Foothill Family was founded in 1926 in Pasadena, California by key community volunteer, Mrs. Josephine Marsh, who “passed the hat” to assist neighbors in need. She became the first director of the agency. To honor this humble origin, we continue Mrs. Marsh’s legacy by “passing the hat” to raise important funds for our client services through a friendly competition between teams. We also continue the tradition of honoring our most gracious community leaders by “tipping our caps” and thanking them for their service to Foothill Family.

The highlight of the event will take shape as we tell our story through the voices of our clients, families, and support staff. You will not want to miss the most heart-warming part of the event as we hear from community members who have received services from Foothill Family and have achieved success in their relationships. We’ll also have an opportunity to receive updates from clients who have spoken at the event previously. This is a not-miss!

Deemed an essential business during the global pandemic, Foothill Family was on the front lines from the beginning to support those most in need ­– families facing food, housing and employment insecurity, social isolation and lack of access to affordable, high-quality childcare for essential workers. 

Foothill Family reached out to Clear Channel Outdoor for ways to get the word out about the agency’s vital services so we could better provide support and resources to our community that was being hit so hard. Clear Channel simply asked, “How can we help?” They stepped up in every way to partner with us to vastly expand our reach through their enormous footprint in our service areas and let our community know we are here and we can help. Foothill Family is grateful for Clear Channel’s ongoing support, their strategic leadership, and desire to get involved to impact our community, together.

Anita Lawler is a community leader, philanthropist, and the recent outgoing Board Chairwoman of Foothill Family - the first Latina Board Chair in the organization’s 95-year history. She has held several leadership roles for the agency including Chair of the Corporate Relations Committee, the Board Affairs Committee, and the Executive Committee, and was a dedicated Development and Program Committee member. In addition, Anita chaired the capital campaign for the construction and improvements of the Donald and Priscilla Hunt Family Center in Duarte and participated in various fundraising and outreach projects. Anita is also a Founding Member of the Friends of Foothill Family, a volunteer guild that fundraises and advocates for Foothill Family.

Professionally, Anita has over 25 years of experience in the banking industry, the majority of which were in executive management and leadership roles. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Loyola Marymount University and holds a Certificate of Nonprofit Management from Cal Poly Pomona. She resides in Altadena with her husband Vince and has been a caregiver to her father and currently to her adult nephew who is autistic. She also volunteers for Proyecto Pastoral, a nonprofit based in Boyle Heights, and the Altadena Library Foundation.