Young Palisadian Makes a Big Difference

By JOANNA SHEPHERD | Intern

Brimming with compassion and creativity, Palisadian philanthropist Shira Josephson is making a huge difference on the Westside—and she’s only 8 years old.

Since becoming a Junior Ambassador for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, she has helped raise over $60,000 for the hospital.

When Josephson was in preschool, she broke her arm and had to go to the hospital for surgery, where she said “the doctor was really nice” and because of him, “everything turned out OK.”

Having friends who had been patients at the hospital, as well as her own positive experience, inspired Josephson to want to help other kids. After her parents signed her up for the Junior Ambassador program at CHLA, Josephson had the opportunity to tour the hospital.

But there were restricted areas because some kids, as Josephson learned, are too sick to have visitors. This heavy reality stuck with her for the rest of the tour.

Sitting in the car on her way home from the hospital, Josephson had an idea: “Even though I can’t visit them, I could be a friend to them by making videos of myself reading books and sharing them online, and then any kids that don’t have someone to read them stories can have a friend in me,” she explained.

And so, Josephson’s YouTube channel, “Shira’s Story Corner,” was born.

This was only the beginning for the young philanthropist’s involvement at the hospital. Last June, Josephson’s WALK LA team raised over $12,000 for CHLA. She also recently wrote a book, “The Girl on the Subway,” which she sold with bookmarks and homemade cookies at Books and Cookies in Santa Monica for CHLA’s Action Day in October.

Josephson and other Junior Ambassadors’ efforts on Action Day raised $35,000—enough to purchase 10 mobile gaming GO Karts, which are portable, medical-grade video game kiosks that provide bedside recreation to hospitalized children who are unable to leave their rooms.

On Giving Tuesday, the Junior Ambassadors presented the karts to the CHLA Child Life Staff. The ambassadors’ hard work garnered an additional $25,000 matching gift from Pearl Recovery Retreat, bringing the total raised to $60,000.

When not campaigning to bring joy and comfort to the lives of sick children, Josephson  said she loves going to the Pacific Palisades Farmers Market on Sundays, eating frozen yogurt and attending the Fourth of July Parade. Her favorite restaurant is Casa Nostra, where she said she would “eat pizza and chicken parm every day” if she could.