Rooted in community.
Growing what comes next.
Urban Uplift LA brings neighbors together through arts, education, food sustainability, wellness, and service—creating spaces where people can connect, contribute, and thrive.
Planting seeds of possibility across South Central LA.
We create welcoming programs where neighbors can express themselves, care for their well-being, access practical resources, and build meaningful relationships.
Room to create and be heard
Little Vibe Friday gives local artists and residents a stage to share their voices and celebrate South Central talent.
Connection without judgment
Therapy Thursday opens the door for adults to talk honestly about mental health alongside clinicians and neighbors.
Growing food and knowledge
Uplift Garden brings families and neighbors together to plant, harvest, and share food from a community-tended space.
Showing up for our neighbors
From school-supply drives and resource fairs to neighborhood cleanups and holiday giving, we meet practical needs with genuine care.
Creating more room for people to thrive.
Our mission is to empower and uplift South Central Los Angeles through arts, education, food sustainability, wellness, and service. We cultivate inclusive opportunities for residents to connect, build skills, express themselves, and access resources—regardless of socioeconomic barriers.
"Stronger neighborhoods are built through connection. Our work begins by listening and building alongside the community."
A shared commitment to South Central LA.
Writer and poet Ashley Renee and educator and community leader T. Green founded Urban Uplift LA in July 2023.
Motivated by a shared vision for positive change, they expanded years of grassroots work into a growing nonprofit rooted in creativity, service, and opportunity. Urban Uplift LA's initiatives include community baby showers, back-to-school drives, neighborhood cleanups, children's gardening, the Winter Wonderland Toy Drive, Little Vibe Friday, and Therapy Thursday.
There is a place for you in this work.
Bring your time, talent, resources, or ideas. We welcome neighbors, volunteers, artists, clinicians, schools, businesses, and community partners who want to help South Central LA thrive.
Foster Youth Program
info@agmprogram.orgOur neighborhood, our people.
Empowering South Central, one connection at a time.
Urban Uplift LA exists to dismantle barriers—social, economic, and systemic—that keep our neighbors from reaching their full potential. We build programs rooted in dignity, creativity, and community ownership.
What guides everything we do.
These aren't just words on a page—they're the lived commitments that shape how we show up for South Central every single day.
Community Ownership
South Central residents are the experts on their own community. Our programs are built alongside neighbors, not for them.
Creative Expression
Art and culture are not extras—they're essential. We create space for local voices to be heard, celebrated, and amplified.
Radical Welcome
Everyone belongs here, regardless of background, income, or circumstance. We build spaces where people feel seen and valued.
Education & Access
Knowledge and resources should be freely available. We connect residents to practical tools, learning opportunities, and vital support.
Genuine Service
We respond to what our community actually needs. Our service is guided by listening, humility, and consistency.
Five pillars. One community.
Each program is built around a real need we heard from South Central residents—addressing the whole person: creative, emotional, physical, and practical.
Little Vibe Friday
Little Vibe Friday is our signature weekly arts event—a free, open space where South Central musicians, poets, spoken word artists, comedians, and visual creators can perform, exhibit, and connect. The event is designed to lower the barrier to participation so that talent that might otherwise go unheard has a room to fill.
Beyond entertainment, Little Vibe Friday builds real community. Regulars become collaborators; newcomers become neighbors. We believe cultural expression is how a community tells its own story and builds its own identity.
Therapy Thursday
Therapy Thursday breaks down the stigma around mental health by making conversations about emotional wellbeing normal, accessible, and approachable. Each session brings together licensed clinicians, peer supporters, and community members for candid discussions on topics like stress, grief, relationships, parenting, and self-worth.
The format is intentionally welcoming—not a clinic, not a lecture, but a circle. Participants are never required to share, and every session ends with connection time so attendees can support one another beyond the program. We know that healing happens in community.
Uplift Garden
Uplift Garden is a community growing space where children, families, and neighbors come together every week to tend the earth and share what it produces. Kids learn where food comes from, seniors share growing knowledge passed down through generations, and families take home fresh produce they helped cultivate—all in a neighborhood where access to fresh food is historically limited.
The garden is also an outdoor classroom. We host hands-on workshops on composting, seed saving, nutrition, and environmental stewardship. It is one of our most consistent gathering places—a patch of South Central that belongs to everyone who tends it.
Direct Service Programs
Our service programs are built around specific moments when families need support most. The Back-to-School Supply Drive gives children the tools they need to start the year ready. Our Community Baby Showers celebrate new parents and connect them with resources. The Winter Wonderland Toy Drive ensures children in South Central experience the joy of the holiday season regardless of their family's circumstances.
We also organize neighborhood cleanups that restore pride in our shared spaces, and Family Resource Fairs that connect residents with health, housing, legal, and social services in one place. Every event is free, staffed by community volunteers, and shaped by what we hear our neighbors actually need.
Youth & Foster Youth Initiatives
Education runs through everything we do—from the garden classroom to the creative mentorship embedded in Little Vibe Friday. We specifically invest in young people who need more than a program; they need adults who show up consistently and believe in their potential.
Our Foster Youth Program, coordinated through info@agmprogram.org, provides targeted support for young people navigating the foster care system—connecting them with mentors, resources, and a community that sees them as whole people, not cases to manage.
What we promise South Central LA.
- ✓We show up consistently, building trust through long-term presence and reliable programming in South Central.
- ✓We listen before we act—community feedback shapes every program, event, and initiative we run.
- ✓We remove barriers to participation, offering free and accessible programming for residents regardless of income.
- ✓We celebrate South Central talent, centering local artists, healers, educators, and leaders in everything we do.
- ✓We grow responsibly—expanding our reach as our capacity grows, never overpromising what we can deliver.
- ✓We steward every donation and partnership with transparency, directing resources where they matter most.
Your gift grows our community.
Every contribution directly funds the programs, events, and resources that help South Central LA residents connect, heal, and thrive. No gift is too small—and no impact is too modest to matter.
Every contribution makes a difference.
Your support sustains community gardens, mental health programming, school-supply drives, arts events, and emergency family resources throughout South Central.
One-Time Gift
Make a direct donation of any amount. Every dollar is channeled into programs that serve South Central LA families and neighbors.
Monthly Giving
Become a monthly sustainer and provide reliable support that allows us to plan, grow, and respond consistently throughout the year.
In-Kind Donations
Donate school supplies, garden tools, hygiene products, toys, or other goods directly to our community programs and drives.
Corporate Partnerships
Partner with us through sponsorships, matching gifts, or employee volunteer programs. We welcome businesses that share our values.
Garden Sponsorship
Sponsor a season of Uplift Garden—covering seeds, soil, supplies, and educational workshops for children and families in South Central.
Spread the Word
Share our story on social media, tell your network, or connect us with donors, partners, and volunteers who want to help.
Ready to make an impact in South Central LA?
Reach out directly to learn how your gift is used, request donation information, or set up a recurring contribution. We'll respond within 48 hours.
Join us in South Central.
All Urban Uplift LA programs are free and open to the community. Come as you are—bring a neighbor, bring your kids, bring yourself.
📅 Recurring Weekly Programs
August 2026
Little Vibe Friday — Open Mic Night
Back-to-School Supply Drive Giveaway
Therapy Thursday — Stress & Self-Care Panel
September 2026
Uplift Garden — Fall Planting Day
Neighborhood Cleanup & Beautification
Little Vibe Friday — Visual Art Showcase
Family Resource Fair
October 2026
Uplift Garden — Harvest Festival
Little Vibe Friday — Poetry & Spoken Word
Therapy Thursday — Grief & Healing Circle
November – December 2026
Community Baby Shower
Winter Wonderland Toy Drive
Stay connected and never miss an event.
Follow us on Instagram for real-time announcements, or reach out directly to ask about upcoming events and volunteer opportunities.