REMY GREENO

Teenangels LA is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit, charitable foundation founded by Remy Greeno during her sophomore year in high school. Her foundation raises money for charities serving underprivileged children, focusing on those charities that are most in need of funds, through which the foundation’s contributions can make the most impact.

When Remy was 15 years old, and researching volunteer opportunities, she envisioned a foundation that would empower teenagers to interaction on all levels of fundraising, including the formation of a foundation, the planning and organizing of fundraisers, and the donation of funds to charities serving underprivileged children.

In December 2004, Remy applied to the Public Counsel Law Center for assistance in forming a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization and was successful in obtaining legal representation through the Public Counsel’s Community Development Project. Three month later, Teenangels LA was up and running as in independent nonprofit entity. She also applied for approval as a student-initiated organization at her high school, Harvard-Westlake, so that students would be eligible to earn community service hours when participating in any aspect of the fundraising.

Remy held her first fundraiser in April 2004, a Yu Gi Oh! Tournament, at the home of Denzel Washington. The fundraiser was a great success, and she donated the proceeds ($865) to Hope Village, an orphanage in Meridian, Mississippi.

Remy’s second fundraiser – a talent competition – was much more ambitious. Held in January 2005, it was a smash hit and was completely sold out. She produced the talent competition and recruited celebrity judges such as Jason Alexander, Seth Green, Alfre Woodward and Jason Ritter. She set up a website to sell tickets, held contestant auditions, had a marketing campaign with newspaper advertisements, flyers, posters and made announcements to several surrounding schools. She received prize donations from Alan Horn, President of Warner Brothers Studios, and Brad Grey, President of Paramount Studios. In addition, she sold t-shirts and caps made by Homeboy Industries, a nonprofit charity of ex-gang members. Remy was able to donate $8,200 to The Unusual Suspects, a charity bringing theater arts to youths in the juvenile system and foster homes. Her gift, along with the matching funds it provided, subsidized an entire session of workshops serving over 100 institutionalized youth. Remy was asked to be on the board of The Unusual Suspects as a result of her hugely successful fundraiser.

Remy is now working on a raffle fundraiser for Darfur, and planning a spring Battle of the Bands in the spring and a fall celebrity basketball tournament. Additionally, she is organizing Teenangels LA chapters at other California schools and is planning to expand nationally. Her dream is for Teenangels LA to become an international organization.

For her efforts, Remy has received the President’s Volunteer Service Award, the 2005 Prudential Sprit of Community Certificate of Excellence, and the 2004 Harvard-Westlake Award of Excellence for Innovative Outreach. She has received nominations including the National Young Leaders Conference, National Student Leadership Conference and National Youth Leadership in Medicine. For her extraordinary work at such a young age and for setting such an exemplary example for teenagers everywhere, for empowering teenagers and showing them how teens can make a difference starting with only an idea and hard work.