At Halloween The Richard Maize family home  went totally Green at the initiative of Ally Maize and the Green Youth Movement (GYM) of which she is the founder.

The Richard Maize home was completely “Hallo-greened” with Great pumpkins, witches, hobgoblins, gravestones and loads of other Halloween paraphernalia…

“Our house looked amazing and many people came from great distances to see and take pictures,” said Ally’s father, Richard Maize, a Los Angeles businessman and real estate broker, and a co-founder of the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation.
(also see a video of the Eek-O Friendly Halloween House here: http://tinyurl.com/yfjrdw9 ).

But it wasn’t just for show! The theme was developed around a strong “Eek-O Friendly” message, driving home the need to recycle and take care of the environment.

Moreover, the Richard Maize family has made a real contribution to the future: “We had around 650 trick-or-treaters come by and we gave them two types of organic candy – they hated that I am sure” Richard Maize said.

The kicker is that the Richard Maize Family committed to planting a tree for each and every trick-or-treater who came by. “The Maize family has thus planted 650 trees for the future, ” he added.

Following in her family’s socially-conscious footsteps, Ally founded the Green Youth Movement with the goal of educating kids all over the world on living green, and to one day establish this very important information as part of the curriculum in our elementary schools. The mission of GYM is to educate kids and teens about environmental awareness, eco-friendly behavior and small steps that collectively embraced by this age-group can make a big difference for the future.

Ally Maize states: “I am passionate about the environment and I am taking a stance to help with issues regarding global warming. I have built this web site (http://www.greenyouthmovement.org/ ) not only as a resource for those people seeking information but for those people who want to try to make a difference and help our environment.

“As founder of GYM, I hope to one day garner the support of politicians and educators to create a practical and research based environmental course of study that would ultimately become integrated in every elementary school education curriculum across the nation.

“It is my belief that providing youth with meaningful and practical methods of conserving and utilizing resources is the key to changing the direction of global warming. As the effects of global warming continue to advance from a theoretical construct to a reality, it is necessary that each of us assume responsibly to make a difference. Establishing The Green Youth Movement has been my way to embrace what I regard as one of the most significant issue that plagues our future.”

GYM aims to enlighten young children and their parents about the vulnerable state of our environment and challenge them to think about the world around them.

Ally’s watchword is a quote by Mahatma Gandhi: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”

Richard Maize Humanitarian

“A friend of mine has a child who is now 29 years old named Leonard. Leonard’s father never really succeeded in business, so I have loaned him money throughout the years but recently the requests have been increasing in frequency. I seriously told him that the money tree is dry and I would not give him any further dollars.

As expected, Leonard’s father did go out and get a job and work, but he took a job that would barely pay his bills. In the meantime, Leonard, requested money from me to make back payments on his car. I analyzed the situation and realized the amount he was asking for was less than a band-aid and there was something else going on in his life that needed attention. As he denied any other issues in his life, I turned that request down.

Then, a few days ago, on my birthday, Leonard’s father called me to wish me a happy birthday. I recognized that his voice was distraught. When I enquired as to his well being, he acknowledged that he was with his son at his son’s apartment in a survivor mode. His son, as I suspected a few months ago, had more of a problem than needing some money for late car payments. Leonard had a severe drinking and drug problem. He was drinking himself to death but was in the process of trying to detoxify himself. He hadn’t slept, eaten or drank anything for six days. He was terribly dehydrated and unable to walk.

His father, through my recommendation, called Beit T’shuva for a rehab alternative and to get help. As a donor to Beit T’shuvah, I know that it’s a place I can wholeheartedly recommend for treatment. Beit T’Shuvah is a residential treatment center that tries to reduce the incidence of addiction and other harmful behaviors through individual and family education. An intimate setting with only 120 residents, it is located in West Los Angeles. They promote a healing atmosphere that emphasizes faith-based recovery.

Beit T’Shuvah declined his request for acceptance reasoning that he needed to detoxify before they considered him. Leonard’s father frantically called me to find a hospital to have his son get medical attention and somewhere to detoxify. But no place would allow them without up front money.

Against my previous decision, I put my feelings concerning outstanding balances between us to the side and helped put Leonard in an established hospital for help. With tears in their eyes and sounding extremely choked-up, both Leonard and his father called and thanked me for saving his life.

Leonard was once a star athlete in high school both in baseball and football. He had a fiancé who was a doll, but he lost all of that to alcohol. He finally admitted to me that he had horribly abused alcohol since he was 17 years old. “

Leonard owes his life to Richard Maize for helping him during a critical time in his life. But this isn’t an unusual feat for Richard, as he has been involved in local and international charity projects, fundraisers for disadvantaged children through the philanthropic organization that he co-founded, the Richard Maize Foundation.

The Richard Maize Foundation

The Richard Maize Foundation is a philanthropic organization that supports and contributes volunteer and financial resources to local and worldwide causes. By providing financial support to focus on art, culture, family services and healthcare, the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation helps ensure that those in need and their families can live more fulfilling lives.

Through the Richard Maize Foundation, Richard Maize generously supports organizations and causes such as the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, the American Cancer Society, Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, Hurricane Katrina, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Board of Governors, and the Jewish Maccabiah games, one of the world’s largest annual summer sporting competitions for Jewish youth.

Richard Maize joined with the Friends of Greystone Mansion in support of a silent auction with all proceeds benefiting the sixth year of Greystone’s restoration. Currently owned by the City of Beverly Hills, the 1928 classic estate was originally designed in the English Gothic Revival style, and in 1976, the mansion was placed on the Register of Historic Places.

Human Rights

Richard Maize put immense efforts into creating human rights information sites on the Internet to call into question the conclusions reached in the UN Goldstone Report. The biased report ended weeks of speculation into the Gaza War enquiry, a commission that Israel chose not to be involved in.

Richard Maize, through the Richard Maize Foundation, donates time and funds to worthy causes locally and spanning the globe. This unfair and biased UN report on Israel’s attempt to defend herself from Arab aggression is an example of anti-semitism that he feels needs to be addressed in the strongest possible way. Through the creation of two websites, he reports the facts on the ground in the Gaza War.

They can be seen at:

http://www.israelhumanrights.com

L.A. Mortgage Broker RIchard Maize

http://www.ungoldstonereport.com

Co-founders of the Richard Maize Foundation

Richard Maize is a respected mortgage broker from the Los Angeles area. He and his wife, Rochelle, co-founded the prestigious Richard Maize Foundation, from which they make sizeable contributions to local causes and international human rights organizations.

Israel Human Rights

The most recent endeavor Richard Maize has participated in is in reaction to a UN commissioned report that has been proven to be very biased against Israel. Although normally highly involved with international human rights issues, this report was so blatantly biased and slanderous that he decided to take part. He contributed money to create powerful websites to combat the lies of the UN report. Those websites were so persuasive that they were thought to have played a part in the UN Human Rights Commission delaying a discussion on the report.

Richard Maize stated that his web site is dedicated to examining Israel’s Human Rights record and explaining its Basic Law, which defines and upholds the rights of all its citizens and those of other countries – including the refugees pouring into Israel to escape persecution and death in their home countries and by countries through which they pass seeking sanctuary.

“Israel is one of the few countries which has opened its gates despite the many difficulties – social and financial – which are a result of this humanitarian action,” Richard Maize states.

Committee of 18 and the Maccabiah Games

Although this urgent aid was to defend Israel as a humanitarian democracy that values human life, Richard Maize was involved in a totally different aspect of Israeli life only a few months ago when he was appointed a member of the Committee of 18 which supported the 18th Maccabiah World Games that took place in Israel earlier this year. 

The Committee, composed of 18 members, committed themselves to raising sufficient funds for the Maccabiah Games. The important group’s members include representatives from the entertainment industry, leading businessmen and well-known community leaders. With the goal of raising the status of the Maccabiah Games, they agreed to work towards the goal of raising more than $1.5 million. The available funds were divided between the 350 athletes who would not have been able to participate in the games without aid from the Committee of 18. 

Even though the youth had trained for quite a long time for the Games, their families did not have the funds involved in traveling to Israel and participating in the events. The money raised by the Committee of 18 sponsored delegates from communities in Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union Republics, India and Latin America. 

“It was truly an honor and privilege for me to become an active working member of this dedicated group of renowned leaders who came together as a small, but powerful force, to highlight the importance of the 18th Maccabiah Games,” said Richard Maize.

Maize continued: “I am firmly committed to do everything I can, personally and through my Richard Maize Foundation, to support the committee in its mission to raise awareness for future Maccabiah games and ensure that deserving athletes are afforded the opportunity to compete in Israel.” 

Membership to the Committee of 18 is by invitation only. Every one of the 18 members hold equal status, so they are all said to be a co-chair of the committee that holds no elected officers. 

The Committee of 18 and Richard Maize were able to increase the exposure for the Games by obtaining commercial sponsors, finding sources of television opportunities with large agencies in Los Angeles and landed some brand name clothing sponsorships and endorsements.

Teenagers Tour Israel

Teenage athletes from Diaspora countries came together for over two weeks of sports competitions, traveling around Israel, meeting Israelis and hanging out with their fellow athletes as participants of the Maccabiah Games. 

The general experience was the trip of a lifetime for these young sportsmen. They were guided around to vital sites in Israel including the Western Wall, Yad Vashem, Masada, the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee, making the Maccabiah Games a large tourism campaign for Israel. The events attracted close to 18,000 supporters and tourists, increasing Israel’s economy by approximately $80 million. 

Deemed as the largest display of international Jewish fellowship and solidarity, the Richard Maize Foundation was a generous supporter of these young athletes and Richard was happy to support positive public relations for Israel. 

As members of the Committee of 18, each of the co-chairs were invited to attend the Maccabiah Games with their families as VIP guests, tour Israel, and enjoy the festivities. Each member enjoyed viewing the sporting events from the grandstands, cheering each of the youth on to do their best.

Israel Hosts Young Athletes

The Committee of 18 also served as an official advisor to Mr. Eyal Tiberger, Director-General and Executive Director of the 18th Maccabiah Games during the games, offering well respected professional assistance and advice concerning entertainment, media, digital public relations, marketing and advertising for the event. The Maccabiah Games are a quadrennial sports, educational, and cultural event that occurs in Israel. This past year Israel played host to some 3,000 young athletes in what is said to be the third largest sporting event in the world. The sportsmen, aged 15-18, included 2,000 masters, 5,000 open athletes and Paralympics, with more than 2,000 Israeli athletes on the team. More than 400,000 Jews in 400 different organizations located in 60 countries take part in the Maccabiah Games.

Before leaving the U.S. to attend the Games in Israel, Richard Maize hosted some of the members of the Committee of 18 at his home in Beverly Hills. One of those attending was Los Angeles resident and entertainer Kirk Douglas. As Douglas related, “I am very excited about these games, because sport is an international language that brings people together, not tears them apart.” 

During their time in Israel, Richard Maize and the Committee of 18 also joined Israel Defense Forces pilots and soldiers from the Israel Air Force at the Tel-Nof Air Force Base in Israel. 

“This was my first visit to Israel, and I was amazed by the warmth and strength of these Jews who built a Jewish state and turned a barren desert into a green paradise. But what struck me more than anything was how tiny and resilient this democratic state is. That the people of Israel have suffered and bled from hundreds of barbaric Islamic terror attacks. The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation is now exploring how we can provide assistance to the victims of Islamic terrorism both in the U.S. and in Israel,” said Maize.

European Genocide – the Holocaust

Richard Maize says he was “very moved by the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, the Western Wall in Jerusalem and Masada by the Dead Sea. Tears came to my eyes at Yad Vashem. I think it is very difficult for many Jews and non-Jews to actually comprehend the genocide that took place in Europe. And for this reason we should all be very proud of this Jewish state and the Israel Defense Forces and other Israel security forces which were established to protect Israel.”

UN Human Rights Counsel

It is a known fact that one of the four members of the Goldstone Commission had already made up her mind before the war ended, having signed a letter stating that Israel’s actions in Gaza were war crimes. The UN Human Rights Counsel includes in its members states that are known to have questionable records regarding human rights or hostile feelings towards Israel, such as Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Pakistan, Bahrain, Mauritius and Qatar.

In fact, the mandate was not upheld by several of the democratic members of the Human Rights Commission, including the European Union, Japan, Canada and Switzerland, all of whom refused to support the resolution.

Gaza Terror

When it comes to witnesses called by the commission, some of them were in fact Hamas operatives directly involved in terrorist activities. One of those witnesses, Mohammed Fuoad Abu Askar, was only one of the many senior Hamas operatives who offered their own homes in which to store arms and ammunition. The IDF targetted Askar’s “home” in its strikes against terror in Gaza.

Even though Hamas held the entire population of Gaza hostage by planting its rockets and terrorist infrastructure with the civilian residential areas and using those civilians as human shields, the commission did not acknowledge these crimes.

Richard Maize Foundation

Richard Maize, through the Richard Maize Foundation, donates time and funds to worthy causes locally and spanning the globe. This unfair and biased UN report on Israel’s attempt to defend herself from Arab aggression is an example of anti-semitism that he feels needs to be addressed in the strongest possible way. Through the creation of two websites, he reports the facts on the ground in the Gaza War. They can be seen at:

http://www.israelhumanrights.com

http://www.ungoldstonereport.com

Prime Minister Netanyahu CNN Interview

In a CNN interview with Prime Minister Netanyahu, the prime minister states the truths of the upside down Goldstone Commission:

BLITZER: You know this United Nations commission, which just came back with a scathing report suggesting that Israel, your military, committed war crimes or something close to that, crimes against humanity, perhaps, even, during the fighting in Gaza. And I know you strongly disagree, but I want you to react to that United Nations report.

NETANYAHU: Now you’re being a diplomat. I strongly disagree? I think this is preposterous. It’s absurd. Israel was rocketed, pummeled for eight years by thousands of rockets that came from Gaza. We vacated all of Gaza, hoping that this thing would stop, and they fired not one rocket, but thousands of rockets, after we left Gaza.

So, what’s a country to do? I mean, what would you do if thousands of rockets fell on – Where are you talking from, Wolf, Washington, right? – Washington, D.C., or any part of the United States? You know what the United States would do.

BLITZER: The argument, though, Mr. Prime Minister, in this U.N. report is that you overreacted, and, in the process, you killed a lot of civilians.

NETANYAHU: We overreacted, did we? Well, let me tell you, after a million or so of our people were under rocket fire, progressively larger and larger circles of rockets falling on our cities, we did what every reasonable country would do. We tried to get at the rocketeers, those terrorists firing those missiles and rockets who placed themselves, embedded themselves in homes and schools and mosques, and you name it.

And we tried to target these people. We even sent them SMS text messages, telling the Palestinian civilians, please get out of harm’s way, cellular phones, you name it. So, we did everything possible to minimize the loss of innocent civilian lives.

And yet the Hamas actually was committing a double war crime, firing on civilians while hiding behind civilians. That’s a double war crime. They’re the ones who sort of get a free bill out of this biased U.N. report, and Israel, that is defending itself, is accused.

BLITZER: All right.

NETANYAHU: So, the terrorists are exonerated. The victims are accused. That’s an upside-down world. And I think this does grievous harm to the battle against terrorism, because the terrorists are basically being told, you get a free ride. All you have to do is fire at a democracy from built-up areas, from residential quarters, and you will get a clean bill of health. And I think it does a great disservice to peace, too, because we’re asked to take risks for peace. The international community says, if you take risks for peace, we will support your right of self- defense. And yet we did just that. We vacated Gaza in the hopes that this would advance peace. And when we’re rocketed with thousands of rockets and missiles from the places we vacated, people say Israel is the war criminal.

BLITZER: All right.

NETANYAHU: Come on. I mean, this is absurd.

BLITZER: If there is a trial at the International Court and the accusation is that Israel committed war crimes, or crimes against humanity in Gaza, will you cooperate with that?

NETANYAHU: Well, the question is, will any serious country cooperate with it?

I took note of the fact that the leading democracies that were in this U.N. commission, they opposed this. They were against this mandate, because it looked like a kangaroo court in the first place, where Israel was basically hanged, drawn, and quartered morally and given an unfair trial to boot right at the start of these proceedings.

I think this is wrong. But understand this. It’s not only we who will be damaged. It’s you, too. I mean, American pilots, NATO pilots, let alone Russia and other countries that are fighting terrorists, are going to be put on the dock, too, because it’s said that you cannot fight terrorists.

It means that all the terrorists have to do is put themselves in a residential quarter, and they receive immunity. And that’s not something that any country fighting terrorism can accept. And I don’t think you can accept it either.

Richard Maize Philanthropist

The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation is a philanthropic organization that supports and contributes volunteer and financial resources to causes locally in the community and worldwide by supporting meaningful programs focusing on art, culture, family services and health care that work to help people live more fulfilling lives.

Richard Maize has generously supported organizations and causes including the American Cancer Society, Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, Hurricane Katrina, Los Angeles Police Foundation, and Cedars Sinai Board of Governors.

Richard Maize and his wife, Rochelle Maize, are longtime benefactors of the American Cancer Society, among many other organizations, and Richard Maize has been recognized for its efforts on behalf of more than a dozen charitable groups and community projects.

The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation supports an extraordinary number of foundations, organizations, and non-profit groups. The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation is a philanthropic organization that supports and contributes volunteer and financial resources to community and global causes by supporting programs focusing on art, culture, family services, and healthcare. The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation’s efforts also help people with cancer and those who care for them lead live more fulfilling lives.
The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation supports the Friends of Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif. For three days in 2008, the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation helped sponsor the California Spirit XXIV for the Vital Work of the American Cancer Society.

The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation also supported the “Accessories for Success Lunch and Fashion Show Benefit” for the Big Brothers / Big Sisters (BBBS) of Greater Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. In this capacity, the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation supported the luncheon and fashion show to benefit the organization’s founding mission of helping children reach their potential through one-on-one mentoring relationships.

As a young and ambitious graduate from California State University, Northridge, Richard Maize began his business career investing in Southern California real estate. In 1988, Richard Maize co-founded a mortgage banking company that has grown into one of the largest and most well-regarded mortgage brokerage firms in the country.

With an entrepreneurial spirit and tireless effort, Richard Maize expanded his business and became known as an industry expert, regularly appearing as a commentator for KCAL-TV news sharing his insights about real estate trends, marketing and finance.

An engaged and involved member of his local community in the US, Richard Maize continues to be involved professionally and personally in relevant causes. Through the foundation, Richard Maize contributions focus on working with various non-profit organizations, charitable endeavors and finding ways that will have the greatest ability to positively impact the lives of others.

A leader, mentor and dedicated mortgage professional, Richard Maize resides in Beverly Hills along with his wife and foundation co-founder, Rochelle Atlas Maize and their two daughters, Amanda and Ally.

Richard Maize is openly supporting Israel humanitarian policies in Gaza and the IDF through the creation of two information websites addressing facts on the ground.

Through the organization that he co-founded, the Richard Maize Foundation, he is bringing to international attention the important facts that were carefully but blatantly overlooked by the biased UN Goldstone Report on the Israel Gaza War, which was a reaction to the Arab terrorism emanating from Gaza.

UN Goldstone Report

As Richard Maize relates, “When the UN Goldstone Report was released anyone could see that it was highly biased, one sided, and a pure example of discrimination against Israel.” Richard continues, “There was not one word in that UN report that alluded to the fact that Israel was forced to defend herself against 8,000 missile attacks from Gaza.

Only the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs and HonestReporting.com had limited and coordinated efforts using the Web. So we created a handful of extremely powerful Web 2.0 PR news sites which were SEO optimized for the search engines that addressed both the UN Goldstone Report and Human Rights in Israel.”

Israel Human Rights

The two pro Israel websites are Israel Human Rights and the UN Goldstone Report, both of which have been vigorously passed on through Facebook, MySpace, DIGG, Twitter, Google and Yahoo groups, WordPress, Blogger and the various other new media social networking websites.

It is important to Richard Maize that the truth about Israel involvement in the Gaza War be made public. The sites address the fact that Israel did not deliberately target the civilian population of Gaza and, quite the opposite, made every effort to prevent civilian casualties.

Israel Army

The Israel army takes important precautions in protecting local civilians unlike any other army in the world. Through the dropping of thousands of leaflets and information sheets into Gaza residential areas, the Israel army made it a point to inform civilians of danger. It was in fact Hamas that put its own population in danger by hiding in and attacking from private homes.

Contrary to the statements of the UN Goldstone Report, Hamas admittedly used innocent Palestinian civilians as human shields. These reports can be easily viewed on YouTube. The Goldstone Report is not only un-objective but it is rife with bias and politicization from the UN Human Rights Council and from its own members. The UN Gaza report mistakenly relied upon unreliable Palestinian “eyewitnesses” in its biased conclusions against Israel.

Israel Victims of Hamas Rockets

As Gerald M. Steinberg wrote in his opinion in the Wall Street Journal, “Judge Goldstone’s group simply repeated what it chose to hear from carefully selected witnesses. (When Israeli victims of Hamas rocket attacks were given a few hours to tell their tales of horror, photos show Mr. Goldstone taking a nap.) The result vindicated the Israel government’s view that the books were cooked from the beginning, including the one-sided terms of reference and the selection of Mr. Goldstone and of Prof. Christine Chinkin, whose anti-Israel prejudices were clear. There is no evidence to indicate that a fair hearing was possible, or that Israeli government cooperation would have made any difference.”

Field Court-Martial

“The Goldstone Report is a field court-marital, and its findings were prewritten,” said Israel’s Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu.”This is a prize for terror. The report makes it difficult for democracies to fight terror.”

Richard Maize is a believer in honest reporting, and as such he felt it was important that today, right now, at this time, to attack these false accusations against Israel by creating websites focused on the true events of the Gaza War.

Richard Maize Charities

Richard Maize is also active in his local Los Angeles community. It was reported last week that the Richard Maize Foundation is supporting the upcoming United in Harmony Bowl. United in Harmony is a Los Angeles-based charitable organization that was created by volunteers almost 20 years ago. The organization’s aim is to help inner-city Los Angeles kids between the ages of 7-13, most of who are involved in shelter programs for children living below the poverty line. Through free mentoring programs, residential camps for the summer and winter vacations, an annual Christmas party and fundraisers throughout the year, United in Harmony helps to fill in the gaps in the lives of these appreciative kids.

Richard Maize Foundation

The Richard Maize Foundation is a philanthropic organization founded by Richard and Rochelle Maize. The fund supports various local and international causes ranging from health and human services to arts and the environment.

The Richard Maize Foundation is throwing its support to the upcoming Harmony Bowl fundraising event. The event has been very successful for the past three years and has the potential of raising the funds necessary to continue the important work done by United in Harmony.

Los Angeles Charities

United in Harmony is a Los Angeles-based charitable organization that was created by volunteers almost 20 years ago. The organization’s aim is to help inner-city Los Angeles kids between the ages of 7-13, most of who are involved in shelter programs for children living below the poverty line. Through free mentoring programs, residential camps for the summer and winter vacations, an annual Christmas party and fundraisers throughout the year, United in Harmony helps to fill in the gaps in the lives of these appreciative kids.

These kids don’t have it easy. As a result of their parents’ misfortunes, many of them feel responsible for the well being of their siblings and even their own parents. They take on responsibilities far beyond their years in the caring for themselves and their families.

Camp Harmony

Giving these kids a carefree block of time in which they are allowed to just “be kids”, Camp Harmony lets them get away and enjoy the outdoors during breaks from school. The camp takes place on the beautiful and rustic Malibu campus of Camp Hess Kramer. By accepting responsibility to do well in school, the kids “earn” their way to the camp. But they’re not alone in this – United in Harmony provides them with mentors to guarantee their success in school.

Richard Maize Donates to Bowling Party

United in Harmony produces a major fundraising event each fall. That highly successful event for the past three years has been The Harmony Bowl. Richard and Rochelle Maize are regular donors to the Harmony Bowl through their philanthropic fund, the Richard Maize Foundation. They concur that this is a really fun and entertaining bowling party that generates substantial funds to United in Harmony’s many programs.

Green Youth Movement

Richard and Rochelle Maize’s daughter, Ally Maize, goes one step further in her support of the programs – for the past three years she has volunteered to help out at the camps. As a high school student she understands how to help the youngsters and enjoys being an important part of their lives. Ally is active in many outside activities but is especially known for the work she does to make her fellow students ecologically aware through her non-profit organization, the Green Youth Movement.

Helping the Environment

The Richard Maize Foundation is a philanthropic organization founded by Richard and Rochelle Maize. Along with United in Harmony, the fund supports various local and international causes ranging from health and human services to arts and the environment.

Richard Maize and Rochelle Maize

Richard Maize, as a member of the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors, helps to ensure that the Medical Center continues to provide world-class patient care and conduct leading-edge research.

Including more than 700 leaders in the Los Angeles community, the Board of Governors provides vital support to the hospital’s clinical programs, biomedical research, and community outreach. Richard Maize is proud to be an important part of this research.

The Board of Governors is one of the main fundraising and leadership groups at Cedars-Sinai. Board of Governors members are enthusiastic participants in important committees and are ambitious and generous in fundraising initiatives. Major initiatives have included:

• The Board of Governors Center for Cancer Research at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute
  
• The Board of Governors Gene Therapeutics Research Institute
  
• The Board of Governors Endowed Chair in Medical
  Genetics
  
• The Board of Governors Endowed Chair in Gynecologic Oncology
  
• Sports Spectacular, benefiting the Cedars-Sinai Medical Genetics Institute
  

In its current $20 million fundraising venture, the Board of Governors is advancing the prevention and reversal of heart disease through stem cell research at the Board of Governors Heart Stem Cell Center.

The Board of Governors Stem Cell Center will introduce research into new stem cell therapies to regenerate damaged heart tissue following a heart attack or heart disease.

Research conducted at the Board of Governors Heart Stem Cell Center will focus on checking if a patient’s own stem cells – including heart and bone marrow stem cells – can help the heart regenerate healthy tissue, repairing itself.

Richard Maize is pleased to provide assistance to this revolutionary therapy, which has the ability to change the paradigm of recovery after a heart attack, providing options to traditional treatments such as medication, implanted devices or transplantation.

Richard Maize, through the Richard Maize Foundation, donates both time and finances to research in the field of health. The Foundation donates funds in which cures for leukemia can be researched. The Foundation is also an active supporter of Breast Cancer awareness campaigns to find a cure.

The Richard Maize Foundation, a philanthropic organization, also supports such organizations as:

• United Way
• Special Olympics
• Childrens Hospital
• Rape Foundation
• Lupus
• Vista Del Mar
• Big Brothers Big Sisters
• Goodwill

As well as local causes, the Richard Maize Foundation supports and offers volunteer and financial contributions to international interests. Richard Maize uses his resources to strengthen meaningful programs that focus on art, culture, family services and healthcare.

A leader, mentor and dedicated mortgage professional, Richard Maize lives in Beverly Hills along with his wife and foundation co-founder, Rochelle Atlas Maize and their two daughters, Amanda and Ally.

Ally in her new hybrid

For Ally, her awareness of environmental issues began last year when she was only fifteen years old. While learning to drive she began to research the type of car she wanted her father, Richard Maize, to buy for her. It so happened that in school she had been learning about global warming and the deeper she got into her studies, the more she began to appreciate the idea behind hybrid cars. By the time she had her driver’s license and was ready for that first car, she was thoroughly convinced that it must be a hybrid.

Passion for the Environment

What started out as a search for the most environmentally friendly car turned into a passion for Ally. Soon her interest in global warming had her monitoring the type of light bulbs used in her family home, how their heating system effected the environment and what type of hot water system they used. Richard and Rochelle Maize learned along with Ally and together they agreed on changes in their home to make it more environmentally friendly. Along with replacing their hot water heating system inside the house to use a tank-less system, they installed solar panels on the roof to collect energy from the sun and instead of using plastic bags they now use cloth bags for groceries.

Together with her parents, Ally came up with the idea to start the Green Youth Movement. She feels that as a knowledgeable teenager she is in a position to educate others about the dangers of global warming. The goal of the movement is to inform and educate the youth, which is in fact the next group of consuming adults. She hopes to inspire awareness and give a broad understanding of what it means to “live green.”

“Cool Kid” Ally Maize

When Ally appeared on ABC7’s “Cool Kid” program, she acknowledged that a big source of inspiration came through Al Gore’s film, “An Inconvenient Truth.” She was so overwhelmed by what she learned about global warming that she knew she must do something.

Ally’s long-range goal is, through Green Youth Movement, to get a comprehensive program of “green learning” incorporated into the school curriculum. For now she is trying to educate elementary-age kids about the environment and ways they can help. She feels that as these educated youth grow up there will be less waste, less use of materials that harm the environment and a more determined focus and shift towards eco-conscious behavior. Rather than think it is someone else’s responsibility, she feels that by educating young children, she is instilling in them a green mantra that will reap benefits as they grow into mature and responsible adults.

Ally Maize promotes the use of reuseable shopping bags

In teaching students to be more eco-conscious and environmentally responsible, she has prepared a selection of educational materials which are available through her website, http://www.greenyouthmovement. In addition she has products available such as the Green Kit and the Live Green bracelets to increase public awareness. She regularly participates in eco fairs and conferences, always with the intent of informing the public and offering her ecologically friendly products.

While Richard Maize is helping daughter Ally with her non-profit organization, he is not totally new to the subject of environmental responsibility. Last October, in an attempt to raise environmental consciousness in his community, he and Rochelle used the “green” them in their Halloween decorations.

Recycling Efforts

Richard Maize - Green Halloween

The Richard Maize Foundation is a philanthropic organization that contributes both time and money to worthy causes locally and around the globe. In helping Ally Maize with the Green Youth Movement, the Foundation helps to raise money for education and awareness among the youth. Through the Green Youth Movement website Ally is able to encourage environmentally friendly practices, such as making an effort to reduce waste, toxins and energy consumption while promoting recycling, renewable products and resource conservation.

On a personal level, the Richard Maize household worked together to plant a sustainable garden at their Beverly Hills home. After only three weeks of planting the garden they were happily enjoying the rewards. Fresh spinach, lettuce, carrots tomatoes and even herbs from their garden are now incorporated into their family meals.

Richard Maize Foundation Projects

The Green Youth Movement is only one of the important programs that the Richard Maize Foundation supports. Richard Maize continually uses his resources to strengthen meaningful programs that focus on art, culture, family services and healthcare, including cancer research. Other programs the Richard Maize Foundation supports include the American Cancer Society, Maccabiah Games in Israel, Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, Hurricane Katrina victims and the Cedars Sinai Board of Governors.

Richard Maize Foundation Participates in Bowling Fundraising Event

Funding Cancer Research

Richard and Rochelle Maize are known to participate actively in helping cancer-related research.  Again this year they added their sponsorship to the Sheryl Weissberg Lymphoma Research Foundation’s annual fundraiser event, Strike Lymphoma!

Striking Against Lymphoma

As another strike against the devastating lymphoma, Richard Maize, co-founder of the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation, continues to fund research for clinical trials and research conducted at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center and Tower Cancer Research Foundation.

The fundraising bowling event was well attended and included cocktails, dinner, and a live auction specifically designated to benefit the Lymphoma Research Foundation’s mission to eradicate the disease.

Philanthropic Support

Rochelle and Richard Maize have dedicated their philanthropic foundation to support this worthwhile organization with the aim of giving people the chance to live happier and healthier lives.

The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation, a philanthropic organization, supports and offers volunteer and financial contributions to local community causes as well as international interests. Richard Maize uses his resources to strengthen meaningful programs that focus on art, culture, family services and healthcare, including cancer research.

For more information on the Foundation’s activities, go to:

http://www.richardmaizefoundation.com

Richard Maize Foundation Creators, RIchard Maize and Rochelle Maize

Richard Maize, co-founder of the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation, is once again donating his time as a mentor to 2 young adults from the young leadership division of the Jewish Federation YLDI.  This is the third  year running that he is contributing both time and money to this cause.

Richard Maize never ceases to be a loyal supporter of the younger generation. Through his foundation, the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation, he  supports and contributes volunteer and financial resources to local and worldwide causes. By providing financial support to focus on art, culture, family services and healthcare, the Foundation helps ensure that those in need and their families can live more fulfilling lives.

This year Richard Maize helped his young real estate mentees by arranging a private placement for two large mobile home parks.  By showing his support for this project in a very practical way, he also acts as a passive investor to the young professionals.

The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation generously supports foundations and causes such as the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, the American Cancer Society, Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, Hurricane Katrina, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Board of Governors, and the Jewish Maccabi Games, one of the world’s largest annual summer sporting competitions for Jewish youth.

“Team L.A.,” supported by the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation, celebrated silver and bronze medal wins at the 26th annual Maccabi Games held in Detroit in 2008. The week-long sporting event included teen athletes from the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Hungary, Israel, Mexico and Venezuela.

In 2008, along with the Friends of Greystone Mansion, the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation supported a silent auction with all proceeds benefiting the sixth year of Greystone’s restoration. Currently owned by the City of Beverly Hills, the 1928 classic estate was originally designed in the English Gothic Revival style, and in 1976, the mansion was placed on the Register of Historic Places.

Through their non-profit organization, the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation, Rochelle and Richard Maize are dedicated to supporting young designers and the restoration of historic buildings around the greater Los Angeles area.

Richard Maize proudly watched as Rochelle Maize was honored at the Los Angeles Business Journal’s seventeenth annual Women Making a Difference Awards. More than 200 women community leaders in philanthropy gathered at a gala reception and luncheon at the historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles to honor those who have made the greatest contributions business and in the communities they serve over the last year.

Together with her husband, Richard, the Maize Foundation has been reaching out to help those in need from LA to Jerusalem. In addition to her work with the Foundation, Maize works to partner with her clients to contribute part of each transaction to the clients’ charity of choice, or to one of Maize’s preferred charities.

A leader, mentor and dedicated mortgage professional, Richard Maize resides in Beverly Hills along with his wife and foundation co-founder, Rochelle Atlas Maize and their two daughters, Amanda and Ally.

To learn more about Richard Maize:

http://www.richardmaizefoundation.com