We help youth find their voices
through arts mentoring and education.
Total Youth Served

Sharing Resources
In addition to producing different arts workshops, Create Now distributes free materials that reach the most disadvantaged kids in the region. Many families are suffering from Covid-19, plus lack of employment. Through the support of our partners and donors, we’ve been able to distribute food, toys, even a baby grand piano!
Right before Thanksgiving, Create Now was invited by Amazon to share meal kits related to Small Axe, an anthology series directed by Steve McQueen. 100 meals kits with all the ingredients needed to prepare West Indian food (plus a cooking demo) were given to families at Imperial Courts housing project in Watts, and teenagers who face homelessness at Angel’s Flight shelter near DTLA.
Marginalized children are currently frustrated, and struggling with remote learning due to poor Wi-Fi and other challenges. Their parents can’t afford to buy them toys, but thanks to Baby2Baby, 35 kids at Imperial Courts each got two big bags packed with expensive, customized gifts through their “Family2Family” program.
Kyrah Venegas and Alexis Aguilar raised $700 to buy toys and they wanted to give them to at-risk and high-risk children in their neighborhood. Create Now arranged for them to drop off the toys at the San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission for children whose families are facing homelessness.
With the support of the Love Button Global Movement, 50 children and teens living at Penny Lane’s facility Moonlight Villas in Pacoima received “Baskets of Gratitude” filled with toys, books and clothes. As you can see in this short video (Penny Lane Love Button) , the children were delighted with their holiday presents.
Everyone at Create Now was also thrilled when we received an offer from donor Daria Mashouf in Beverly Hills who wanted to contribute a Yamaha baby grand piano. We eagerly accepted his contribution, and shared this fantastic resource with all of our partner agencies through an email blast. There were many requests for this valuable prize. The winner, SoCal Youth & Family Services in Buena Park, was selected on a first-come-first-served basis. This clinic provides mental health assistance to children and teens with social struggles, defiant behavior and poor motivation.
Our goal was to find a volunteer who could provide the youngsters at SoCal Youth & Family Services with a series of basic piano lessons that could be taught remotely. Coincidentally, Create Now received a call from Gabe Aronson, a professional pianist who performs in Broadway musicals. We’re organizing a Piano Workshop for many of these kids. The clinic also snagged a big trampoline from a different donor. The youth are having fun while safely getting exercise during Covid-19.
If you have any materials, instruments or equipment that you or your company would like to pass along to those in need, send an email to: info@createnow.org with a description of your donation and your location. We will do our best to find those who will benefit the most from your contribution. Since Create Now is a 501c3 nonprofit organization, you’ll receive a tax deduction, and the knowledge that you’re making a difference in the community.
Founded in 1996, Create Now serves children from infancy to 24 through arts programs in many disciplines.
We focus our efforts on kids who have been abused, neglected, orphaned, made homeless, incarcerated or experiencing other severe challenges – the “forgotten children.”
We have reached more than 42,000 of the most vulnerable youth in Southern California over the last 21 years.
Arts Programs
Create Now’s programming focuses on eight main areas

Visual Arts

Music

Literary Arts

Digital Media

Performing Arts

Fashion Design

Cultural Journeys

Culinary Arts
Videos
About Create Now
Writing Program for Children at Vaughn
Video produced by foster youth
Ready to Learn at Urban Compass
Highlighted Programs

Sharing Resources
In addition to producing different arts workshops, Create Now distributes free materials that reach the most disadvantaged kids in the region. Many families are suffering from Covid-19, plus lack of employment. Through the support of our partners and donors, we’ve...

Meet Brian Yanish
Create Now is lucky to have Brian Yanish join us for our "Sip and Paint" benefit on February 6th at 5:00pm PST! He'll be teaching kids (and grownups) how to make fun puppets out of boxes and arts supplies that Create Now will provide. Brian has worked with children...

Halloween Happiness
Unfortunately, this year kids aren't able to go trick-or-treating for Halloween. Luckily, disadvantaged children and teenagers living at the Imperial Courts housing project in Watts are still able to enjoy Halloween thanks to students and families at the...

October Treats
Since May, Create Now has been providing fun arts classes to youth living at foster group homes, shelters, transitional-living facilities and housing projects throughout the region. Many of these children are forced to deal with the impact of trauma from abuse,...

Guitar Classes for Youth-in Need
Accomplished musician Charles Rojas recently volunteered to teach a guitar workshop at A Community of Friends, which houses low-income and homeless residents with the goal of healing those with mental and physical illnesses. As is typical, one teenager started guitar...

Creative Writing Heals Moms
Located in Hollywood, Aviva Center’s Wallis House is a residence for up to 42 transitional-aged women (18-24 years-old) and their children who are experiencing homelessness. Most of these young ladies have aged out of the foster care system. From July 9-September 2,...

Mentoring Through the Arts
Ricardo Ortega and his siblings were separated in foster care for over four years. During November 2015, he was living at a group home for teenage foster boys. Ricardo attended a Create Now event called "Only in Hollywood" held at LA Film School. There he met our...

Why I Founded Create Now
My career was in the entertainment industry for many years as a script supervisor. I led an exciting life, traveling all over the world on film productions with A-list talent. In 1991, I worked on two films that changed my life. Menace II Society was about Black Lives...

Brenijia’s On the Rise
Brenijia Barnes lives at the Imperial Courts housing project in Watts, CA. As a 17 year-old high school senior, she can add grantee to her growing list of accomplishments. When Brenijia was 12, we began connecting her with arts programming and cultural events...

Summer Arts Camp
Thanks to support from the St. Francis Center food pantry, Create Now provided 20 disadvantaged children who live in our DTLA neighborhood with a four-day Summer Arts Camp for the fifth year. Brian Yanish taught fun arts and crafts projects made from repurposed...