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The Glamorous Grind
Where grit meets glamour, and the law is always in style. Hosted by attorneys Ilona Antonyan and Mila Arutunian of Antonyan Miranda LLP, The Glamorous Grind delivers bold conversations at the intersection of law, lifestyle, and mindset.
Each episode features stories from inside the courtroom, celebrity interviews, and real-life legal battles that shape lives and headlines. From empowerment and entrepreneurship to manifestation and vision boards, we explore the hustle behind the glam with fearless insight.
No topic is off-limits! Expect unfiltered talk on relationships, mental health, success strategies, and building your legacy.
The Glamorous Grind
Saving Children with The Sparkles Foundation
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Child hunger, human trafficking, foster care, displacement from war, and children living without basic necessities can feel like problems far too big for one person to solve.
But making a difference doesn’t require solving everything.
Sometimes, it starts with simply deciding to do something.
In this episode of The Glamorous Grind, employment attorney Mila Arutunian and family law specialist Ilona Antonyan sit down with Kathy Kassardjian, founder of the Sparkles Foundation, to discuss how her decades of humanitarian work inspired her to create a nonprofit focused on helping vulnerable children in San Diego and around the world.
Kathy shares how Sparkles Foundation supports children affected by human trafficking, poverty, displacement, food insecurity, medical needs, and other difficult circumstances.
She also discusses why transparency matters when donating, how donors can choose where their contributions go, and why volunteering your time, skills, or resources can be just as valuable as making a financial donation.
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Hosts: Ilona Antonyan & Mila Arutunian
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When you hear about child hunger, human trafficking, or children displaced by war, the problems can feel so enormous that you wonder, what can I possibly do about it?
SPEAKER_00They need to house them, feed them, clothe them. They need emotional support as well.
SPEAKER_02Our guests today decided the answer wasn't to do everything. It was to start doing something. This is the Glamorous Grind, and today we're talking about the Sparkles Foundation with founder Kathy Kasarjan.
SPEAKER_01Welcome to the Glamorous Grind. Our guest today is the founder of the Sparkles Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of vulnerable children here in San Diego and around the world.
SPEAKER_02Kathy is proving that philanthropy isn't one size fits all for fighting child trafficking and food insecurity to using fashion and glamour, a fundraising force for good. Kathy, thank you so much for joining us today.
SPEAKER_00Thank you so much for having me here today.
SPEAKER_02Kathy, I've been to a couple of your Sparkle Foundation events and I really enjoyed it. What is Sparkle's Foundation?
SPEAKER_00Sparkles Foundation is an organization, 501c3 nonprofit, which helps any child who needs help. And we have no discrimination of who we help. We help any child who comes to us. We have collaborated with few organizations so that we make sure 100% of our profits goes to support those children in need.
SPEAKER_02When did you start Sparkles Foundation and what motivated you to start it?
SPEAKER_00We started Sparkles Foundation about five years ago. I had a calling that I really need to do something to help these children in need, especially when I started reading more and more about human trafficking in San Diego. There is 8,000 to 10,000 children trafficked every year. It was very sad to hear that. And also there are lots of foster children and orphan children here and abroad because I've been doing missionary work for over 30 years helping orphan children in Armenia. I thought maybe I should do something here in San Diego, raise awareness of people to help others. And I called my good friends, Dr. Anna Hachadarian, and I called my friend, District Attorney of San Diego, Summer Stefan. We had lunch together. I shared my information, and they were just so happy to hear that I want to do more for the community. And since then, Summer has been our guest speaker, honorary guest speaker every year.
SPEAKER_01We've spoken with Summer Stefan. I mean, there's enormous amounts of human trafficking all over the United States, but especially in California because it's a border state. Can you tell us a little bit more about how it supports victims of human trafficking?
SPEAKER_00We support them through just by providing them financial support. And by letter collision supports them by housing them. Recently I met this young girl. She was a victim of sex trafficking in San Diego. It was really sad to see a young girl had to go through that torture, and she was saved because we are there to support them to be saved, and we are providing them whatever they need so that they could get back on their feet. Are many of them underage? There was a girl last year, 12 years old.
unknownOh my goodness.
SPEAKER_00It was so sad. Where was she from? She was a local citizen. In most cases, the parents are drug addict and the kids are left alone and they are trafficked through social media, or they are trafficked through friend of friends that they are going someplace and they are just following their footsteps and going to the wrong place. But I heard another story which was 15-year-old girl again. She disappeared for six months. Even FBI looked for her, they couldn't find her. She was trafficked during a game, a football game. She went to get a drink. Some young men approached her and they started talking. Before she knows, she was drugged and taken away from one city to the other until one day she realized that she is in the wrong place because they drugged her so much she didn't know what she was doing. And there she saw another person who needed help, medical help. She ran, there was nobody else around them. She ran out and she found somebody to help them out. They were saved. There are so many cases that it's so sad that it's happening, and San Diego is the 13th city in the United States that we have trafficking.
SPEAKER_02You don't have to be a victim of a war crime or displaced person. You can just be a child from any normal family that can be taken advantage of by someone else if you're at the wrong place at the wrong time.
SPEAKER_00Unfortunately, yes. That's the situation right now.
SPEAKER_01And with social media, they don't even have to be in person and they I'm sure they make the kids feel comfortable before they even meet them. So by the time they meet them, they feel like they know them and they're no longer a stranger.
SPEAKER_00That's right.
SPEAKER_01So it's unfortunate. It is a very sad situation. I think spreading education is really important. We just got my oldest son a cell phone. He's almost 10. And they're really cool controls now. So he can't uh send a text to a new person or install an app or do anything. We get a notification and we have to ask. Right.
SPEAKER_02My daughter, she's six, and she's been negotiating now, getting her cell phone when she's 12. Now she reduced the negotiation the other day in a shower to when she's 10. You're saying you got it when he's 10. That's my concern, especially with girls.
SPEAKER_01I want to ask quickly about the Sparkles Foundation. Yes. How did you come up with the interesting title?
SPEAKER_00Whenever I see children that they get help, they have the spark on their face. And I thought when we start this, Sparkles will be a good name for it because we are bringing spark and on their faces when we help them. That was the main reason we called it Sparkles. After we came up with Sparkles, we realized there are lots of sparkle names out there.
SPEAKER_02Can you please describe the missionary work you've done over the years that motivated you?
SPEAKER_00When we went to Armenia for the first time, visited five orphanages and many other hospitals, which they had disabled children, my heart broke down. I really felt I need to help these kids. That's why we started supporting and adopting children in Armenia, sending them money every year so that they could have food. Me and my husband with my family, they have, we have been supporting them for years, and we go every few years to see these children and help them. AMAA has an orphanage there, and HMI Adzin Foundation has another orphanage and the school. And there is now other children which are disabled with Down syndrome that they really need help. We visited them back then, a few years ago, and even now, on my last trip with my family and grandkids, we went and visited these children.
SPEAKER_02Kathy, you and I went to lunch not long ago, and you shared an inspiring story about what your family tradition was around Christmas and how it started about helping, giving back, even before you started the Sparkles Foundation. I loved it. And I want you to share it with our audience because that's something I want my kids to hear and maybe try.
SPEAKER_00I told my grandkids, we are so lucky that we live in this country. You are lucky that you have everything. Your parents provide you, whatever you need, toys, clothing, shoes, whatever, even phone at the young age, even though they didn't get their phones until 13. My daughters were very strict. I said, you give me every year a list for gifts. I want to share that with somebody else. I have a plan for you. We're gonna find a kid in Armenia that needs food, and we will share your gifts with that child. They will be your buddy until they are 18, and they all agreed. So now every year, every I have four grandkids, every one of them has a buddy that they support. We send them $350 per child so that they get enough money for the food that they need.
SPEAKER_02Over the last multiple decades, you've been visiting orphanages, starting with Armenia. Describe what condition you find these children in. What are they missing?
SPEAKER_00They are missing nutrition, they are missing clothing, medical needs, and love. Every child we've seen that we hugged them, they said with a smile, thank you for coming and visiting us, and thank you for providing food for us. The good thing is every year I receive letters from their children. They send us a letter to thank us what we have provided to them. And also they say that we are praying for you to have a good health, which is amazing.
SPEAKER_02You know, I in the past I uh sponsored a child through World Vision, but it was only going to children in Africa. So I recently investigated before the show whether Armenia has a branch for world vision and what other countries have helped through worldvision. If you know you personally receive letters uh from children you helped before starting Sparkles Foundation, if someone donates money to Sparkles Foundation and they choose to do that on a regular basis, does your foundation have a way to keep the sponsor in touch with the family or child they're supporting?
SPEAKER_00Yes, definitely. How? Based on their request, if they donate and say, we want these funds to go to Army and Children, we'll be gladly to provide the children and the names of the children so that they could even communicate with you directly. They could send you letters so you know which child are you supporting every year. And their needs are not that much, to be honest with you. $350 a year will provide food on the table in Armenia. In Africa, I don't know at the moment, but in certain countries it's very inexpensive for us to support them.
SPEAKER_02So you're saying that to provide food for an entire year to a child somewhere like an armia, all we need is a donation of $350 to feed them for a year? To adopt the child, yes. What about providing clothes?
SPEAKER_00That's additional. That's different. We're talking only for food. If we need to provide them with food only, decent meal per day.
SPEAKER_02Sounds like a $1,000 donation per child a year would really take care of raising them if they have no parents in foster care for a year in a different country, correct? That's correct. What about in the United States? You help victims of um human trafficking that end up from other countries here because they're often trafficked for sexual reasons, right? Or for labor. Yes. What does it take financially to sponsor a child through your organization here in San Diego?
SPEAKER_00That would be much more. I would say minimum five to ten thousand a year because they need housing, they need clothing, medical needs, because government will not provide for them if they are immigrants here. What do you mean? If they come here into this country, traffic situation, and land into San Diego, for example, and they were found with any organizations that we support, like bilateral coalition in San Diego National City. That's all they do. They go find those children, bring them home, they need to house them, feed them, clothe them, and they need to take them to the doctor. They need emotional support as well.
SPEAKER_02Yes. Can you tell us about charitable organizations that Sparkles Foundation is connected with locally and abroad?
SPEAKER_00I will start with One Safe Place. We partnered with them this year so that we could support them not monetarily, but we could bring them clothing, blankets, and if there is any need for food, we will support it that way and invite families there and meet them. There is another organization which we have been helping since uh four years ago. We started working together. It's bilateral coalition of San Diego. It's in downtown, it's a more national city-based organization, nonprofit. I've been there and supported them, and I've seen what kind of situations they have. And 100% what we give them, they help these children that they are victimized from trafficking. And what is their focus? Just to help victims of trafficking, house them, feed them, and take care of them until they get back on their feed. Sometimes they take more than a year to get back to their to their normal life. Sometimes it takes longer.
SPEAKER_02What other organizations, the Sparkle Foundation, contribute to with the donations it receives?
SPEAKER_00We have helped some uh organizations that they have children that they live out of their car in the car. They have no place to go. And uh that one is called Monarch School. And uh we supported them for one year. And uh there are individuals that they call us that they need some help, then we will help those children as well in San Diego. We have another organization in New Jersey-based organization that they help any city, any town in the United States, that there are children or families that they came from through war or refugees. They are there to help out. What is that called? Armenian Missionaries Association of America. They've been around over 100 years, that's all they do, help children and families, and they are big in helping any other country. Their headquarters is in Los Angeles, so we partner with them and they do the same thing, helping children again in Armenia. There is another one which we partnered with two years ago. It's called AGBU. AGBU is more educational organization. They helped the kids that they need more help with their schooling or their education. And another important organization is Trek2Share. You've heard of that organization. It's based in San Diego. Dr. Anna Kachadriyan is the principal, the president of the organization, and they help by bringing medical needs to Armenia, especially the wounded.
SPEAKER_02And when you're talking about the wounded, can you please explain how these children are wounded and why they require medical attention?
SPEAKER_00Through the years with the war, especially three years ago when they had this Arapa war, lots of young teenagers, I would say, 17, 18-year-old, 19-year-old went to war to protect their country, their homes, their homeland. And they were wounded, they lost a leg or an arm. You know, it's it was maybe less than three years ago. I went with Dr. Anna to Armenia. She was going there to help victims. I went with her to see with my own eyes how these kids have been struggling. We met especially a young boy. He was 10 years old. He had lost one leg and he needed pastahis, and Dr. Anna brought with her and operated on him. And that child now is growing up helping, and he's become an athlete. He's jogging and preparing to go into racing in Europe.
SPEAKER_02What stands out the most in your memory that touched you deeply?
SPEAKER_00There were a few occasions 30 years ago when I went with my daughter. We walked in a small it was an orphanage, it was institutions for disabled children, unfortunately. And they had maybe six beds in one room, these children just laying in beds because they couldn't get up and walk, they were disabled, waist down. And it was very poor. Like I can't imagine how these kids had to live there. And as we were hugging and giving them a little gift as our support to them, and we will send them support, financial support afterwards. One little boy said, Rita, please don't go. I want to pray for you. And that was really touchy, touched my heart and my daughter's heart that this children are there and the parents, they either they had a parent or they had no parents disabled, and they were left there, just hoping that one day they will get better or someone will come to help them or bring them food or necessities that they have, which was very touchy. Another occasion, three years ago, when I went, I visited a family, which they said they lost their dad, very young family. They had four children. One was very little. The mother was crying, and they had such a small little apartment. They were very kind. They welcomed me. I sat down and talked to them, and the lady was breaking down, and they had their dad's picture on the table. Like worshipping their dad because their dad was the provider. I said, How do you live here with all these children? The oldest one was 16 years old. She said, My 16-year-old had to quit school to go work to provide for us, even that is not enough for us. But thank you. What you sent through AMAA, they were able to give us money every month so that we could have food on the table for these kids. My heart really went for these children. And this wife, the woman which was widowed, it's really sad. And there are many other stories like this that they need help and nobody has supported them. Refugees in Armenia and they don't have help.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I know too shit.
SPEAKER_01But it's not so you have an annual event, which is the fashion show, and it's a kids' fashion show, right? Correct. Kids get to go and dress up, and and I know, I mean, you and I were co-chairs of the gala back in 2019. I don't know if you know, for the Armenian Church. That's right. And I was always just very taken aback by your dedication to these events, and you have so many contacts with community. Um, so you I mean, that gala was phenomenally successful. We raised what $2.3 million and built the beautiful Armenian Church.
SPEAKER_002019 was the year that we received that big donation. Yeah. Mamma fact, correct. Yes, that was amazing. Thank you.
SPEAKER_01So I have no doubt that you put that same effort and energy into this fashion show, but uh or into this organization. But why did you choose to do a fashion show for the annual event? I mean, we love it. We're all about being glamorous, and I know that you're right up that alley as well. She used to be a fashion designer, right? Yes.
SPEAKER_00Yes, before I retired. Thank you. Well, I just thought it would be good to have children and community children volunteer and get involved. And that was the main purpose to invite all the community people to participate. And there is no age restrictions, I would say, from five-year-old on. We even had last year, four-year-old little boy, he stole the show. He was so cute. So these children will learn not only to be confident of what they are doing, they would love to be on the stage. This is an opportunity for them. Plus, they learn to give back to the community. They know we tell them why they are doing this, is to raise funds to help children. You're helping with your modeling another child to be fed, and they are so happy and proud to do that.
SPEAKER_02Oh, we should have all of our eight kids. Yeah. She really enjoyed it. It was her first time, but she was so into it. She can't wait to do it this year.
SPEAKER_00She was so cute, adorable too. Yes, I forgot about your daughter.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, we should sign them. But I in the last couple of years, you had Macy's sponsor, your fashion show. How did Macy's become a sponsor?
SPEAKER_00They lend us the clothing, the organizers' responsibility is to bring clothing line to model and take it back. But the first year when we did the modeling, we had multiple stores participate, small boutiques. And until now, those boutiques or some of the boutiques come and become a vendor, they just give back to the organization.
SPEAKER_02Sounds like it would be a good opportunity for those who want to show off their brand, especially children's clothing, to donate portion of their sales to Sparkles and uh show their stuff.
SPEAKER_01Definitely, yeah. They are all welcome. When people donate to the fashion show or to the Sparkles Foundation, can they choose what they're donating to?
SPEAKER_00Yes, they could. Okay. And we had some major sponsors in the past. They said we want to donate $5,000 for this purpose, and we make sure their wish comes true.
SPEAKER_02You know, you know that both her and I were refugees, um, and I came to the United States because of Nagorna Karabakh conflict back in 1989, which recurred again three years ago, resulting in a war and displacement of children. Now that I'm grown up, I hear that the whole world was donating to the refugees from Azerbaijan back in the days. A lot of humanitarian help was sent from all over the world to Armenians who had to run from Azerbaijan. But none of that passed over to us, the displaced people. It always, it seems, and my impression is now that I'm older, it ends up in the pockets of politicians and those who are in charge of a lot of these humanitarian organizations who help themselves, their connections, their families, and it doesn't trickle down to the needy. That is my concern when I'm donating money. I'm sure a lot of those who would help would feel more comfortable knowing how can they be sure the money they give to your organization ends up in the right hands and not lining the pockets of those who administer those funds.
SPEAKER_00It is sad, and I'm glad you brought that up. 1990, when we had our factory, clothing factory, when the earthquake happened in Speedag, and also lots of refugees were in Armenia. They needed help. We manufactured fleece garments like jackets, hoodies, hats, and things like that, thousands of them, and we shipped it to those kids so that they are warm in the winter because Armenia is very cold in winter. I'm so sad to hear that you never saw those and you were child at that time. Yeah, we slept in our coats in a winter with no heat. I'm so silly. That must have been so difficult for you. Well, I will make sure. I will assure everyone 100% that whatever they donate, every dollar goes to those in need and they get they receive the help.
SPEAKER_02Do you trust the organizations that you work with? In fact, do you pass the funds to the needy?
SPEAKER_00Yes, definitely. How do you how are you showing? I go, I go and visit them and I told them I'm such and such. I'm here just to visit and see how you're doing and if you're receiving funds from this organization every month to support your child or your children. They absolutely agreed, and they said, yes, we do receive funds. I went to all the organizations that they say they made this and the other, and I made sure that it was taken care of. That's our hope and wish.
SPEAKER_02This morning I actually spoke to someone who is a recent refugee from the Gordon Karabakh, and she was telling me about the family that's in need over there, and wondering how Spark Rose Foundation could help them. And my answer was, I'm not sure I'm gonna ask you because other than having your cell phone number try to reach you, how do people ask for help?
SPEAKER_00They could even email us, they could call us, and I'll be glad to provide them local numbers in Armenia where they could call and receive the help they need. What about in San Diego? In San Diego, if there is a need for human trafficking or any help, they could reach us or they could reach to the other organization, especially once a place is open for anybody who really needs help.
SPEAKER_02What is that email address that people can reach out to for help here or elsewhere?
SPEAKER_00SdsparklesFoundation at gmail.com.
SPEAKER_01Now we're gonna play red flag, green flag. Alone and I are gonna name different scenarios. And if you think it's something that's good and not a problem, then you'll raise the green flag. But if you think it might be a little bit questionable, then you raise the red flag and you tell us why you think it might be questionable. These scenarios are all about learning to make good choices when making donations. So the first scenario is a donor wants to control where their donation goes within the organization. It's okay. Green flag.
SPEAKER_00We'll we'll agree whatever their wish is, we'll make sure their wish comes true within the requirements and within the organizations that we support.
SPEAKER_02Red flag or green flag, instead of donating money, someone buys $500 worth of toys and drops them off at a nonprofit.
SPEAKER_00That's doable. Yes. But Sparkas Foundation cannot deliver those toys or clothing to that organization. Let's say if somebody came and said, I have toys to ship to Armenia, it will cost us more to ship versus the value of the toys or whatever it is purchased in that country or in Mexico or wherever the country is.
SPEAKER_01Okay, red flag, green flag. You donate a GoFundMe without checking who's behind it because the story makes you emotional.
SPEAKER_00I would say be careful of that because you don't know who's doing the fundraiser without knowing where it's going. I would not donate money.
SPEAKER_02The red flag or green flag. Someone wants to volunteer and spends most of the day filming content for Instagram.
SPEAKER_00I would say filming just for the Instagram the whole day is wasting time. There could be other things done instead of just filming the whole day as volunteer, right? Time is valuable.
SPEAKER_02Kathy, what's the best way for someone to feel comfortable that the charity they intend to donate to is for real?
SPEAKER_00They need to know the charity and the organizers. If the charity says 100% of our funds goes to help these organizations or these children or whatever the reason is, I would trust that organization. And if there are organizations, they just go online and say, oh, we are feeding millions of kids every year and we need money, this and the other. Even on TV, I'll be more careful donating to that kind of organizations.
SPEAKER_02Kathy, for 501c3 entities such as Sparkles, does that mean that every dollar they donate to your foundation is tax deductible for charity purposes? Yes. And will they receive a letter before the end of the year to provide to their CPA the amount of donation that they can write off an entirety? Yes, absolutely. How can people help your foundation other than given money?
SPEAKER_00We need volunteers to help plan the event. We have a limited number of people who help us every year. We welcome anybody who could come big volunteerily and say, I could co-chair the event or I could even cheer the event. Kathy, how can we help you to grow this organization or to make it more powerful? We welcome anybody's help. Our foundation is set 100% volunteer base. Nobody gets paid even a dollar. Even if they go by necessity things, sometimes they say, oh, this is donation. Don't worry to reimburse us. For example, if they were to go buy paper or print something small, they don't charge us. For example, myself, I do the mailing to people, I don't charge the organization, I just pay out of my pocket.
SPEAKER_02So you don't take a salary out of what people donate.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. 100% generously donated by people, their time, or they just donate money. I just want to thank all the sponsors throughout the years that they have been generous and kind to donate for this organization so that we were able to feed thousands of children and also help support, save lives all these years from trafficking.
SPEAKER_02Well, thank you for doing what you're doing. It is inspiring. I hope Sparkles Foundation grows and gets more volunteers and more donations to help people worldwide. Thank you.
SPEAKER_01Thank you for having me here today. At the end of the day, you don't have to solve every problem in the world to make a difference.
SPEAKER_02And you don't have to be a millionaire or billionaire to start a foundation or throw a huge fundraiser either. You can donate, you can volunteer, and you can offer your skills or information on how to get help for yourself or someone else. Because something that feels small can be life-changing to the person on the other side of it.
SPEAKER_01Hit that subscribe button and make sure to follow us. And if you've got a question for Let's Get Ready, leave it in the comments or send it to podcast at AntonianMiranda.com. Thank you for listening, and we'll see you next time on the Glamorous Grind.
