Melanie Burchby, a San Diego native, has been a proud drop-in tutor at 826LA West since late January. A thespian in transition, she now finds herself seriously considering pursuing a career in teaching and couldn't be more excited. She thanks all of the super-cool students and volunteers in Venice for helping point her down a path she can't wait to explore … and for being supportive when she has to duck out of tutoring for the occasional audition.

Patrick Cates left London for Los Angeles nine months ago after three decades of moaning about the rain, the cold, and the traffic. Now he just moans about the traffic. He spends a couple of days a week hanging around 826LA East trying to look helpful and being referred to variously as "Harry Potter," "SpongeBob SquarePants' friend," "Mr. Barnacle," and "that guy who talks funny." When he isn't adopting the role of novelty Englishman for the benefit of Echo Park's bright-eyed learners, he runs long distances around areas of the city where he probably shouldn't, takes photographs of dumped mattresses, cobbles together memoirish words for his own amusement, and drums his fingers on the table waiting for the government to give him a work permit.

John Meehan is originally from the East Coast, where he went to college in the frigid northern regions of New York State. After overcoming the adversity brought on by the handicap of color blindness, he graduated with his degree in computer science and fled the cold. Now he can be found on the beach every day of the week, either surfing in Venice or running in Santa Monica. When his programming overlords allow him to leave his Cubicle of Doom he enjoys tutoring the children of 826LA West.

Elizabeth Oakes is a Los Angeles native, Mayflower descendant, notary public, community-based minister, voice-over artist, former cowgirl, gardener, CERT volunteer, and tutor at 826LA (and married, so don't get excited). She's also the brain trust behind MarriageToGo.Com, a unique marriage licensing and wedding officiation service, and the co-owner of the Gnome Liberation Front Safe House geocache at N 34° 00.138' W 118° 26.466'. She and her computer geek husband reside in Mar Vista, close to 826LA West, and they hope you'll come over for pizza someday soon.