The Dillon Henry Foundation

Five years ago, the gates of the Congo Peace School first opened

Dillon Henry Foundation — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 21:45:29 +0000

Five years ago, the gates of the Congo Peace School first opened to a hopeful crowd of eager learners. Today, we are overjoyed to celebrate our first class of seniors, ready to conquer the world with knowledge, compassion, and leadership. This inspirational community is strong and growing, each student is a testament to resilience, and each graduation cap is a beacon of hope for a brighter future. This milestone isn’t just about diplomas; it’s about molding a generation ready to lead, transform, and inspire. Let’s salute our #CongoPeaceSchoolGraduates, the leaders of tomorrow! 🎓📚🕊️ #EducationForPeace #FutureLeaders

Il y a cinq ans, les portes de l’École de la Paix du Congo se sont ouvertes pour la première fois à une foule d’apprenants pleins d’espoir. Aujourd’hui, nous sommes plus que ravis de célébrer notre première promotion de seniors, prêts à conquérir le monde avec le savoir, la compassion et le leadership. 180 élèves forts et grandissants, chaque étudiant est un témoignage de résilience, et chaque toge de graduation est un phare d’espoir pour un avenir plus radieux. Ce jalon ne concerne pas seulement les diplômes ; il s’agit de façonner une génération prête à diriger, à transformer et à inspirer. Saluons nos #DiplômésDeLÉcoleDeLaPaixDuCongo, les leaders de demain ! 🎓📚🕊️ #ÉducationPourLaPaix #LeadersDeDemain

Congo Peace School

Dillon Henry Foundation — Sun, 11 Jun 2023 07:51:00 +0000

We are humanitarians supporting education, and bringing together the soccer world and other compassionate souls who extend support and hope to the children of the Democratic Republic of Congo. We are so excited to support this new initiative and promote peace, global education, and equality.

Our vision is to help children transition from street children to school children. The Congo Peace School will provide an education to children unable to afford school fees, taking them off the streets, out of the mines, and into classrooms, so they are no longer easy targets of warlords. Education is a powerful tool for global change, and when given the opportunity for an education, these children can become productive leaders of Congo and become a solution with the capacity to reverse years of devastation. With your partnership, we will build the Congo Peace School to ensure that the children have a safe place to gain an education and become ambassadors of peace.

In addition to the Congolese school curriculum, the teachers and staff will be trained by our partner, Amani, to integrate nonviolence and trauma support into the school system, creating education for leadership, to raise up peace leaders, and influence the future of Congo through its youth.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandala

To learn more, click here.

We wish to thank our current Guardians to the Congo Peace School for their support

– Saltz Family Foundation
– Dillon Henry Foundation
– Kara Love Foundation
– Lou Lucido
– Rosenthal Family Foundation
– Benenson Family Foundation
– Charlie & Joann Kaplan
– Action Kivu, Inc
– Anne Roberts & Wayne Neiman
– Taylor Henry
– Pepper Edmiston
– Spencer Neiman
– Nancy Good
– Susan Epstein

Surfrider Foundation Partnership

Dillon Henry Foundation — Sat, 10 Jun 2023 07:45:00 +0000

With the passion of a surfer who looks forward to the freedom the ocean brings and the thrill of catching the next wave, Dillon co-chaired the Ocean Awareness Club at his high school to protect our oceans and spread awareness of the pollutants and toxins threatening the life within it. It is with this same spirit that our Foundation works in partnership with Surfrider Foundation to establish the:

Dillon Henry Memorial Endowed Internship

In the last ten years Surfrider has employed two or three interns during the summer to assist in their environmental efforts. Many interns have been from college or post graduate level students from top programs in the US. Nearly all the interns have been subsequently employed by governmental environmental agencies, or other known environmental organizations, or become full time Surfrider staff. These interns get paid a nominal stipend $2500- $5000 for their summer work. The Dillon Henry Foundation endowment allows Surfrider to continue to hire and train the best and brightest interns in perpetuity. The foundation and its members are updated on the work these interns are doing and follow the interns paths of their chosen careers to continue to help save the environment for our future.

Youth Network Program

There is a demand for High School and college level surfrider connections like the one Dillon began. Surfrider has developed high school club and service program criteria. Our objective for our Youth Network Program is for it to become ‘viral” through peer open source development efforts. We want the students who use the resources to share their ideas, to create peer-to-peer learning opportunities and create projects that engage their efforts. In order to achieve this we are in the process of creating a website where information can be sourced, stored and shared. Global awareness and understanding across cultures is key to the future of the planet and world’s oceans. Through this online driven community, Surfrider Foundation will enable a collaborative, cross-cultural learning community, which provides youth with access to global opportunities, support and materials. The Dillon Henry Foundation has sponsored this amazing network so students all over the world can be engaged like Dillon was to help this global movement of care for the coast.

Donate

Learn more about Surfrider Foundation

Read about our partnership in The Drop.

Palisades High School Scholarship

Dillon Henry Foundation — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 15:25:00 +0000

Dillon loved his high school by the sea. Attending this school of 2800 students allowed him to get a powerful educational opportunity, expand his talents in writing, continue to surf, play soccer and make hundreds of wonderful connections with a diverse group of teachers and students. Everyone who met him was able to see his easy going manner, his engaging smile and often funny antics, but also the determination and character that he brought to school with him every day.

The Dillon Henry Foundation Scholarship

In June 2008, (Dillon’s graduating class) the Dillon Henry Foundation awarded it’s first 10 scholarships to deserving seniors for all four years of college. These students remain in communication with the Foundation. We’ve awarded a total of 83 scholarships to date.

The Dillon Henry Foundation has committed to 1 scholarship to a student at Palisades High School beginning May 3rd, 2024, who needs financial assistance and exhibits the desire to make the world a better place. Every year, the foundation hosts a BBQ to welcome new scholars and congratulate graduating scholars. It is our goal to build long lasting relationships with students.

The Dillon Henry Foundation also enabled 26 students and 5 staff from Pali to understand and explore “Council” on a weekend retreat to The Ojai Foundation. The weekend was magical for all those in attendance, and added to the Pali community’s sense of the uniqueness and connection to each other. Hopefully, “Council” will become an integral part of Pali leadership and classroom interactions.

Donate

Learn more about Palisades Charter High School

Palisades HS Scholarship Application

Scholarship Renewal Criteria

Scholar Directory

Casa Of LA Partnership

Dillon Henry Foundation — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 07:47:00 +0000

Dillon has always loved children, and had a magical connection with them whether tutoring them or working as a helper for many years at the local pre-school. He watched his family work with abused, abandoned or neglected children and donated a portion of his birthday money to assist funding CASA. Dillon knew he was fortunate to have landed in a place that afforded him all the benefits of a good life and understood his responsibility to give back to those less fortunate. In fact it was his dream to help children without the support of a loving family, and thus his Foundation now joins CASA to create Dillon’s Fund.

Dillon’s Fund

Dillon’s Fund honors Dillon’s love and desire to help children and to support CASA kids who need so much and have so little. The fund provides for a special need that is not available to children in foster care. This may be extra scholarship money for a hard working student who carries two jobs, or a performing art camp for a child who shows talent but has no way to develop it, or perhaps for a new adoptive father who needs additional funds to prepare for his new role as a father by attending parenting classes. Dillon’s Fund is an extension of the CASA philosophy that every child is entitled to a childhood with support from caring adults and an opportunity to succeed.

Donate

Learn More about CASA

Volunteer Info

Become a volunteer

Jewish World Watch Partnership

Dillon Henry Foundation — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 07:37:00 +0000

When Dillon was young, he created a spectacular memorial as part of a school project on the Holocaust, which contained poetry, photos and other writings which showed his despair over the death of millions of people based on religious beliefs. And as he grew, he continued to be outraged and disheartened by the continuous human rights violations across the world. Dillon got involved with funding a water well project in Darfur providing much needed water to a refugee camp.

The Dillon Henry Community Clinic

We are honoring Dillon’s memory by providing primary health care and community health for displaced and conflict affected populations in Ouadda Djalle, Vakaga Prefecture, Central African Republic. We know that our Medical Clinic servicing the critical needs of refugees and indigenous populations of 43,000, who are the survivors of genocide, will honor Dillon’s commitment for fighting injustice all over the world.

The Dillon Henry Youth Centers

Children & Youth (under 18 years) make up 64% of the population of the Oure Cassoni refugee camp and are especially vulnerable at having escaped the violence and terrors of Darfur. These Youth Centers will draw on the knowledge and capacity of the refugee children to create a healthier and protective environment within the camp by creating both increased play spaces and platforms for intellectual and creative expression. We will help support a safer and better quality of life for all children living in these dire conditions.

The Chambucha Rape & Crisis Center in the Congo

The newly built Chambucha Rape & Crisis Center in the Congo gives women and girls access to medical care.The center staffs 40 community health workers, 32 nurses, 30 traditional birth attendants, 3 surgical nurses, and a lab technician, anesthesiologist and medical doctor.

Amani’s Home for Pregnant Teens

At Amanis home for pregnant teens, 15 Teen mothers, pregnant through rape and abandoned and shunned by their families, are given a place of refuge, comfort and opportunity for two years. In the center the girls and other community members can access vocational skills, learn about nutrition and health issues for their children and gather safely for meetings. As the two year period is ends, new girls are accepted into the program to begin a new cycle of support to these vulnerable children.

Donate

Please make sure to specify ‘Dillon Henry’ in the dedication portion.

Learn more about JWW Darfur

Read article about the Dillon Henry Medical Clinic by International Medical Corps (IMC)

Read mid-term report on Dillon Henry Youth Centers by International Relief Corps (IIRC)

Read final report on Dillon Henry Youth Centers

View the Oure Cassoni Youth Newsletter OR read the translated version

Learn more about Chambucha Rape & Crisis Center

View photos of Darfur

View photos of Oure Cassoni Refugee Camp

View photos of Dillon Henry Medical Clinic

View photos of Dillon Henry Youth Center

DARFUR

SAFE SPACES AT OURE CASSONI REFUGEE CAMP

DILLON HENRY HEALTH CLINIC

DILLON HENRY YOUTH CENTER

Rwandan Orphans Project

Dillon Henry Foundation — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 15:22:00 +0000

Rwandan Orphans Project

Rwandan Orphans Project (ROP) has grown into one of the most respected and admirable institutions for street children, not only in the country, but in the region. Their approach is a holistic one, that not only provides a safe home and education for street children, but counseling, family tracing, and often reintegration back into their communities. On top of that, ROP has developed a school at their center and provides free education to children in the host community where their center is based.

Read the Rwandan Orphans Project 2016 update by clicking here

2019 Review

Thanks to your support 2019 has been another incredible year of helping children and vulnerable families all over Rwanda. We started an exciting new school lunch program, opened our new, unique and environmentally friendly eco-toilets, and continued growing and improving to help more children than ever before!

As we reach the end of this successful year we want to share our achievements with you, our partners, donors and friends. And, as Christmas nears and 2020 approaches, we ask that you consider making a donation towards our holiday celebrations or towards our children’s programs for the coming year.

In 2019 we increased the number of vulnerable girls receiving our support, including nearly doubling the number of former street girls at our Imizi Girls Home. We also added 10 new high school scholarships for vulnerable girls who completed elementary school with us but whose parents cannot afford to pay high school tuition, In addition we added two vocational training scholarships for girls who prefer learning a trade. In total we provided 90 girls with some form of support this year, the most ever for ROP.

Witness

Dillon Henry Foundation — Sun, 07 May 2023 08:08:32 +0000

WITNESS

WITNESS is an international organization that trains and supports people using video in their fight for human rights. For the past few years, we have been supporting a fellow at WITNESS.

User Submitted Post

Dillon Henry Foundation — Sat, 06 May 2023 09:10:51 +0000

Today is a very difficult one for all of us. While Dillon is always in our thoughts and hearts, today puts his memory directly in the front of our minds. However when I think of my nephew I see his uniquely bright smile and wonderful flowing hair and cannot help but smile myself. That is the vision I see as I think of him today and always. I miss him more than words can express and the hole in my heart will always be there, but I try and think of all that was good in him and focus on that and not the pain that endures. I am thrilled that my son Jon will be out with Harriet, Steve and Taylor this evening to be with them . On belhalf of us all on the East Cioast he will give them a huge hug which often says nore than any words. To all who read this, think of and remmember Dillon and his great smile and heart always: not just on days like today when the sensation is hightened by what has passed but as you go forward and make the future a better place for Dillon and you being a part of the wordls. 1-4-3 always and a day Uncle Alan

User Submitted Post

Dillon Henry Foundation — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 13:43:00 +0000

I have to say that i was extrememly hesitant to write on this site because honestly i just do not know what words I could use or what story I could share that demonstrates what an outrageous human being Dillon was. I had known dillon since we were in pre-school. We both grew up in rustic canyon. His house at 801 Latimer, mine at 801 Brooktree. We then went to elementary school together, and then high school. All through my life dillon has always been there, even if we weren’t hanging out everyday i could always trust to see his face waiting in the quad, watching tons of kids gravitate towards him at lunch. He was a magnet. I know that my life would have been different if i didnt know dillon, he introduced me to half the kids at pali i know today, he MADE me audition for fall festival in 9th grade and now i have done almost every drama activity there is to offer. He was just such an amazing kid, who had the biggest impact on me not only when he passed, but when he was alive. I don’t think he knew this though, and i really wish he did now. There is just so much more I owe to him because he gave me so much. He made me laugh, he made me feel comfortable, he made me want to try in school. I remember hearing him talk about his AP classes, and how hard