Advocacy Work

In addition to her extensive work as a young actress, Julianne began leaning into advocacy and philanthropic opportunities from an early age. Appreciating the importance of giving back instilled by her parents, Julianne began to donate her time, resources, and a portion of her earnings in appreciation for the opportunities she was afforded at a young age. As a natural artist at heart, Julianne parlayed her innate love for art into exploring and developing her artistic expression through the medium of oil paints, which was introduced to her by her grammar school art teacher, who was classically trained and taught Julianne about the old masters and fine oil painting techniques. At only 13 years old, she auctioned off her own existiqute oil paintings and donated the funds to causes about which she is passionate, like the support of at-risk children and the elderly. In 1999, Julianne was honored with the "Highest Achievement Award" by Young Artists Awards, Los Angeles, for her outstanding accomplishments in fundraising. Later, in 2001, Julianne’s charitable work earned her a spot in Teen People Magazine’s "20 Teens Who Will Change the World,” L'Oreal Paris’s "Five Top Teens in the World,” and the Queen Latifah Show.

Julianne’s charitable work also inspired her to create a way for her peers in philanthropy, founding the "2 Percent Club", which championed all youth to donate 2% of their income or allowance to charitable causes each year. This initiative was met with immediate success, even catching the attention of President Bill Clinton, who sent her a letter of commendation for her community service on October 18th, 1996.

Over the years, Julianne has supported the crucial initiatives led by organizations such as Chabad's Children of Chernobyl, The Alzheimer's Association, Child Haven, The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC), Culture for One, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and many others. To better serve her humanitarian efforts from a clinical and macro perspective, Julianne studied clinical social work at Columbia University, from which she graduated in 2017 and then obtained her license master of social work (LMSW) the same year. 

Julianne’s personal harrowing experience in the family court compelled her to establish her own charity to "help fit parents protect and defend their fundamental constitutional right, which is to direct the care, custody, and control of their children." Mommy’s Heart is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, which provides free legal and mental health resources to parents and children who have escaped domestic violence but now face retaliation by their abusers in the family court system. Providing vulnerable families with the tools that Julianne desperately needed during her time navigating the soddy court system, Mommy's Heart has been a beacon of hope to many parents experiencing the same unsavory process.