By Tina Borgatta and Kristen Schott
There is a need in every community; but generosity runs deep in Orange County. From the agencies that feed and heal out children to the individuals whose dedication and altruism are changing the lives of many; here are the organizations and leaders driving our philanthropic scene right now.
You can hear the smile in Shana Baker’s voice when she talks about her 1 ½-year-old adopted son, Jaxson: “He likes to go, go, go!” The same happy note reverberates when she talks about her philanthropic “itch.” It grew out of her grandmother’s charitable passion, took root in her teens when she served Thanksgiving meals with the Salvation Army and has led her to numerous efforts, like the Pediatric-Adolescent Diabetes Research and Education Foundation. She’s championed the cause since 2012, when her then-3-year-old nephew was diagnosed with Type 1. “I asked myself: Were there a lot [of kids] like him?” recalls Baker, the VP and controller for Newport Beach’s Buchanan Street Partners (she’s also on its charitable board and was an ambassador for Talk About Curing Autism). It fueled her to join PADRE; she held various board positions before being named president last spring. And it’s been a banner year for the Orange-based nonprofit, which provides educational and psychosocial programs to 2,500-plus children affected by the life-threatening disease of the pancreas. It’s boosting its research focus through partnerships with local projects for a cure; it recently donated $25,000 to UCI’s Clinical Islet program. And the annual fashion show—Baker’s co-chaired it for the last two years—landed a record $300,000. She’ll take on that role next year too (the bash is set for May 13). Then there’s her hope that PADRE will soon expand with satellite offices: “I see how happy these kids are,” she says. “When they are with others [with Type 1], they don’t feel alone.” PADRE Foundation, padrefoundation.org
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