March 31, 2014, Los Angeles – The Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation (KVBFF) has granted $75,000 to COACH For Kids and Their Families, a program of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s Maxine Dunitz Children’s Health Center that provides health screenings and services to vulnerable neighborhoods in Los Angeles.

The KVBFF grant will help support COACH For Kids’ outreach to homeless and at-risk kids and families, including the young families at My Friend’s Place, a homeless youth drop-in center in Hollywood.

“It’s important we all do our part to help kids and families stay active and healthy,” said KVBFF founder Kobe Bryant. “By providing health services in at-risk neighborhoods, COACH For Kids is giving kids and families an opportunity to make progress in their lives.”

Since its launch in 1994, COACH For Kids has helped more than 175,000 individuals receive vital healthcare services free of charge. COACH mobile units travel to schools, shelters, public housing developments and community centers across 28 Los Angeles zip codes.

“For the past 20 years, we have been providing Cedars-Sinai quality health care services for children and families that have difficulty accessing care,” said Michele Rigsby Pauley, COACH For Kids Director. “The need continues to be great, so we are proud and honored to partner with the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation to now be able to serve an even greater number of children.”

As part of the KVBFF partnership, COACH For Kids will provide nutrition and dental education for the young parents and their children at My Friend’s Place. KVBFF has supported My Friend’s Place since 2011, including funding the renovation of their building and hosting events for their parenting groups.

“My Friend’s Place is the last chance and first hope for youth who have been forced to make the streets their home,” said Heather Carmichael, Executive Director of My Friend’s Place. “We are committed to doing what it takes for over a quarter of Los Angeles’s homeless youth. We are both honored and grateful to have the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s Maxine Dunitz Children’s Health Center at our side in our efforts to end youth homelessness.”

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About The Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation

The Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation (KVBFF) is dedicated to improving the lives of youth and families in need, and encouraging young people to stay active through sports. By providing financial resources for organizations with aligned missions and funding unique programs, the Foundation strives to strengthen communities through educational and cultural enrichment opportunities.

In order to make a measurable impact on the critical issue of youth homelessness, KVBFF partnered with a number of Los Angeles-based organizations including Step Up on Second, United Way of Greater Los Angeles, and homeless youth drop-in center My Friend’s Place. KVBFF recently accepted an award from My Friend’s Place for its ongoing support and partnership. In November 2014, Kobe Bryant will serve as the honorary co-chair of United Way’s annual HomeWalk for the fourth consecutive year, raising funds and awareness to provide permanent supportive housing for the homeless.

Outside of the U.S., KVBFF supports education and athletics programs for vulnerable youth in China, and Kobe uses his platform to raise awareness for various health-related causes across the globe.