Why Community Service Matters to Ella Shahbazian, Founder of Ella's Angels
Welcome to Matters.com™ beta. A new social platform to share what matters. More information? Click here.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
Ella Shahbazian, a 15-year-old from Los Angeles, founded Ella's Angels, a nonprofit that organizes service projects, offers scholarships, and promotes financial literacy for youth. Recent activities include meal drives and tutoring programs.
WHY IT MATTERS
Youth-led community service and financial literacy initiatives empower young people to address social needs early, foster leadership, and fill gaps in education. These efforts build stronger communities and prepare youth for future challenges.
Whys (9)
Reality TV does not matter to Ella: "I don't really watch reality TV." reality television
Does REALITY TELEVISION matter to you?
Personal finance matters "a hundred percent" to Ella: "That's why I wrote the book... in school they don't teach you about things like that... I wanted to write a book for teens." personal finance
Does PERSONAL FINANCE matter to you?
Ella admits memes matter: "I'm always doom scrolling on TikTok. Laughing at memes."
Does INTERNET MEMES matter to you?
Ella is "iffy" but says artificial intelligence matters "if you need help... it could guide you... could be used as like a resource... not just like doing it for you."
Does ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE matter to you?
Sports matter to Ella: "Sports play a big role in who I am... coaches can shape who you are. They can push you to be the better version of yourself." sport
Does SPORT matter to you?
Ella says pizza matters: "I love pizza. My like one of my favorite foods actually."
Does PIZZA matter to you?
Music does not matter to Ella: "I'm not like a big, like I don't listen to music that much. That's why." music
Does MUSIC matter to you?
Ella says community service "matters a lot"—it's about "being involved in your community, helping, volunteering." She always invites friends to join, showing how much it matters to her.
Does COMMUNITY SERVICE matter to you?
Ella believes entrepreneurship matters: "It's good to be a leader and start something that you've always wanted to start. I think it's very important to take that step and do it."
Does ENTREPRENEURSHIP matter to you?
Takeaways (12)
Seeing someone's face after we helped them — that's what actually makes me happy.
I started Ella's Angels because young people don't have to wait to make a difference.
It's a useful resource, but I don't want it just doing the work for me.
I didn't wait to be asked. I just started and figured out how to help people along the way.
I started something so young people wouldn't have to wait around to help their community.
The thank-you messages after we helped people eat Thanksgiving dinner — that's what actually gets me.
It's fine to use AI for help, just don't let it do your thinking for you.
I started Ella's Angels because young people don't have to wait to make a difference.
When families message saying they could eat Thanksgiving dinner because of us, that's what keeps me going.
I wrote a book for teens because school never taught me what my parents had to.
Taking that first step to start something you believe in matters more than waiting for permission.
I always invite friends to help at events by offering community service hours — it works.