Two charities are coming together to assist Los Angeles County’s senior community.

Mission to Assist and Provide for Seniors is a local nonprofit that does precisely that. The nonprofit, now with the help of the Leo Buscaglia Foundation, leverages countless small donations from residents to make an enormous positive impact in the lives of disadvantaged seniors.

MAPS’ Executive Director, Jeffrey Friedman, counts the iconic Leo Buscaglia as an inspiration and role model. He paraphrased Dr. Buscaglia, saying: “The opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s apathy. It’s not caring about the people who pass you on the street every day. Whether it’s a donation of $1, $10, or $1,000, the people of our community are choosing to care.”

MAPS Charities assists disadvantaged seniors in Los Angeles County with safety-net services including short-term funds for critical concerns. MAPS Charities was born in 2009 to address a gap in services that has left impoverished seniors almost completely overlooked throughout the vast region of Los Angeles.

Formed as a collaboration between two Los Angeles-area organizations that have served the elderly for decades, MAPS Charities today offers direct assistance to seniors in need by providing funds that allow them to stay in their homes, take care of their health, and enhance their quality of life.

Many people donate because they are touched by the plight of the elderly who live on a fixed income. Seniors are often left without items such as wheelchair ramps, working appliances, and prescription eyeglasses that could greatly improve their quality of life.

MAPS Charities, an all-volunteer organization, works with social workers and eldercare specialists to identify where need is greatest and maximize the effect of the small donations they receive by giving seniors the means to purchase these important items.

For more information about the Center, please visit http://www.mcgroartyartscenter.org/.