A Night of Magic helps bring people a life of dignity and a safe place to call home.
Pasadena,CA– September 20, 2017
For nearly two decades, an Evening for the Station has delivered incredible entertainment in support of Union Station Homeless Services. This year, prepare to be enchanted as Union Station presents its 18th annual Evening for the Station: A Night of Magic on Wednesday, November 1, at The Rose in Pasadena. Doors open at 6:30 pm.
Evening for the Station, which will be attended by over 300 community, business and civic leaders, will offer a night of magic from L.A.’s top talent and an inspiring testimonial from a formerly homeless program alumnus.
Tickets are $65 and can be purchased at unionstationhs.org/efts2017 or by calling 626.240.4550. Admission includes a magical performance and buffet dinner. 100% of all funds raised will support Union Station’s life-changing programs.
Featured Magicians:
Mike Caveney’s performance is always unique. Each of his original routines is perfectly suited to his dry comedic wit. He doesn’t tell jokes but you won’t stop laughing and when something amazing happens, it isn’t just a trick, it’s a miracle. Prepare to be entertained by his wit and skill as Mike hosts the Evening for the Station!
Chef Anton is an award-winning expert with the pool cue, and a noted magician whose performance includes a unique mixture of magic, hustling tricks and billiard trick shots. Because of his unique style, he was the first ever billiard trick shot artist invited to a special evening performance at the noted Magic Castle.
Johnny Ace Palmer specializes in close-up magic. He was voted Best Close-Up Magician at the Magic Castle™ in Hollywood by the Academy of Magical Arts two years in a row. Ladies and gentlemen, keep your eyes wide open as we welcome the close-up magic of World Champion Magician… Johnny Ace Palmer!
Tina Lenert is a magician, mime and harpist. She has performed worldwide and is known for combining elements of pantomime and magic. For many years she has been a regular performer at the world-famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, where she has been voted Stage Magician of the Year by the Academy of Magical Arts.
Pasadena, CA – June 30, 2017 – Union Station Homeless Services announces it has received a generous $15,000 economic mobility grant from Bank of America. Funds from the grant will go toward Union Station’s life-saving programs and services which help individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness in San Gabriel Valley.
“We are incredibly grateful to Bank of America for this grant and joining us in the fight to end homelessness in San Gabriel Valley,” said Union Station’s CEO, John Brauer. “It is because of like-minded partners like them that we’re able to effect real change in our local communities.”
As the lead homeless services agency in the San Gabriel Valley, Union Station is on the frontier of an exciting and innovative answer to the issue of homelessness – a national movement which asserts that people experiencing homelessness will be most successful if they are offered housing first so that they may stabilize and address the other issues that led to their homelessness. Union Station coordinates the efforts of over 60 service providers throughout the region. Special focus is given to helping the most vulnerable first, such as chronically homeless individuals, veterans and families. As a result, the clients served have complex needs, including disabilities, chronic illnesses and mental health diagnoses, and therefore require intensive services.
“Bank of America is proud to partner with Union Station Homeless Services to help alleviate the plight of homelessness in the San Gabriel Valley and contribute to a thriving local economy,” said Raul A. Anaya, Los Angeles market president, Bank of America. “We look forward to making a positive impact in our communities by helping people experiencing homelessness get on the path to financial stability.”
Union Station is working to promote and increase client access to permanent supportive housing and enhance its current services with nationally recognized best practices. Throughout this process, Union Station is also upgrading and expanding its infrastructure to meet this increased demand. These new attempts to end homelessness represent much more than incremental, geographic growth – they represent a leap forward in the impact of Union Station’s services to families and chronically homeless members of the San Gabriel Valley.
Union Station Homeless Services is among 70 nonprofits receiving funding from Bank of America to help underserved people in Los Angeles chart a path toward greater economic mobility by improving access to food, shelter, benefits, career readiness resources and financial resources for families.
About Union Station Homeless Services
Union Station Homeless Services, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is committed to helping homeless men, women and children rebuild their lives. Union Station Homeless Services is part of a premier group of human services agencies in Los Angeles County that are leading the way to ending homelessness in our community. We are the San Gabriel Valley’s largest social service agency assisting homeless and very low-income adults and families. We believe every person deserves a life of dignity and a safe place to call home. With 43 years of experience, we proudly offer a full continuum of eight programs in seven locations. Services include street outreach, intake/assessment, care coordination and navigation, meals, shelter, housing, employment development, benefits enrollment, and referrals to medical and mental health services. Learn more at unionstationhs.org.
About Bank of America
At Bank of America, our focus on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors is critical to fulfilling our purpose of helping make people’s financial lives better. Our commitment to growing our business responsibly is embedded in every aspect of our company. It is demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our customers, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocate groups, such as community and environmental organizations, in order to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Learn more at, and connect with us on Twitter at @BofA_News.
The 2017 Pasadena Homeless Count was conducted on January 24th, and the recently-released results show a slight increase over last year, rising from 530 people to 575. This uptick comes after five years of steep decline, down from a peak of 1,216 in 2011.
Many factors affected this year’s single-night count. Most importantly, the count was conducted on a particularly cold and rainy night when Pasadena’s bad weather shelters were open, while those in some neighboring cities remained closed. This situation led to a greater number of sheltered homeless individuals in Pasadena on the evening of the count. Furthermore, analysis of the count shows a very slight reduction in persons living on the streets, indicating that the small overall increase can be attributed mainly to this increase in the sheltered population.
Despite growth in the overall number of homeless individuals and families, there is much to be excited about in the findings from this year’s count. For example, not only was chronic homelessness in Pasadena reduced by 15% last year, but Pasadena also achieved functional zero for veterans (one of the most vulnerable subpopulations) as well as for unsheltered homeless families.
The fundamental takeaway from this year’s count is that while our mission to end homelessness in the San Gabriel Valley isn’t over, we’ve seen incredible progress so far. With your ongoing support, we will continue to fight toward this goal until it is reached.
25-Year Nonprofit Veteran Joins Southern California Homeless Service Provider
Pasadena, CA —Union Station Homeless Services, a leading nonprofit homeless services provider in the Los Angeles area, announced the appointment today of John Brauer as the agency’s new Chief Executive Officer, effective November 2016.
Brauer, who has more than 25 years of nonprofit executive experience, comes to Union Station from NW Works, a Virginia-based nonprofit agency that provides employment, training and support services to adults with disabilities.
“After a thorough nationwide search, we are delighted to select John Brauer to be our new CEO,” said Elizabeth Trussell, President of the Union Station Board of Directors. “John brings extensive experience and deep passion for our mission to help people end their homelessness and rebuilding their lives.”
“I am very excited to be joining such a wonderful organization,” Brauer said. “Union Station Homeless Services truly makes a difference in the lives of individuals experiencing homelessness, and I’m proud to be asked to lead its team of exceptional staff and dedicated volunteers. I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves and jump in!”
Brauer’s work with these individuals—including people experiencing homelessness—includes day programs, work programs, therapeutic behavior services, social enterprise development, advocacy, government fundraising, and community outreach.
Prior to his work in the nonprofit sector, John owned and ran two for-profit businesses. He currently serves as adjunct professor for Florida State University where he teaches graduate level courses in Budget & Finance and Personnel Management for the Department of Social Work. and holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology.
Brauer takes the reins from Rabbi Marvin Gross, who retired in June after serving 21 years as Union Station’s CEO.
Union Station has been providing life-saving services to homeless and highly vulnerable community members since 1973. It is part of a group of human services agencies in Los Angeles County that are playing a central role in the effort to end homelessness, and it is the San Gabriel Valley’s lead agency assisting homeless and very low-income adults and families.
Goldstar, the company that gets people out to live entertainment more often, has announced they’ll once again help put Thanksgiving dinner on the table for people in need through their 12th Annual Thanksgiving Appeal: http://www.goldstar.com/thanksgiving_appeal.
Starting Saturday, November 21, Goldstar members will be able to easily make a donation to a local organization on the Goldstar site and iOS and Android apps. The money raised from these donations will then go to local food banks, homeless shelters and organizations that help feed those in need this Thanksgiving in more than 35 U.S. cities coast to coast.
Confirmed organizations include, but are not limited to:
New Jersey/New York: Community FoodBank of New Jersey
Orange County: Orange County Food Bank
Philadelphia: Philabundance
Phoenix: St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance
Portland: Oregon Food Bank
Sacramento: Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services
San Diego: Feeding America San Diego
San Francisco: Life Learning Academy
San Jose: Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties
Seattle: Northwest Harvest
Washington, D.C.: Capital Area Food Bank
Various Cities Nationwide: Feeding America
Goldstar’s Annual Thanksgiving Appeal began in 2004 when the company was still pretty small. The founders discovered that people didn’t buy many tickets just before Thanksgiving, so they decided to use their resources (which at the time were email and the Goldstar website) to encourage people to support an organization that could help make Thanksgiving a little bit better for those who might not have much of a holiday at all.
“That first year we raised $2,160! Not exactly a king’s ransom,” says Goldstar CEO Jim McCarthy. “Goldstar has grown significantly since then. And, funnily enough, this time of year is now our busiest season. But, we’re not too big, nor are we too busy, to remember that it’s important to give back each year to those who need it most.” So the Thanksgiving Appeal tradition lives on.
Over the last few years, Goldstar members, along with Goldstar staff, have helped feed nearly 200,000 people annually! The company hopes to feed a lot more this year. Goldstar makes live entertainment a part of everyday life for more than six million people nationwide.
Whether on the site or in the app, it’s fast and easy to discover local live events — from theater and sports to concerts, comedy and more — with tickets typically at half price or better.
Pasadena, CA – Union Station Homeless Services announced today that the nonprofit agency’s CEO, Rabbi Marvin Gross, will retire next year.
Gross’ departure will bring to a close an exceptional career of 21 years at the helm of Union Station Homeless Services, during which he led the agency through an unprecedented period of growth.
During Gross’ tenure, Union Station Homeless Services expanded its services to become the San Gabriel Valley’s largest nonprofit serving homeless men, women and children. Today, the agency provides intake, shelter, housing and employment services, and coordinates with more than 60 partner agencies throughout the San Gabriel Valley.
“My time at Union Station has been enormously rewarding and fulfilling,” said Gross. “This is due to the outstanding, dedicated staff members and talented, compassionate Board members, volunteers and community leaders I’ve had the honor of working with along the way. I am grateful to everyone who has been my partner in this journey.”
“Marv has been a truly inspirational leader,” said Liz Trussell, Chair of Union Station’s Board of Directors. “Since Marv joined the agency in 1995, we have grown from a single shelter on Raymond Ave to nine programs today — with a new facility scheduled for completion by fall 2016.”
The Board of Directors has established a search committee of former and current board members and has retained the executive search firm Morris & Berger to conduct a nationwide search for Gross’ successor.
“Marv has been a remarkable CEO and we are committed to the finding the right leader to sustain us in the years to come,” says Terry Krupczak, Vice Chair of Union Station’s Board of Directors and Search Committee Chair. “The firm will work with the committee to identify a candidate with a deep passion for our mission and strong leadership and fundraising capabilities,” said Krupczak.
Marv will continue to lead the agency for the next seven months until he retires at the end of June 2016.
“I am not saying goodbye yet. There are still months of work ahead of us. It will be an exciting time as we continue to help people in Pasadena and throughout the San Gabriel Valley achieve decent housing, more stable lives, and greater self-fulfillment,” said Gross.
