Home (APCH) “provides individualized attention to every member of our community, through which youth discover their interests, their talents — and their capabilities.” APCH specializes in helping those between the ages of 8 and 21 and uses five core programs to measure progress. On a daily basis, for example, 115 APCH members will participate in recording sessions. This is important to Mr. Shukartsi, as he helped create a recording studio here.
Downtown Women’s Center: The Los Angeles County Homelessness Initiative reports that less than 500 of the nearly 6,000 once-homeless people they’ve given shelter to have gone back to being without a home in the following six months. That’s the type of progress the Downtown Women’s Shelter likes to see and since it works toward similar goals, it’s safe to say that a rising tide will eventually lift all boats. Part of the group’s health and wellness objective is to provide a “safe place to rest and socialize with other women.” Elan Shukartsi would help further this mission through contributions that helped create an arts program.
Harvest Home: On an annual basis, the Los Angeles County Health Department has found that 8,000 women are homeless during a portion of their pregnancy. Making matters worse, according to Harvest Home, is the fact that there are just 70 shelter beds in Los Angeles. Since Harvest Home provides 10 of those beds, outcomes are being improved. The organization further believes that “specialized interventions designed to increase mother and baby’s physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being” is what can help turn lives around. Mr. Shukartsi, recognizing the important work that Harvest Home does, sponsored the group’s food budget for a year.