Rams pLAymakers | Los Angeles Rams - therams.com

Rikki Mendias grew up in shelters with his mother for most of his childhood. He didn't have much to call his own, and his shoes had holes in the soles. One former resident of the CLARE|MATRIX treatment shelter, where Mendias was staying, noticed this and bought him two new pairs – that kindness sparked a lifelong desire to collect shoes, and to give back.

Everett Glenn, CEO and Executive Director of Business of Student Success (BOSS), honored as a Rams "pLAymaker" for his work with under-resourced students.

Aurianna Tuttle, the founder and executive director of ROC Era, was named a Rams "pLAymaker" for her work in the L.A. community.

Khalil Wadood is the commissioner of the Snoop Youth Football League (SYFL). It's a 501c3 non-profit organization that was founded by entertainment icon Snoop Dogg in 2005 to give inner-city children (ages 5-13) the opportunity to participate in youth football and cheer.

Jose Flores, a community manager at Google Code Next, was inspired by his parents to pursue a community-centered path. They immigrated to East Los Angeles and "worked tirelessly and sacrificed everything" so that Flores could have a better life.

Community engagement was always a big part of Ann Holland Stacy's family. As the senior manager of volunteerism at A Place Called Home, she gets to help facilitate that for herself and others.

Mary Agnes Erlandson community engagement journey began 45 years ago at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). As Erlandson got to know her coworkers who lived in the area, she became "aware of the struggles of the economically disadvantaged in the LAX communities."

Erika Cuellar and Richard Garcia founded ALMA Backyard Farms in 2013 with the goal of repurposing land in Los Angeles into urban farms. Their objective is to "reimagine community as a place for people and plants to thrive."

Years ago, Dr. Angela Parker was a newspaper reporter, assigned to write a story about Jenesse Center, Inc. When she arrived, the facilities, programming and passionate staff blew her away. A few months later, she was contacted by the organization's CEO, Karen Earl, who felt she had made a real connection to the work and wanted her to join them.

Trayonna Rankins' community-centered journey began in adulthood. As she started to learn who she was and how she wanted to be as a new mother, she shared thoughts and feelings with friends. Many of them, Rankins included, realized that they were "grown women with little girl issues," Rankins said.

During the aftermath of the Eaton Canyon fire, Brandon Lamar's community had suffered. But as the founder of Project Passion Inc., he was in a position to do something about it. Lamar launched the Dena Relief Drive to provide essentials to the people who had been affected by the fire.

English wasn't the first language for Ana Albarrán's mother. Albarrán often found herself translating appointments or conversations from English to Spanish, and sometimes didn't fully comprehend what was being said. They would have benefitted greatly from daily assistance or education, which is what Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) offers.

Lila Ramirez's upbringing inspired her to follow a community-centered path. Growing up as an only child who relied on summer lunches at the park taught her the power of community. Her parents' emphasis on hard work and giving back, along with her experiences as a child, set her on a path "where helping others wasn't just a career choice, it was a responsibility," she said.