GSEP Spotlight: Jaz Robbins (MA and PsyD Alum)
The Pepperdine GSEP Spotlight Series highlights students and alumni whose journeys reflect Purpose, Service, and Leadership in action. Our next spotlight showcases Jaz Robbins (a double-alum from the MA in Clinical Psychology, MFT, and PsyD in Clinical Psychology ‘22), a psychologist, speaker, and advocate, who is a paragon of Pepperdine GSEP’s ideals.
Jaz Robbins is a shining example of leadership and community service, dedicating her life to advocacy and meaningful social change. As a master’s student, she recognized the growing crisis of unhoused individuals in greater Los Angeles and took decisive action by founding the nonprofit organization Healing, Hope & Love (HHL). Through HHL, she established the Food for Friends program, which initially began with adult volunteers assembling and hand-delivering meal bags to residents of Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles.
Two years later, HHL restructured the program to create a community engagement opportunity for school-aged youth. Since then, HHL has partnered with middle and high schools to facilitate the Food for Friends program, having their students, parents, teachers, and school administrators assemble food and gift bags. By providing transportation and chaperones, HHL ensures that these students have a safe and supportive environment as they distribute food and care packages. Recognizing the emotional impact of this experience, Jaz also implemented on-site mental health therapists to guide participants through meaningful reflections, often marking their first direct interactions with unhoused individuals. Since its inception in 2016, the Food for Friends program has expanded beyond Los Angeles, inspiring similar volunteer initiatives across multiple states.
Beyond her work with Food for Friends, Jaz also launched the Freedom Kids program to support children who have lost a parent in military service. Since 2016, Freedom Kids has been sending care packages to school-aged children facing this profound loss. Always committed to creating meaningful learning experiences, Jaz had HHL facilitate school collaborations for this initiative too. When Freedom Kids are identified through school partnerships, HHL pairs them with similarly aged students who write letters of condolence and encouragement. This effort was notably recognized by the Carson City Council, highlighting the invaluable role that young students play in fostering compassion and solidarity.
Jaz’s passion for service extends beyond her nonprofit work. She has provided individual and group therapy to adult men participating in a faith-based substance recovery program at a Skid Row mission. Additionally, she has been instrumental in teaching middle school students the power of advocacy, coaching them to deliver impactful speeches at various city council meetings across the greater Los Angeles area. Her mantra, “See something. Say something. Do something,” is not just a personal belief but a call to action that she instills in others.