Pasadena Community Foundation Granting Strength to Nonprofits (Outlook Newspapers)

by | Jun 23, 2015 | Union Station in the News

Photo courtesy PCF Pasadena Community Foundation board members Les Stocker (third from right) and Rita Diaz (second from right) took in a tour of Union Station Homeless Services’ Centennial Place, which included representatives from the organization (from left) Erin Brand, Sandy Peterson, Mike Berry, Nina Palmore, Dana Bean and CEO Marv Gross.

In the midst of its grant application review period, representatives from the Pasadena Community Foundation were making one of 31 nonprofit organization site visits in March when the top administrator of an applying organization began gushing about one of Pasadena’s most active foundations.

“The foundation has been fabulous to us,” the founder and director of the applying organization told the committee. “We couldn’t have gone on without the foundation.”

In this case, the quote belonged to Mikala Rahn of Learning Works Charter School, an organization that applied for and received $25,000. But for the stakeholders of a foundation that has given away millions to support the charities that serve Pasadena, it’s a familiar refrain, one that they’ll very likely hear again on June 18 at the annual Local Heroes Celebration breakfast event, at which PCF will formally recognize its 2015 grantees.

“The breadth of what we do is very rewarding,” said PCF Executive Director Jennifer DeVoll. “We’re narrow geographically but broad in the types of organizations we fund. We meet people who have literally lost everything to the disease of addiction, and then sail over to the Pasadena Symphony or Pasadena Conservatory, which is equally important.”

In total, PCF awarded 35 grants from 52 applications for $530,802, ranging from $1,500 to $26,000 for a variety of services that sometimes go unnoticed or unrecognized by the organizations’ donors. Some of them included requests for radios, all-terrain vehicles, showers, windows, copiers and plumbing. DeVoll laughed when recalling having trouble calling the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, which requested — and received — funding for a new phone system.

“We’ll do the unsexy thing to buy you a new phone system because that’s often hard money to get,” said DeVoll. “Donors want to fund programs or house a family, but replacing a truck is also important.”

Speaking of trucks, a story of transportation from a few years back sums up the need for a connecting and funding group like PCF. When Journey House applied for and received a grant for funds to buy a new truck, one of the representatives came to PCF’s offices to pick up the check. But on the way there, the soon-to-be-replaced truck died on a Pasadena street. In that case, the organization demonstrated a need right in front of PCF staff.

Of course, visiting 31 sites in less than a month can be stressful, and PCF’s team has to keep each organization and its needs straight. But seeing the programs in action can be rewarding, too. DeVoll said that while visiting the Walter Hoving Home, a faith-based rehabilitation center, they witnessed a young woman graduate from the program. At the conclusion of the graduation, the young woman’s boyfriend got down on one knee in front of PCF’s crew and proposed. The woman suddenly had a new lease on life and a new fiance, while PCF had another feel-good story for its cause.

“This really feeds your soul,” said DeVoll. “It’s the site visits and the interaction, because we’re out in the community all year long. The board members work all year long on other stuff such as fundraising and the audit, but there’s no question that the site visits keep them interested in PCF.”

Photo courtesy PCF Gathered for Pasadena Community Foundation’s site visit to San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity are PCF board members Judy Gain, Priscilla Gamb, Ann Dobson Barrett and Fran Scoble, Executive Director Jennifer DeVoll, Habitat for Humanity’s Chair of the Fund Development Committee Otis Marston and Executive Director Sonja Yates, the city of Pasadena’s Loren Pluth and PCF Marketing and Development Manager Mike deHilster.

The visits, which last 45 minutes, focus on five key categories: strength of leadership, need of the organization, what the project entails, how geocentric the service to Pasadena is and the state of the organization’s finances.

Applications are submitted in February to PCF’s 17-member Board of Directors, who then begin what DeVoll called a “short but efficient process” that includes the site visits. Despite knowing the leadership and general state of the organizations, DeVoll and her team don’t skip site visits because grants are won or lost during an in-person visit.

“We’re so geographically focused that we feel it’s important to stay in close touch with the community,” said DeVoll. “We make sure we have up-to-date information and we know the leadership, so we’re meeting with the people and making sure we’re not carrying around dated perceptions.”

After 62 years of providing millions to local agencies, PCF has a reputation around town of being a generous granting agency that puts the community first. While the annual giving of more than $500,000 is impressive on its own, DeVoll said the goal is to reach $1 million in donations to applicants.

To do that, PCF will need more support — and eventually more site visits. But that’s fine for DeVoll, who has an early word of advice for 2016 applicants.

“I tell them, ‘Invite us over when stuff is going on because we don’t want to sit in a conference room and just talk to you,’” said DeVoll. “We want to see your program in all its glory.”

For more information on Pasadena Community Foundation, visit PasadenaCF.org or call (626) 796-2097.

California Community Foundation Awards Nearly $9 Million to Advance Greater Prosperity and Opportunity Across Los Angeles County

by | Jun 11, 2015 | Union Station in the News

LOS ANGELES – June 11, 2015 – The California Community Foundation (CCF)
has awarded $8,897,722 through 94 grants to Los Angeles County nonprofit
organizations working to address the wide-ranging needs of our region. CCF
supports this critical work in the community through discretionary funds entrusted
to the foundation by donors throughout its 100-year history.

The grants this quarter support the foundation’s diverse priority areas: the arts, civic
engagement, education, health, housing and economic development, immigrant
integration, nonprofit sustainability, smart growth and transition-aged youth.
Grants were also awarded in support of key CCF initiatives:

• Building a Lifetime of Options and Opportunities for Men (BLOOM) is
California’s most ambitious effort to improve educational and career
opportunities for Black male youth.

• El Monte Community Building Initiative engages local residents in
ensuring children in the City of El Monte grow up healthier and better
prepared for college and a career.

• Los Angeles Preschool Advocacy Initiative (LAPAI) seeks to increase
access to high quality early childhood education in underserved
communities.

• Los Angeles Scholars Investment Fund (LASIF) combines scholarships
with college preparation and completion services to increase the number of
low-income students who graduate with post-secondary degrees.

• One Los Angeles, One Nation seeks to change misperceptions and
promote incorporation of the American Muslim and perceived Muslim
communities through civic engagement, leadership development and public
policy.

• Preparing Achievers for Tomorrow (PAT) provides music, sports and
recreational opportunities to low-income youth in South Los Angeles.

 

“We applaud our donors and nonprofit partners who have not only recognized the
needs in our community, but have shown leadership to address these issues,” said
CCF President and CEO Antonia Hernández. “As the foundation enters its 100th year
of service to Los Angeles County, we are proud to support this work to improve the
quality of life for all Angelenos.”

CCF unites the power of philanthropy with innovative strategies to create greater
equity, opportunity and prosperity in Los Angeles County. The foundation has served
as a public, charitable organization since 1915, empowering donors to pursue their
own personal passions and to collaborate in transforming Los Angeles. CCF
stewards $1.48 billion in assets and manages nearly 1,600 charitable foundations,
funds and legacies.

(View full list of California Community Foundation Grants by Funding Area HERE).

For more information, visit calfund.org, like us on Facebook at
facebook.com/calfund and follow us on Twitter @Calfund.

 

New Affordable Housing Development for Homeless Families Breaks Ground in Pasadena (Real Estate Rama)

by | Apr 16, 2015 | Union Station in the News

NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FOR HOMELESS FAMILIES BREAKS GROUND IN PASADENA

by

Government and Public Real Estate News: Property News, Housing News, Grant News, Mortgage News, Foreclosure News

County Contributes Over $2 Million to Develop 19 Affordable Units for Mar Vista Union Apartments

WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 16, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — The Community Development Commission of the County of Los Angeles (CDC) joined representatives of Los Angeles County Mayor Michael D. Antonovich, the Mayor and Councilmembers of the City of Pasadena, and the Developer, National Community Renaissance, to celebrate the groundbreaking of Mar Vista Union Apartments, a new affordable housing development for First 5 LA participants and homeless families. The CDC provided a total of $2.15 million in construction and permanent financing, comprised of $950,000 in Affordable Housing Trust Funds, and $1.2 million in First 5 LA Capital Funds.

Mar Vista Union Apartments, scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2016, will provide 19 units of affordable housing. Of the total 20 units onsite, seven will be reserved for First 5 LA families with a child aged 0-5, with at least one member of the household who is, or was, involved with the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, and who is homeless or at risk of homelessness. The remaining 12 units will be reserved for homeless families, as well as one for the onsite manager. There will be two fullyaccessible units for the mobility impaired and two units for the audio or visually impaired. Mar Vista Union Apartments will feature a community room with a computer lab, a tot lot, and a community garden. The site will also include laundry rooms and private patios. Union Station Homeless Services will provide services to the residents such as health care, substance abuse counseling, mental health counseling, and employment assistance.

Sean Rogan, CDC Executive Director said, “Every day without permanent housing is an impediment to a family’s ability to thrive. This is especially true for those with young children who need stability through their formative years. We are proud to be part of a project that will provide the services needed for families who are homeless or on the verge of homelessness, to feel welcomed, supported, and secure.”

Mar Vista Union Apartments is pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver designation and will exceed state energy requirements by 15%, inaddition to including drought-tolerant landscaping and energy efficiency appliances.

For more information on the development of Mar Vista Union Apartments, please contact Christy Schroeder, Event Manager for National Community Renaissance, at (909) 204-3423. All media may contact Elisa Vásquez, Public Information Officer for the CDC, at (626) 586-1762.

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Pansy Yee, Manager of the CDC’s Economic and Housing Development Division, addresses the crowd regarding the future Mar Vista Union Apartments.

Contact: Elisa Vásquez, (626) 586-1762, Elisa.vasquez (at) lacdc (dot) org

– See more at: http://california.realestaterama.com/2015/04/16/new-affordable-housing-development-for-homeless-families-breaks-ground-in-pasadena-ID03211.html#sthash.7lhIVbs1.dpuf

Beyond Skid Row: Developers slowly increase housing outside downtown LA (KPCC)

by | Apr 7, 2015 | Union Station in the News

Rina Palta

Richard Hernandez has been a resident of Veterans Village for a year
Richard Hernandez has been a resident of Veterans Village for a year, after spending 18 years on the streets in Echo Park. He credits having a home base with helping him reunite with his family and being back in their lives. Before becoming homeless, Hernandez had served in the U.S Army for 10 years.

Richard Hernandez, in many ways, fits the typical profile of a chronically homeless man in Los Angeles: he’s a veteran -10 years in the Army – he’s dealt with substance abuse, and has struggled to manage his bipolar disorder.

In one way, however, he defies the stereotype. Hernandez managed to avoid Los Angeles’s Skid Row during his 18 years on the streets. Even when he finally found permanent housing, it was 17 miles east, in El Monte.

“I couldn’t live downtown,” he said, seated at a small table in his studio apartment at Veterans Village, a year-old complex for formerly homeless veterans.

Downtown is the heart of L.A. County’s services for homeless. A map provided by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority shows  726 emergency shelter beds in Downtown Los Angeles, more than any other area in the county.

“You have emergency shelters, you have transitional programs, you have medical care,” said Hillary Evans, director of housing services for New Directions, which co-owns Veterans Village.

Same with supportive, permanent housing for homeless. Many properties are downtown, according to the map.

And while that’s convenient, it’s not for everyone. Some, like Hernandez, said they want nothing to do with downtown. Too many problems.

While there are pockets of services outside of Skid Row, the map shows some areas, like the San Gabriel Valley, are virtual deserts.

Little by little, that’s starting to change.

Hernandez’s building in El Monte houses 40 formerly homeless veterans for reduced rent, subsidized with vouchers from the Veteran’s Administration.

Jesus Gomez, El Monte’s assistant city manager, said the city hadn’t considered developing homeless housing until Mercy Housing, a partner on the project, approached officials. Gomez said the project had one big selling point.

“Specifically because it was a veteran’s homeless village,” he said. “The word ‘veteran’ in that sentence was really helpful in selling the project.”

Another development in Valley Glen, also for homeless vets, recently broke ground. El Monte is considering building a second development for veterans and their families.

The magic word is veterans.

President Barack Obama’s pledge to end veteran homelessness by the end of 2015 came with funding.

Projects that aren’t specifically for homeless – or women, or families – can be more difficult.

Right now, Orange County is trying to find a location willing to house a homeless shelter.

The biggest shelter in the San Gabriel Valley, Union Station in Pasadena, hasn’t always been welcome there.

“People have tried to move it,” Evans said. “People didn’t want it there, because they didn’t want folks coming from Downtown to Pasadena.”

And even Skid Row is becoming a tough place to sell new services. Opposition thwarted converting an old hotel there to apartments for the homeless last year.

Ed Holder, vice president of real estate at Mercy Housing, said he hopes projects like his can help overcome the resistance.

Other cities’ officials regularly come through to tour the place, and are surprised to find a well-maintained, quiet property.

“It can be an eye-opener,” he said. “It does open up new possibilities and new thinking about what it means to serve homeless, whether they’re veterans or not.”

“Rocking” event brings together community to help end homelessness (Courier Pasadena City College)

by | Mar 26, 2015 | Union Station in the News

“Rocking” event brings together community to help end homelessness

Hannah Gonzales

March 25, 2015. Tags: ,

Organized by Union Station Homeless Services, participants dressed up in rocker gear to race to end homelessness. Families, volunteers and sponsors gathered at Arcadia County Park this past Saturday to participate in the first annual Rockin’ for the Homeless 5K run/ walk.

Union Station’s Young Leaders Society, a group of young professionals who are dedicated to ending homelessness, were the brains behind the event.

“Our Young Leaders Society decided they wanted to organize a fundraising event for our services,” said Marvin Gross, the CEO of Union Station Homeless Services. “We’re very excited about this. We have nearly 300 people signed up today.”

For most participants this was a fun, family friendly event to help out for a good cause. For others, this was an opportunity to help give back to the community.

“The good thing is that we really have a large base of volunteers so everyone’s always willing to come and help,” said Floridel Sotelo, the development and communications associate for the Homeless Services. “We have a great group of sponsors. We have school volunteer groups.”

According to Sotelo, all the proceedings from the event would go to shelter, housing and career development for the homeless.

“If they refer to us, we do the best to help them and give them the right services that they need,” said Sotelo.

Besides the Homeless Services and the Young Leaders Society, there were volunteers from Disney and Pasadena City College’s Alpha Gamma Sigma.

“It’s a small event, not something huge,” said Gustavo Bueno, an AGS member. “We’re going to make sure everyone’s okay.”

The event started when people started to trickle in at 8 a.m. for the check in. Adults of all ages arrived, some decked out in “rocker” clothing, others in more traditional runners gear. Participants in the 5K event could choose to run or walk. Children would participate in a 1K obstacle course after the 5K finished.

Among the runners who participated was Joseph Rene, a sponsor.

“I’ve been a volunteer for 13 years,” said Rene, who was participating in the 5k as the lead runner and cheerleader.

Equipped with a megaphone, Rene exuded boundless energy. He constantly herded participants to the sign-in booth and made sure that everyone was as excited for the event as he was.

“I don’t think there’s any reason people should be homeless and hungry,” said Rene. “Especially children that really don’t have a choice in the matter.”

Although currently a successful hairstylist who runs his own salon, Rene said that he empathizes greatly with the homeless community and hopes to make a difference by volunteering and donating to events such as the 5K run/walk.

“I grew up as a ward of the Los Angeles county system myself,” said Rene. “I wasn’t homeless, but I was near to being homeless.”

With Rene as their guide, runners lined up at the starting line and began their 5K run at 8:30 a.m. Some were serious as they raced to be first, but for everyone who was running there were groups of people walking while laughing and smiling as they encouraged one another to finish the race strong.

The band Head Light View played rock music to keep the crowd energized as groups of volunteers and supportive family and friends waited for the runners to cross the finish line.

“I work for Disney so we’re part of the Disney volunteers,” said Omar Cabral, one of the singers for the band. “They really encourage us to get out into the community and help out.”

Along with music, food trucks were also available for those that wanted something to snack on. Kona Ice and Pie ‘n Burger showed up to help support the event.

With the last of the participants crossing the finish line at 9:20 a.m., it was time for the 1K Kiddie Dash. Complete with several fun obstacles, the event was a treat for kids.

“It was fun,” said Ella Beltzer, a participant in the 1K. “I think this is really nice. It was for a really great cause.”

Although this was Union Station Homeless Services first time hosting this event, Gross said he wouldn’t mind doing it again.

“It seems that the community is really interested in supporting this. If everything does well today we might do it again next year and maybe the year after that.”

Union Station 5K Runs for a Cause (Outlook Newspapers)

Union Station 5K Runs for a Cause (Outlook Newspapers)

by | Mar 12, 2015 | Union Station in the News

Written by 

Each Sunday, one of Union Station Homeless Services’ most dedicated volunteers makes his way over to the organization’s Adult Center to serve food to the homeless. From his wheelchair, a grinning Keith Du Bois spends hours passing out food to the hungry and encouragement to the most desperate.

When the work is done, Du Bois, 51, heads to the place he’s called home for two decades: Centennial Place, a Union Station low-income housing facility for formerly chronically homeless adults, where he hosts a weekly breakfast mixer for his neighbors. Du Bois is a Union Station volunteer, event organizer and client.

Union Station volunteer and client Keith Du Bois will participate in the organization’s 5K race on March 21.

 

Union Station volunteer and client Keith Du Bois will participate in the organization’s 5K race on March 21.

Du Bois aims to transition into another role on Saturday, March 21: race finisher at Union Station’s inaugural “Rockin’ for the Homeless” charity 5K Run/Walk at Arcadia County Park. Registration is open online for the public event, which includes a 1K walk for children and families, plus food and music. Proceeds from the event will support Union Station, the San Gabriel Valley’s largest social service agency that helps the homeless rebuild their lives.

Du Bois, who has cerebral palsy, laughed as he said he plans to max out the speedometer on his motorized wheelchair on the course.

“Keith is an outstanding example of so many folks we know and work with whose fortitude, courage and positive attitude lead them to become productive and successful members for the community,” said Union Station CEO Marv Gross, who will attend the 5K dressed as a rock star.

In the old YMCA building — which is now the 142-room Centennial Place — Du Bois’ positive attitude is on display every Friday at 10 a.m. That’s when Centennial Cafe, Du Bois’ brainchild of a coffee-and-doughnuts mixer for his neighbors, opens up. As residents gather in the old YMCA gymnasium to sit and chat, Du Bois’ creation is proof of the potential of homeless people if they’re given support.

“This provides us with a sense of community,” said Du Bois, who said he’s never considered himself to be homeless, in part because of Centennial Place’s support. “It feels inspiring to be part of something that’s bigger than yourself. All of us are a part of each other.”

Du Bois knows inspiration; he’s a living, breathing example of it. Subsisting on meals bought with food stamps while being raised by his grandmother in South Central Los Angeles, he was stricken with meningitis at age 3. The illness caused inflammation to his brain and spinal cord membranes, cutting off oxygen to his brain. The trauma resulted in cerebral palsy, a disorder that limits movement permanently and, in some cases, can negatively affect cognitive and speech functions.

But the brain disorder was only the beginning of a series of battles for Du Bois, who is African American. He said he faced discrimination — not only for being black, but also for not being “black enough,” depending on his surroundings. While studying at Asuza Pacific University, he said his roommates kicked him out of their apartment after discovering he was gay. According to Du Bois, he was also once fired him from a part-time job because of his sexual orientation.

Over time, Du Bois said, depression began to set in. After couch-surfing for a short while in 1995, a despondent Du Bois — with nowhere else to turn — found himself at Centennial Place. Because he felt shunned by society, he said, anger welled up in him, and he didn’t speak to his neighbors for five years.

But time began to heal some of the emotional wounds caused by his physical condition and discrimination. One night, Du Bois said he dreamed about having coffee with his neighbors. He pitched the idea to the then-director of Centennial Place three years ago, and Centennial Cafe has been a weekly happening ever since.

“For me, I’m not where I want to be in life. But I am where I am, so I have to make the best of it,” said Du Bois. “If I can’t be happy here, I’ll never be happy anywhere, whether it’s [at Centennial Place] or Beverly Hills. I have learned to be happy.”

Du Bois said part of that learning process can be credited to Union Station’s guidance ever since the organization took over Centennial Place five years ago. Case managers and staff have repeatedly tested his limits with a simple, motivating question: “Can you do that for yourself?”

The encouragement has led him to push his perceived limitations. The upcoming 5K charity fundraiser is one example. Du Bois has never completed a 5K but anticipates being inspired by the outpouring of community support at the event.


Union Station’s “Rockin’ for the Homeless” 5K course will wind through Arcadia County Park, which is adjacent to Santa Anita Park.

The 5K is being coordinated by Union Station’s Young Leaders Society, a volunteer group of Pasadena-area professionals committed to carrying out the nonprofit organization’s mission.

“Union Station was founded by volunteers, [and] for the past 42 years volunteers have been the mainstays of our efforts,” said Gross. “We simply could not serve the homeless as we do today without our dedicated volunteers. Their heartfelt generosity and contributions of time, energy and talent are absolutely invaluable.”

Union Station’s volunteers and staff have done more than provide Du Bois with a safe place to stay; he said that over the
long term, living at Centennial Place has made him reconsider what the idea of “home” truly means.

“I’m very happy,” he said. “Do I want a two-bedroom house with my own kitchen and my own backyard? Yes, I do. But am I content with what I have here? Absolutely.

“I think I can’t ever be happy with a house if I can’t be content with where I am now.”

What: 5K Run/Walk, 1K Kiddie Dash

When: Saturday, March 21, from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Check-in begins at 7 a.m., opening ceremonies are at 8:15 and the runners take off at 8:30 a.m

Where: Arcadia County Park
(405 S. Santa Anita Ave.)

Cost: $40 for the 5K, $15 for the 1K Kiddie Dash

Additional details: Dress as your favorite rock star. During the closing ceremony, the “most rockin’” participant will be awarded with a prize. All participants will receive a T-shirt and medal. Local band Head Lite View will play, and a food truck will also be present. Event sponsorships are still available.

Proceeds will benefit Union Station Homeless Services.

For more information about the 5K, email rockin5k@unionstationhs.org.
To register, visit unionstationhs.org/event/rockin5k