Hidden Gems: Meet Didi Fleisher, Anne McGregor, Annie O’Rourke of Kids Helping LA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Didi Fleisher, Anne McGregor, Annie O’Rourke.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
We believe that community service isn’t just about the work—it’s about showing kids they have the power to make a real difference in their community. As three Los Angeles moms with long careers in the non-profit and community engagement sectors, we’ve always prioritized bringing our children along to volunteer. Through those experiences, we realized there was a need for more accessible, family-oriented service opportunities. That is where Kids Helping America was born and we launched Kids Helping LA as the first chapter.

In a time when so much feels out of control, we are trying to give young Angelenos a sense of agency—the chance to work on projects where they can actually see the impact of their hands on their community. We also have connected with schools and parents who have said they would like to volunteer more but don’t know where to look, run into age restrictions or have trouble finding opportunities that fit into their schedules.

Since launching in April 2025, the response from the L.A. community has been incredible. To date, we have organized over 30 events, including serving meals to our unhoused neighbors, restoring local ecosystems in Griffith Park, and beach cleanups. Most recently, our volunteers removed over 500lbs of trash during a neighborhood cleanup in Hollywood. We have connected with and worked with fantastic organizations in our city and we are proud to be building a vibrant community of young volunteers dedicated to a better Los Angeles.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We are a real grassroots organization and with that we talk a lot about being open to pivoting and trying new things to see what works or what doesn’t work. If something doesn’t work, we try to look at it not as a failure but what we can learn from it. Finding sustainable funding has been a challenge for us. We have had some success with individual donors and local government grants, yet we’re continuing to look at more options to help us cover operating costs so we can continue to grow and offer more volunteering opportunities to young Angelenos and their families. We’re here for the bumps in the road and whenever we hear from a young volunteer about how much fun they had or they couldn’t believe in just a few hours how much garbage a small group of people cleaned up off their streets, that is what fuels us. Plus we’re the proud owners of many buckets and garbage pickers, which we have carried around to many cleanups throughout the city!

As you know, we’re big fans of Kids Helping LA. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Kids Helping LA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to prove that you are never too young to make a difference. We founded this organization to bridge a gap we experienced firsthand as parents, it can be surprisingly difficult to find volunteer opportunities designed specifically for families and young children.
We serve as the vital link between eager young volunteers and the local causes that need them. What truly sets us apart is our “full-service” approach to youth service. We don’t just coordinate projects; we curate them. From providing kid-sized gloves and grabbers to ensuring there are snacks and onsite support, we handle the logistics so that volunteering is accessible, impactful, and—crucially—fun for the next generation.

In our inaugural year, our reach has spanned the breadth of the city’s needs. We’ve organized beach cleanups, hosted food drives, served our unhoused neighbors, and supported animal welfare. During a recent cleanup in Hollywood, a team of 60 volunteers removed 500 lbs of garbage in just two hours. For the kids involved, it wasn’t just about the labor; it was the “aha” moment of seeing their collective power transform a city street in real-time.

We believe that early civic engagement is the key to building a stronger Los Angeles and future volunteers and leaders. By offering a diverse range of projects—from environmental restoration to hunger relief—we allow kids to explore their passions while learning that their contribution matters.

There is a unique sense of pride that shines on a young person’s face after they’ve helped prepare 200 sandwiches for an outreach team or cleared a local park of debris. That joy is what drives us. At Kids Helping LA, we are more than just a volunteer network; we are a training ground for the future leaders of our community, showing them that when we come together, we can leave our world better than we found it.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
If you’d like to volunteer with us please sign up for our newsletter or reach out if you’d like to partner with us! Visit Kidsha.org

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kidsha.org/
• Instagram: @khlavolunteer