April is the national month of hope

Highlighting the hope spread by three charity partners

2025 April

April is not only the first full month of spring, it is also the national month of hope. April is a month that symbolizes renewal and new beginnings. The National Month of Hope stands as a testament to the enduring human spirit and the belief that, no matter what the circumstances, there is always a glimmer of hope that can guide us toward a brighter future.

Orange County and Los Angeles Trial Lawyers’ Charities partner with more than 220 local organizations to do just that: provide hope to thousands of people every day.

This month, we would like to focus on three groups that we both support: SoCal Trykers, U.S. Vets and Ronald McDonald House and how each of them provides hope to those they serve.

SOCAL TRYKERS (https://socaltrykers.wixsite.com/ambucs)

One of our most popular activities is the GREAT TRYKE GIVEAWAY. Every year, OCTLC and LATLC work with SoCal Trykers to provide up to 50 adaptive tricycles to children and young adults with diverse abilities. SoCal Trykers was founded in 2013 by a group of physical therapists and their families and friends. Their mission was simple... help as many children and adults as they could acquire these customized tricycles. LATLC was introduced to SoCal Trykers in 2016 and has been hosting Great Tryke Giveaways ever since. When OCTLC began in 2020, this was our first joint event. These tricycles give children hope in being able to play with siblings and friends – trading their wheelchairs for cool, new wheels!

U.S. VETS (https://usvets.org/)

U.S.Vets opened its first facility in Inglewood with only five clients in 1993 under founder Judge Harry Pregerson, a World War II veteran. The site welcomed veterans after a VA Medical Center survey found one in four patients had no place to live after discharge. Today, U.S. Vets provides transitional and permanent housing, a career development initiative that helps veterans return to employment, and other homeless prevention services for veterans and their families. Last year U.S. Vets expanded their Orange County programs. During our Great Tryke Giveaway every year, OCTLC and LATLC volunteers assemble 1,000 toiletry kits for U.S. Vets’ outreach program in Southern California, providing hope to those who have served our country. At the CAALA Convention in 2022, attendees wrote thank you notes at the OCTLC and LATLC booth to those who helped so much during the pandemic, including veterans, which we delivered to U.S. Vets. The group just announced that our organizations have been “an invaluable partner in the effort to end veteran homelessness…We’ve created the Inglewood Partnership Legacy Award, and you will be our very first recipients.”

RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE (https://rmhcsc.org/orangecounty and https://rmhcsc.org/losangeles)

Anyone who has ever waited for a loved one in the hospital can get a glimpse of what a family may be feeling when they have traveled miles from home to stand vigil for hours, days, weeks, and even months while their child receives treatment. Ronald McDonald Houses provide families a place to stay, comfort, community, and much needed hope during this difficult time. The first Ronald McDonald House to be built from the ground up (previous Houses had been renovated homes), opened next to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in 1980, tripling its size 14 years later. A unique feature of this House is the long-term housing wing that was designed to meet the special needs of bone-marrow transplant patients. Treatment for these patients requires an extensive hospital stay, anywhere from two to eight months, and the apartment-style wing provides an atmosphere that feels more like home. Last year, at the CAALA picnic, canned goods were collected to help fill their food pantry, and LATLC hosted a special Fourth of July BBQ for the families. This year we are planning a Father’s Day party.

Since 1989, Ronald McDonald House Orange County (RMHOC) has offered this much needed “home away from home” near Children’s Hospitals in Orange and in Mission. OCTLC is proud that Ronald McDonald House Orange County was one of our first partner charities.

Giving hope to those in our communities is something OCTLC and LATLC does every day – through our partner charities, our volunteer projects and direct giving. Thank you for being part of it.