Mablean Ephriam Foundation – Our History

The Founder and President of Mablean Ephriam Foundation is Judge Mablean Ephriam, who presided over the Fox television show, Divorce Court from 1999-2006. She is a mother of four, grandmother of ten. She was born in Mississippi and raised in South Central Los Angeles. She has been admitted to the practice of law almost forty years.

MEF was birthed as an outgrowth of Judge Mablean’s personal and professional experiences. She is keenly aware of what is destroying our communities.  The alarming rate of illiteracy and the declining quality of our educational system, especially in the inner-city schools.  This compounded with the lack of adequate and affordable housing, high rate of unemployment, the dissipation of the family and declining moral values. Judge Mablean observed that these plagues result with the increased rate of fatherless homes, divorce, unwanted pregnancies, drug abuse and suicide, especially in African-American and Latino-Hispanic families. She witnessed the widening gap between the haves and have-nots, the advantaged and disadvantaged. Fed up, she decided to do something to address these conditions and hopefully change the circumstances.

In 2003, Judge Mablean decided to host a brunch and awards program to celebrate fathers. She believed that if the positive is accentuated and the negative de-emphasized; more fathers would become involved in the lives of their children, thus strengthening families. Within three months of that decision, she became the founder and host of the Honoring Unsung Fathers (H.U.F.) Awards and Brunch. This inaugural brunch was held June 15, 2003 in San Pedro, California at the Hilton Marina Hotel. Eight extraordinary fathers were personally selected by Judge Mablean to receive these inaugural awards. The Committee prepared for 250 attendees. Over 400 individuals came. Some even had to be turned away. Due to the overwhelming support for the event, she then decided to make the H.U.F. Awards and Brunch an annual affair.

Judge Mablean used her own funds for the inaugural H.U.F. Awards and Brunch. However, desiring to expand, she decided to apply for non-profit status in order to seek corporate sponsorship and the financial support of other business leaders who shared her concern for better communities. The Foundation applied for its non-profit status in February, 2004 and was granted the same on May 17, 2004.

Given the enthusiasm of the fathers who received the first awards and their families, Judge Mablean decided to open the nominations to the public to allow mothers, wives, children, co-workers, relatives and friends to nominate a father in their lives who deserved to be honored. In 2004, over 75 applications were received. Nominations are now accepted each year in five standing categories: Solo Warrior (single father), Love Cares (married father), Fatherhood Forever (divorced father), Village Dad (non-biological father) and Living Legacy (the elderly role-model father).

 

MISSION 

The mission of the Mablean Ephriam Foundation  is to build stronger families, educate minds, increase economic power among disadvantaged and lower economic persons and thus create better communities

 

OBJECTIVES & SERVICES

Strengthening Families

We believe that the development of good parenting skills and the inclusion of fathers, especially, in the parenting process, serve to strengthen families. We place a lot of emphasis on encouraging fathers to be active in the lives of their children. We provide programs in:

• Parenting Skills
• Domestic Violence Prevention

Judge Mablean has an undeniable passion for bringing awareness to domestic violence and providing preventive solutions to reduce its prevalence. As a victim of psychological and physical abuse in her marriage, Judge Mablean has empathy for the appalling effects these actions have on victims, children ,perpetrators, police and the community at large.  Thus, MEF provides programs to teach domestic violence prevention, such as anger management classes, conflict resolution, marriage counselling, self-awareness, self-esteem and victim rights as well as punishment for domestic violence.  MEF views the participation of fathers and young men key to prevention measures.

Seminars are offered on Domestic Violence Prevention. MEF works closely with local domestic violence shelters and transition homes in Los Angeles, to educate the victims of domestic violence on prevention and available legal remedies available. Domestic Violence counseling and classes for domestic violence are offered for offenders and victims.  This is done as a joint effort to educate the offender and victim and to prevent a reoccurrence of domestic violence acts.

• Child Custody/Visitation Advocacy
• Child Support Advocacy
• Elder Care: We emphasize caring for our aging parents and seniors, as caregiver, healthcare advocates and financial supporters.

• Obesity/Nutrition: To address the growing issue of obesity and poor nutrition among Americans, especially children, MEF, has planted a garden consisting of fresh green vegetables and fruits on the campus of Peary School. The green vegetables and fruits are accessible to the students and the community. MEF plans to build a track around the garden area to encourage exercise for the students of Peary, as well as the community. MEF provides seminars on diet, nutrition and exercise, from health care professionals and personal trainers.

Educate Minds

We educate minds through the provision of college scholarships for lower socio-economic and disadvantaged inner city youth in Los Angeles County.  We assist in preparing our middle school youth for college and to become tomorrow’s leaders. Guidance is given for SAT testing and college selection.  The youth are given cultural enrichment  by participating in college tours and other social events to expand their minds and world views.   We provide tutorial programs, mentors and role models for the youth of our communities.

Our education programs consist of:

• College Scholarships: Our general scholarships are awarded to current year high school seniors and adults between the ages of 25 to 40 years who have decided to pursue a college education.  We annually award an earmarked scholarship for a high school graduate who will attend Howard University in the fall after graduation and for a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School (located on 41st St., Los Angeles).
• Nursing Scholarships: A scholarship specifically designed for those majoring in nursing. As of 2018, MEF will award two new scholarships to the current year graduates and will continue three scholarships from the prior year for a total of four years, as opposed to one year scholarships.
• Adopt a School Program:  We have adopted Bethune Middle School (69^th and Main, Los Angeles, California) and Thomas Jefferson High School (41st and Hooper Ave., Los Angeles, CA).
• Tutorial Program
• Mentoring Programs
• Reading with Seniors Program
• College Preparation:  This program includes application completion, writing skills, acquainting students with college options (trade schools, community colleges, state colleges and universities, private colleges and universities), and SAT/ACT Prep Classes.
• Leadership Training Programs
• Educational and Cultural Enrichment Field Trips/Outings

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (S.T.E.M.):  Tutorial and Enrichment Programs and Labs

Financial Empowerment

We economically empower urban-city families through education and assistance in first time home ownership, home retention, refinancing, reverse mortgage, banking, investments and savings.