In the heart of Los Angeles, where the gloss of Hollywood often overshadows harsh realities of foster care, homelessness, and systemic disconnection, a powerful grassroots movement is taking root. Led by the uncompromising vision and lived experience of Dr. Lawrence Winston, Wise Up Ministries is a nonprofit with a spiritual and social blueprint for what true transformation can look like when faith, community, and strategy collide. Dr. Lawrence, a former foster youth turned community visionary, is the founder and driving force behind Wise Up Ministries, the faith-based nonprofit committed to breaking cycles of poverty and despair through soul-deep support.
Before the titles, the accolades, and the partnerships, he was a child in the foster care system, navigating more than a decade of instability, disconnection, and invisible wounds. That crucible of pain would become the foundation of a mission that now touches hundreds of lives across Southern Nevada and Southern California. “I was once that kid — lost in the system, looking for identity and hope,” says Dr. Winston. “’Foster the Future’ is my way of giving back what was poured into me. Through sports, faith, and soul care, we’re building leaders and breaking cycles.” Today, that personal journey has evolved into a broader call to action, one that is reshaping lives through faith-based mentorship, holistic care, and community-rooted empowerment.
From Wounds to Wisdom: The Origin Story of Wise Up
Wise Up Ministries was born out of necessity, and a divine sense of calling. After years of watching youth age out of foster care with no support, witnessing the revolving door of homelessness and incarceration, and encountering program after program that focused only on surface-level symptoms, Dr. Winston said enough.
Anchored in biblical principles, and named for the call to spiritual and practical wisdom, Wise Up was first founded in Las Vegas in 2023, a city where temptation and instability often go hand in hand. But the vision soon expanded to Los Angeles, a city grappling with some of the nation’s highest rates of foster youth homelessness and family displacement.
What sets Wise Up apart is its unapologetically holistic model. Wise Up’s work is not charity work. Instead, it is community restoration at the cellular level. “The goal isn’t just to give someone a meal or a bed,” Winston explains. “It’s to guide them into a lifestyle rooted in dignity, discipline, and divine purpose.”
Wise Up is the embodiment of that belief, a multidimensional ministry that restores people from the inside out, focusing on mind, body, spirit, and community.
From Surviving to Serving: The Birth of Wise Up
Dr. Winston’s life was forever changed by two pivotal influences: the guidance of Mayor Karen Bass, founder of the National Foster Youth Institute, and witnessing his own mother overcome addiction and return to college. With a belief that transformation is not just possible but promised for those who walk in faith and community, he launched Wise Up Incorporated in Las Vegas in 2023 and quickly expanded to Los Angeles.
Today, Wise Up operates as a powerhouse of holistic healing, offering programs that intersect mental fitness, spiritual mentorship, life skills training, wellness, and employment support, all rooted in a biblical worldview that honors the fruit of the Spirit.
In a full-circle experience, in 2026 Dr. Winston is taking the lead alongside Mayor Karen Bass’ offices through collaborating on various Shine LA initiatives, a citywide cleanup initiative focused on beautifying Los Angeles, reducing gang violence, and restoring community pride, in partnership with The Home Depot Foundation.
The Mission in Motion: Programs that Heal and Empower
The Wise Up ecosystem is built on strategic, faith-driven pillars:
- Soar Life Skills Program — Offers real-world education in budgeting, conflict resolution, job prep, and emotional intelligence.
- Leadership Academy — Targets youth with mentorship, scholarship pathways, and community service designed to cultivate future change-makers.
- Wise Up Precision — Combines personal grooming, fitness, and life coaching to empower confidence and presentability for work and life.
- Wise Up Staffing — A bridge to employment, with direct partnerships including MGM Resorts, offering job training and placement.
- Wise Smoothies & Heart Smart Art — Fuses nutrition education and creative therapy to support mental and emotional recovery.
- Mental Fitness — Classes and support systems that integrate wellness, trauma care, and faith-based soul transformation.
Each program is built to address what others miss: the emotional and spiritual roots of poverty and disconnection. Dr. Winston insists that fragmented services don’t work; the trauma is too deep, and the need too complex. Wise Up, by contrast, wraps clients in a comprehensive healing journey.
“We see the whole person. That means we don’t just deal with their resume. We care about their faith walk, their inner healing, their fitness, their family, and their dreams.” That whole-person philosophy is what distinguishes Wise Up’s model, turning support services into a deeper pathway toward restoration, resilience, and lasting change.
Foster The Future: Sports Ministry Meets Street Medicine
Wise Up’s latest and most ambitious initiative, “Foster the Future,” is part spiritual movement, part community activation campaign. Inspired by Mayor Karen Bass’s work with the National Foster Youth Institute, and supported by strategic alliances including the LA Clippers Foundation, this initiative aims to turn pain into purpose through sports mentorship, faith leadership, and nutritional street outreach.
Sports Mentorship — Young men and women in Compton and South LA participate in team-building exercises, coaching sessions, and character development rooted in scripture and self-discipline.
“Smoothies Are Healing to the Soul” Street Ministry — Plant-based, nutrient-dense smoothies are distributed to the homeless alongside prayer, spiritual guidance, and dignity-restoring engagement.
Every smoothie is handcrafted using healing ingredients like flax seeds, ginger, and kale, not just to nourish the body, but to detox the spirit. “That smoothie saved me that day. I hadn’t eaten in days, and someone prayed for me like I mattered. That gave me strength,” shared one recipient.
The campaign is more than an outreach, it’s an open invitation to the public, churches, donors, and partners to step into active discipleship through community transformation.
Additionally, through the Wise Up Leadership Academy’s partnership with the LA Clippers, Wise Up is bringing All-Star-level courts and experiences directly to the community.
“Foster the Future Sports, Community, and Mentorship was launched last year as a deeply personal initiative rooted in my own lived experience as a foster youth who was displaced multiple times. I attended Compton High School, Inglewood High School, and Hawthorne High School, and those transitions shaped my passion for ensuring that young people feel seen, supported, and connected to opportunity, no matter their circumstances.
During the 2025 Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, we hosted community events in both Compton and Inglewood in partnership with Inglewood Unified School District and Compton Unified School District. These events brought together families, schools, and community partners, including the LA Clippers, to provide groceries, essential resources, and hope to thousands of families across the region.
Since then, through our partnership with the LA Clippers, we have brought more than 700 families to Clippers games, creating once-in-a-lifetime group experiences that included watching the team warm up, autograph sessions, on-court recognitions, and special highlights celebrating community collaborations, local organizations, and individuals making a difference,” shared Dr. Winston.
This past February, in addition to attending the LA Clippers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers game on February 4, Wise Up also gave community members the opportunity to experience the excitement of NBA All-Star Weekend firsthand by providing tickets to the NBA Foundation Pitch Competition on February 12 and the NBA Rising Stars event on February 13.
This partnership allows Wise Up Ministries to offer discounted tickets and exclusive group experiences, including access to pregame warmups, autograph opportunities, on-court recognition, and fan-tunnel high-fives. To date, the Wise Up Leadership Academy has brought more than 700 individuals, families, and youth to LA Clippers games. During these outings, Wise Up Ministries has also collaborated with the LA Clippers to honor leaders making a meaningful impact across the community. Previously recognized organizations and individuals include Education Is Key, The Helping Hand, and Jason Cash.
Building on the momentum, Wise Up is collaborating with the Clippers to bring portable basketball courts and custom court paintings that will be installed at locations including 95th Street Pocket Park, Coleman Field in Inglewood, and various churches across the city. “These spaces will help bridge the gap between professional sports and the community through the Wise Up Leadership Academy, creating safe, inspiring places for youth engagement and mentorship,” remarks Dr. Winston.
Continuing with impact through sports, Wise Up has also partnered with the LA Galaxy to provide group experiences at discounted rates, including on-field recognitions and meet-and-greet opportunities. “Through this partnership, we are seeking local soccer fields to sponsor and brand with LA Galaxy signage and logos in collaboration with the Wise Up Leadership Academy. We are also working to partner with local soccer teams to bridge the cultural divide between Black and Brown soccer players and fans, fostering unity through sport, shares Dr. Winston. As Los Angeles prepares for the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics, Dr. Winston sees these collaborations and initiatives as powerful opportunities to uplift communities, celebrate culture and invest in the next generation.
Rooted in Faith, Driven by Excellence
Wise Up Ministries is grounded in a biblical worldview that teaches the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—as the roadmap for human transformation. “If we don’t work on the soul—the mind, will, and emotions, then everything else is temporary,” Winston emphasizes.
This soul-first model is why Wise Up resonates so deeply with those failed by other systems. It’s why mentorship and ministry aren’t optional, they’re essential.
Wise Up Ministries’ core values include:
- Faith-Centered Transformation
- Holistic Empowerment
- Compassion with Accountability
- Excellence and Integrity
- Community as Family
Together, these principles shape every aspect of Wise Up’s work, creating a foundation where faith, dignity, and practical support come together to drive lasting transformation.
Living Proof: Impact That Multiplies
Since its founding, Wise Up Ministries has helped:
- Hundreds of individuals secure permanent housing and employment
- Dozens of youth graduate from Leadership Academy and pursue higher education
- Families reconnect with faith and rebuild their emotional and financial foundations
“Wise Up gave me more than just a job — they helped me find my purpose,” said Maria S., a graduate.
“My son learned confidence and leadership. That spiritual foundation will stay with him forever,” said Angela R., a parent.
“I never had a mentor who believed in me like this. Now I feel like I have a family,” said a teen participant in the sports mentorship program.
“I hadn’t eaten in days. That smoothie and prayer saved me.” — Homeless Outreach Recipient.
“My son became a leader because of Wise Up’s Academy.” — Angela R.
Wise Up is focused on long term impact.
The Path to Impact
Wise Up Ministries is as much about changing systems as it is about changing souls. It’s where healing meets hustle, scripture meets structure, and faith meets forward momentum. By addressing the mind, body, spirit, and community in equal measure, Dr. Winston has built a model that doesn’t just interrupt cycles — it ends them.
Supporters, donors, and volunteers are invited to become part of this growing movement through initiatives like:
- Foster the Future Kit – Downloadable toolkit with stories, impact stats, and ways to support.
- Clippers Empowerment Day – Events combining youth mentorship, health, and faith.
- Growth Workshops – Personal development sessions on resilience and purpose.
- Faith & Wellness Journal – Free downloadable journal with scripture-based self-care prompts.
Whether you are a community leader, donor, volunteer, or someone in need of a fresh start, Wise Up offers a place to rise. Their “Foster the Future Kit”, Clippers Empowerment Day, and free leadership workshops are just the beginning.
To learn more, get involved, or donate, visit:
www.wiseupriseup.info
Instagram @wiseupincorporated
Wiseupla@outlook.com
About Dr. Lawrence Winston
Dr. Lawrence Winston is a dedicated community leader, advocate, and mentor with over a decade of experience working alongside foster youth, individuals experiencing homelessness, and underserved populations in Southern Nevada and Southern California. Growing up in the foster care system for over 11 years, Dr. Lawrence intimately understands the challenges faced by youth in crisis. His lived experience fuels his passion to empower others through holistic programs that nurture the mind, body, spirit, and community. With a background in organizational leadership and a deep faith foundation, Dr. Lawrence founded Wise Up Ministries to create transformative pathways out of poverty, instability, and trauma. He specializes in mentorship through sports, faith-based life coaching, and workforce readiness programs that help individuals rebuild their lives with dignity and purpose. Dr. Lawrence holds an MBA in Organizational Leadership and is CPR/BST certified, reflecting his commitment to professional excellence and compassionate care.
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