Tai Collins
Tai, aka 'Miss Tai,' is founder and Executive Director of A Chance for Children Foundation. She is on the Board of Directors for Sunburst Youth Academy and has served on as a board member of Life Skills Sports Academy, Community Harvest Foundation, NFL’s Goals for Life, the Aquatic Center, and Westminster House shelter. She assisted in establishing A Better LA.
Tai has volunteered with Special Olympics in Southern California for twenty years assisting with athletes as well as fundraising.
In addition to her work in Los Angeles, Tai helped establish after school programs for “latch-key” kids in Harlem and the inner city of Baltimore. She has traveled with groups such as Habitat for Humanity, the National Presbytery and Amour Ministries to Japan, China, North and South Africa, Ukraine, Exuma, Mexico, and Jamaica where she built houses for the homeless and set up schools and programs for youth in towns often having no running water or electricity.
Tai will tell you that the rewards of her work come from the successes and growth of the children she has touched. However, she has been recognized by others for her work on many occasions. Tai was honored in 1999 with a Humanitarian Award alongside Kofi Annan and Al Gore. In 2001, she received a Resolution by the Assembly of the State of California for her on-going work with ‘at risk’ youth in South Los Angeles. W.O.M.E.N. of Los Angeles honored her with their first Lynne Weaver Mentoring Award in 2005. In 2007, the Life Skills Sports Academy in South Los Angeles honored her by naming their baseball league the Tai Collins Baseball League. In 2010 her lifetime work was honored when she was invited by the United Nations to be a part of the Women in the World Making Change Summit. In 2011, she received numerous recognitions including; a Commendation from the City of Los Angeles for her service and support of the Los Angeles Police Department Southeast Division Jeopardy Program; a Certificate of Recognition by the California State Legislature for her community service to the city of Los Angeles; and the prestigious Women in History Award by the California State Assembly. LA Family Housing Homeless shelters honored her with a Dream Builder Award in 2013 for her over twenty years of service to homeless children and families. In October 2013, Tai was honored with a CPOA (California Peace Officers Association) Award that is presented to an individual outside of the law enforcement for an action that enhances Peace and the law enforcement profession . In 2015, she was honored by the Los Angeles Police Department for her twenty year partnership with them providing opportunities and programs for children in the community. She was also recognized in 2015 with a number of Certificates of Recognition as well as a Commendation from various Councilmen and Police Departments for her on-going contributions. She was invited as a special guest to LA Mayor Eric Garcetti's State of the CIty Address and recognized for her contribution to Los Angeles.
Tai has an active role as head of the foundation working hands-on with the children of Los Angeles on a daily basis.
