Who We Are

The mission of Freedom4U is to provide services for youth and their families that enrich the quality of their relationships and lives.

Since 2002, Freedom4U has provided youth programs focused around creative arts whereby young people can develop their talent as well as have a safe social place to attend. Young people also learn life skills, develop leadership abilities and learn from the experience of service.

We lead drug prevention seminars for parents and their sons & daughters. We also provide school based counseling services to youth and their parents. Partnering with us in the South Bay community are business, education, law enforcement, parent and community groups.

Freedom4U is incorporated as a Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation 501(c)(3) in the State of California for Educational purposes. Freedom4U is not affiliated with any political or religious group. Donations & Gifts are tax deductible.

Our priorities:
Community: Investing in young people.
Character: Seeing young people become confident successful citizens.
Creativity: Being a ‘laboratory’ for new ideas to be created, developed & expressed.

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Board of Directors:

Director Dr. Greg Allen, LMFT

In addition to being the Founder and Director of Freedom4U, Dr. Greg Allen has been a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist for over 29 years. (www.drgregallen.com)

As Director of Freedom4U, Greg Allen’s focus is towards facilitating the growth of young people’s abilities. Allen has a strong community relationship in the South Bay. He is the son of former NFL legend Coach George Allen.

Greg Allen directs a counseling group practice with offices in Palos Verdes Estates and Hermosa Beach. Dr. Allen specializing in working with issues and challenges regarding pre-teens, teenagers, young adults, adults, parents & couples. Greg is a frequent speaker in the community on youth and family topics.

Dr. Allen is an expert in Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention with young people and adults. Allen’s experience includes Adult and Adolescent Program Director for the Thelma McMillen Center for Chemical Dependency Treatment at Torrance Memorial Medical Center. Formerly Greg was the Clinical and Administrative Director of the UCLA/Matrix Institute Integrated Substance Abuse Adult and Adolescent Programs.Dr. Allen has provided sports psychology services to youth, college and professional athletes. Dr. Allen has also been a Special Advisor to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

Harriet Harris

Harris is a real estate entrepreneur with more than 30 years experience in homebuilding and property management. She is currently a principal of Harris-Taylor Management, Inc. in Santa Ana. The company’s 30-staff members handle all aspects of property management for family-owned real estate throughout Southern California including more than 1200 units in Southern California..

Previously, Harris was president of Ridgewood Development, a homebuilding firm responsible for the construction of more than 1,000 Southern California homes.

Actively involved in numerous civic, cultural and community organizations, Harris has won such honors as City of Hope’s “Builder of the Year” award for outstanding fundraising efforts on behalf of the hospital’s construction expansion campaign. She was a major player in the construction of a 200 bed dormitory for Whittier College and instrumental in the building of the YWCA Hotel for Women in Santa Ana. She is an emeritus member of the board of directors of Prentice School, a private educational facility that teaches children with dyslexia. She has served on The Prentice School Board for over 20 years. She also served on the board of First American Trust Company in Santa Ana.

Willard V. Harris, Jr.

Harris is a real estate entrepreneur with more than 40 years of experience. He is currently President of Harris-Taylor Management, Inc. in Santa Ana.

Previously, Harris was founder and Chairman of the Board of Fireplace Manufacturers, Inc.; a fireplace manufacturing firm in Santa Ana. He currently is a partner in MFI a masonry fireplace company located in Santa Ana.

Bill has served as a trustee of Whittier College for the past 30 years and is currently vice chairman of the board. He is a trustee and former chairman of the Brethren Manor Senior Care Center in Long Beach and is an emeritus member of the board of directors of Prentice School. In addition, was a director of the Macular Degeneration Foundation.

Other organizations he serves: Freedom 4U, FAME, Global Partners for Development and the Harris Literacy Center in Portland.

Michael Knoll, MBA

Michael Kroll is a Community Relations Manager at Toyota Motor Sales, USA,
He is responsible for a wide array of national and local Toyota philanthropic programs and partnerships. Prior to joining Toyota, Michael worked as an Account Executive at Grey Advertising in Los Angeles.
He has a BS in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from USC’s Marshall School of Business. At Penn, Michael was a member of the 1993 undefeated Ivy League champion football team. When not at work, he enjoys playing golf, snow skiing in Tahoe, tailgating at Trojan games, and generally
enjoying life in Huntington Beach with his wife MaryJane, his son Ryan and his daughter Charlotte.

Elizabeth Griggs, SCMD

Elizabeth Griggs, a 26-year veteran of the shopping center industry, has applied her marketing and management expertise to numerous renowned properties throughout California. She is currently the General Manager of the Promenade on the Peninsula. She worked hard to put herself through college and received her BA from San Diego State University and has a Senior Certified Marketing Director designation from International Council of Shopping Centers.

Elizabeth is a mother, wife and is currently active in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, sits on their Executive Board and is Vice –Chair of the Economic Development Committee. She supports the Girl Scouts of America and is Co-chair of her daughter’s troop Cookie Sales. She is a member of International Council of Shopping Centers, SDSU Alumni, and Grand View PTA and has served several task force committees. Her hobbies include spending time with her family and friends, bike riding, skiing, shell seeking at the beach with her daughter, reading a novel while on vacation and traveling.

Since 2006, Elizabeth has managed Promenade on the Peninsula, a 375,000 sq. ft lifestyle center in Rolling Hills Estates. Her community based focus sparked the creation of the centers Community Outreach Program resulting in lasting relationships with established civic, non-profit and educational groups.

As Manager of Promenade, Elizabeth has worked to make the Promenade a central public gathering place in the community that is well recognized on the Peninsula for hosting and/or sponsoring many safe and family oriented the events.

Chris Tsangasis, MS

Tsangaris is currently a Full-Time Kinesiology Faculty member at CSULB. Additionally, he is an Officer and Treasurer of an award winning hospitality organization, CKT Hospitality LLC, in the South Bay.

As an Academic Administrator, Tsangaris was the Managing Director and a Lecturer for the Graduate Program in Sport Management at CSU, Long Beach (1997 – 2006).

From (1994-2003) Tsangaris was also the proprietor of the Event Management company, G.A.M.E.S., that organized in a variety of capacities some of the local and internationally recognized prominent events; the City of Los Angeles Marathon, Ford NASCAR LA Street Race, Long Beach Marathon, Concours D’Elegance et Vitesse, music concerts and a variety of other events. Tsangaris had also been hired by the National Hockey League (NHL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) as a Manager for both of their All Star festivities. Tsangaris provided his services in both a strategic marketing and event coordination capacity as the Executive Event Producer for the (MLS) Major League Soccer’s 2003 All Star Soccer Fest.

After a successful and recognized student athlete career at Allan Hancock CC, Tsangaris had the opportunity to play for and work with some great football organizations and coaches both at the collegiate level and in the professional ranks. At CSU, Long Beach (1989-1992), Tsangaris was mentored by NFL Hall of Famers George H. Allen & Willie Brown where he was awarded as the Team MVP and Captain. In 1992, Tsangaris was the first selection of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL) where he completed a 6 year professional playing career in the Canadian Football League. In 1997, Tsangaris was the Defensive Coach, at the University of British Columbia, for the CIAU National Champions (Vanier Cup 1997) and a Defensive Coach, at Golden West College (1998).

After completing his Undergraduate degree in Physical Education, Tsangaris earned his Master’s Degree in Sport Management from CSU, Long Beach and graduated at the top of his class (1997). Tsangaris has been educated in and speaks 3 languages (English, Greek & French)

Jeff Miller, MD

Dr. Jeff Miller is a board certified emergency physician and part-time Faculty in the UCLA Department of Emergency Medicine at the Olive View Medical Center in Sylmar. He has practiced Emergency Medicine at Kaiser for thirty years and was formerly Chief of Emergency Medicine at Kaiser Bellflower and at Baldwin Park. Jeff and his radiologist wife, Julie, taught a national course in Bedside Ultrasound for Emergency Physicians.

Jeff was recently employed in rural sub-Saharan Africa practicing medicine and training health care workers to manage the epidemics of malaria, poisonous snakebites, and trauma. He is the father of five adult kids, an aspiring cartoonist, decent tennis player and a prolific gardener. His kids have been instrumental in the development of Freedom4U music programs.

Steve Miller

Stephen C. Miller founded STEVE MILLER COMPANY in 1988, a commercial real estate firm, providing leasing, sales and property management services for diversified property types in the South Bay and Greater Los Angeles, including general office, medical office, retail, industrial and apartment properties.

Mr. Miller is a 1973 graduate of Palos Verdes High School, attended University of Oregon on an athletic scholarship and graduated from California State University, Long Beach.  Mr. Miller and his wife Suzanne live in Manhattan Beach and their hobbies include, swimming, cycling, dressage riding and traveling.

Van Barbieri – In Memorandum

Freedom4U Supports

Palos Verdes Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce, Palos Verdes Peninsula High School Athletic Booster Club, The Palos Verdes High School Booster Club, Ridgecrest Intermediate School. The Music Departments of Miraleste Intermediate, Palos Verdes Intermediate, Palos Verdes High & Peninsula High Schools, Asia America Youth Symphony, South Bay Youth Project, Heal the Bay, Kiwanis Club, Palos Verdes Marathon, Palos Verdes Street Fair, Peninsula Education Foundation, Redondo Beach Unified School District, Redondo Beach Drug Task Force, Manhattan Beach Unified School District, South Torrance High School & the Changes Substance Abuse Program in Hermosa Beach.