L.A. Woman: CORE Co-Founder and CEO Ann Lee
Ann Lee has made it her mission to do whatever she can to save the world. The co-founder and CEO of CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort), launched by Sean Penn and Lee in 2019 and initially established as J/P HRO, has transformed the Los Angeles-based philanthropic organization into an international NGO powerhouse. Lee, who holds a Master's in Urban Planning from NYU and a Master's in Economics and Conflict Management from Johns Hopkins University, is currently at the helm of a staff comprising nearly 400 globally-based humanitarians. Collectively, Lee and CORE have leapt to the aid of individuals trapped in the crosshairs of global crises ranging from the Ukraine War, COVID-19, the 2023 earthquake in Turkey, the Pakistan floods and now, the catastrophic Los Angeles wildfires. While CORE is offering its support and services to anyone impacted, the org is 'having a much more focused approach in the Altadena area and neighborhoods,' notes Lee. Altadena, an historically Black unincorporated area of L.A. County, boasts an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse population. Many individuals whose homes were engulfed in the flames fear they will not have the funds to rebuild.'There are a lot of communities with residents whose homes have been passed down through generations and the destruction, coupled with the housing crisis that L.A. has been experiencing — plus the spike in rents, with places charging $7,000 a month — we're out here giving these individuals our support,' says Lee. 'A lot of people are afraid they're going to get pushed out of staying in the neighborhood.' Working in tandem with local entities such as churches, nonprofit organizations and community leaders, CORE has assisted nearly 15,000 people across Los Angeles impacted by the deadly Eaton and Palisades Fires. Provided services include cash assistance, support with navigating access to insurance benefits and distributing supplies in the way of cases of water, N95 masks, hygiene kits and toiletries. Thus far, CORE has distributed roughly $500,000 in cash assistance and plans on continuing to reach out to L.A.'s most vulnerable families with at least $10 million in support. Amounts per family vary, with households receiving upwards of $1,000. Per Lee, depending on funding and eligibility, this amount could be increased. In early February, CORE teamed up with Congresswoman Judy Chu, the Altadena Town Council and the Altadena Seventh-Day Adventist Church to host a drive-thru relief event for members of the Altadena community.
'We always work through existing systems in any disaster. We want to plug into the authorities as well as the community groups, organizations and trusted groups,' says Lee. 'In this case, Judy Chu has been such a phenomenal communicator. She has a lot of trust within the community because she's very direct. She suffers no fools. So we are doing a lot of outreach through her, and then things can grow organically. Having that representation is super important.' Rebuilding efforts across greater Los Angeles —namely in Altadena, Pasadena, the Palisades and parts of Malibu — will take years, if not longer. Lee assures that CORE is in it for the long haul. 'We have been working on several fronts, because we are committed to this recovery process until the very — I'm not going to say the end — but until the new beginnings. CORE is going to stay on and provide our services until the new beginnings.'
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