La La Anthony (left) and Kim Kardashian.Photo:Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
La La Anthonyis grateful to haveKim Kardashianin her “corner.”
TheBMFstar, 41, tells PEOPLE that the SKIMS mogul, 43, has been a source of support and advice as she grows her nonprofit organizationThreeSixty, which mentors and rehabilitates young men, between the ages of 18 and 21, who are incarcerated at Rikers Island in New York City.
“She’s my best friend, so it’s great to have a better friend that you can bounce ideas off of or say, ‘What do you think about this?’ " Anthony explains of Kardashian. “Or even just, ‘What does the law say when it comes to this?’ Because she’s studying to be a lawyer, so it’s great to say, ‘Hey, what does the law say in this situation? Or what would you do here?’ "
“I mean, it’s a great thing to talk about and have someone in my corner in that way,” she continues, “and I admire all the amazing things that she’s done, and she has just provided so much support to ThreeSixty as well.”
Kim Kardashian speaks at a White House event in June 2019.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty
“The journey just really opened up my eyes so much. It gets overwhelming because there’s so much to be done,” she added of her criminal justice reform work.
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As for Anthony, she tells PEOPLE that being a mom to a teenage boy — she shares 16-year-old sonKiyanwith her ex-husbandCarmelo Anthony— drives her passion for her work with ThreeSixty.
“At this age they are still so young,” she said. “When you talk to them, especially if you have your own kids, you just become so much more compassionate. It feels like any one of our kids could be one bad decision away from being in a similar situation.”
La La Anthony and her son Kiyan.Michael Loccisano/Getty
Michael Loccisano/Getty
Her nonprofit provides mentorship, mental health support and various leadership and enrichment programs to Rikers' young inmates. “We want them to be prepared with certain skills so they can really get out there and back into life and into the workforce after release,” Anthony tells PEOPLE.
She says ThreeSixty has already seen some inspiring success stories, including one former inmate who, within less than a year of his release, got a full scholarship to study at Columbia University.
“It’s really amazing to see that when you take them out of jail and put them in the right environment, with the right opportunities and love and support, incredible things can happen,” Anthony notes.
source: people.com
