Helen (Brown) Baker was born and grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. After marriage and moving to the Los Angeles area, she continued teaching, in South Central L.A., Los Virgenes Schools, and then at Viewpoint, where her two young daughters attended. Baker was active in the Ebell Club of Los Angeles and Assistance League, where she served as president of her auxilliary.

     Baker obtained her Real Estate Broker’s license when the family moved to Tarzana in 1976 and actively worked in real estate in the San Fernando Valley until 1999 when an investment in a cellular license service area lottery paid off and put her to work as secretary/treasurer for South Carolina Cellular, Inc. When that business was built up and eventually sold to Bell Atlantic Mobile, the family financial situation was significantly improved.

     While considering a charitable donation, Baker remembered a letter written by Helen Itria Norman, president of the Tarzana Property Owner’s Association, who suggested that the property on the corner of Ventura and Vanalden Avenue, then owned by Public Storage Company, would be much better used as a community center, with the trees and open space preserved. Baker became convinced that the corner should belong to the community, and that perhaps she could help to make that dream be realized.

     With the help of many others who also believed in the dream, and a lot of work, the property was purchased in the spring of 2002, the Tarzana Community Center became a reality, and became an independent 501(c3) the following year as the Tarzana Community and Cultural Center.