From STAFF REPORTS
Published: Wednesday, November 18, 2015 | 1:09 AM
You are invited to be a part of Masters of Taste, a new and exciting outdoor, luxury festival that will take place on Sunday, April 3rd, 2016 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the field of the Historic Pasadena Rose Bowl!
Masters of Taste will bring L.A.’s Top Master Tastemakers together for one afternoon to celebrate all realms of taste. Approximately 2,500 influential food and beverage enthusiasts from all throughout the Greater Los Angeles area are expected to attend this exciting festival which will include the finest fare from 50 Master Chefs and restaurants, signature handcrafted cocktails and tastings from 25 spirit bars, wineries, local craft breweries, lifestyle and beauty brands, live entertainment and much more.
The beneficiary of Masters of Taste will be Union Station Homeless Services, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to helping homeless men, women and children rebuild their lives. Headquartered in Pasadena, the agency is the San Gabriel Valley’s largest social service agency assisting homeless and very low-income adults and families through an array of services including street outreach, meals, shelter, housing, case management and career development. Since 1973, Union Station Homeless Services has helped thousands of people who were once homeless and without hope.
Refined extravagance and luxury awaits you. Mark your calendars and save-the-date to savor the finer things in life with Masters of Taste.
Masters of Taste will take place on Sunday, April 3rd, 2016. The VIP Power Hour will be held from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and General Admission will be from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.. For more information on Masters of Taste or to book your tickets directly, please visit www.mastersoftaste.eventbrite.com.
Masters of Taste will be held at the Pasadena Rose Bowl (1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena). For more information, contact Masters of Taste at (626) 791-6677, email info@MastersofTasteLA.com or visitwww.MastersofTasteLA.com.
PASADENA – The best way to give thanks is to give back! To show their community spirit and compassion, hundreds of volunteers of all ages will gather together on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day to serve meals and cheer at Union Station Homeless Services’ annual Dinner-in-the-Park.
For more than 40 years, this beloved tradition has been a staple event for the community during the holiday season. Volunteers help prepare and serve meals – including turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and pie – to all who are
hungry at Pasadena’s Central Park on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
“The event brings the community together! Even if it is for one day, hopefully one day leads to another and another and so on and so on!” said Ginger Mort, member of the Los Angeles Disney VoluntEAR Leadership Council and a Union Station Dinner-in-the-Park volunteer since 2001.
Union Station Homeless Services expects to several thousand plates of food this Thanksgiving, November 26th. Meal recipients will include adults and families experiencing homelessness and poverty, senior citizens, and those who are alone at the holidays or unable to afford a holiday meal.
In addition to volunteers, the event is made possible thanks to generous corporate partners, including HomeStreet Bank, Tsutayo Ichioka & Satsuki Nakao Charitable Foundation, SuperKing Markets, Longo Toyota Scion Lexus, Pasadena Federal Credit Union, Dove Properties, Norton Rose Fullbright, Pasadena Convention Center, Centerplate, Chipotle and Whole Foods.
“The Pasadena Convention Center and Centerplate is thrilled to support Union Station Homeless Services by preparing turkeys for Dinner-in-the-Park,” said Michael Ross, CEO, Pasadena Center Operating Company. “We applaud Union Station’s work to serve thousands of meals to the hungry and homeless during the holiday season and are pleased to participate in such a worthwhile cause.”
“Dinner-in-the-Park is truly a community event and simply would not be possible without the help of dedicated volunteers and dozens of businesses who make this event such a success,” said Marv Gross, CEO of Union Station. All who are able to help are invited to donate their time, food items or funds to this valuable holiday outreach program.
Volunteer registration for Thanksgiving opens Sunday, November 1 at 8am, and registration for Christmas opens December 1. Union Station Homeless Services is in need of non-perishable food donations. A wish list of much-needed items can be found on the event page at https://unionstationhs.org/event/dinner-in-the-park-2015/. The community is invited to drop off these supplies in the indicated
sizes at 412 S. Raymond, Pasadena.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to Health Department regulations, Union Station Homeless Services is no longer able to accept turkey or prepared food donations at the event.
Lunchtime at Pasadena’s Union Station. (Staff Photo by Walt Mancini)
By Marvin Gross
POSTED: |
Andrew Harvey’s thoughts about the homeless in Pasadena (“What will Pasadena do about homeless problem?,” Sept. 6) are seriously ill-informed, malicious and mean-spirited. Among other things, he demonizes all homeless people with exaggerated, unfounded generalizations and is wholly unaware of the many positive services currently offered to homeless people in this city by public agencies and nonprofits.
The fact of the matter is that the number of homeless persons in Pasadena is lower today than at any time since the first homeless count was done here in 1992. While over the last four years homelessness in Los Angeles County has increased 30 percent, it has declined 48 percent over the same period in Pasadena, with 632 men, women and children identified as homeless in the city in January 2015.
While the only acceptable number of homeless persons in our community should be zero, the progress in Pasadena toward reducing the number of its homeless can be attributed to various factors. Among them are the following examples, despite assertions by Mr. Harvey that these conditions don’t exist:
• Pasadena is one of the few cities in the San Gabriel Valley whose police department deploys a Homeless Outreach Psychiatric Evaluation (HOPE) team consisting of a sworn police officer and a social worker from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. Pasadena Police Department’s two HOPE Teams engage with homeless persons with the goal of connecting them to services and treatment when appropriate. This enlightened approach to working with homeless people will be reinforced by Chief Philip Sanchez’ plans to deploy a third Pasadena police HOPE Team in the near future.
• A Homeless Task Force convened by the director of the Pasadena Housing and Community Development Department and meeting monthly includes representatives from the city manager’s office, Police Department, city attorney’s office, Human Services and Recreation, the public library, the Public Health Department and nonprofit homeless services providers. Its goal is to coordinate services and long-term efforts geared to assisting local homeless residents improve their lives while ensuring the quality of life of all Pasadena’s citizens.
Union Station Homeless Services, created 42 years ago by seven Pasadena women in what is now Old Pasadena, today is the largest and most comprehensive nonprofit social service agency aiding homeless individuals and families in the San Gabriel Valley. We are proud to have been chosen last year as the lead agency to coordinate both the new Coordinated Entry System and Homeless Families Solutions System programs throughout this region, from Pasadena through Pomona.
Construction is currently under way in Pasadena on the Mar Vista Apartments, a 20-unit building of one and two-bedroom apartments for formerly homeless families. With very significant construction funding and rental subsidies provided by the city of Pasadena, development services provided by National Community Renaissance and on-site social services to be provided by Union Station Homeless Services, this facility will be the first permanent supportive housing facility of its kind to be built in the city. It is expected to go into service in twelve months.
Reducing homelessness and aiding those living on the streets to attain stability, decent housing, medical and psychological care, other services, community support and, in some cases, employment and self-sufficiency is an extremely difficult and complex task. It requires intense and effective collaboration between elected officials, local, state and national governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, community volunteers, business leaders, congregations, and funders at all levels. In short, people of determination, vision and compassion.
We should be thankful such a collaborative framework exists in Pasadena. While there is without question a great deal more to do while hundreds live on our streets, we have created the basic foundation to eliminate the scourge of homelessness in our city. We must continue our efforts together, undeterred by those who do not share our vision.
Rabbi Marvin Gross is CEO of Union Station Homeless Services.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 31, 2015 Sunday Funday! – Fallen Fruit’s Public Fruit Jam Returning to the One Colorado Courtyard
Sunday, August 16, 11am – 2pm
This fruit-filled event is supported in part by Whole Foods Market
A portion of the day’s jam will be donated to the Union Station Homeless Services Family Center
One Colorado Courtyard – 41 Hugus Alley, Pasadena CA 626.564.1066 Media contact: A. McLean Emenegger / mclean@onecolorado.com / 626.564.1066 x16
OLD PASADENA, CA: Fallen Fruit’s Public Fruit Jam Sunday, August 16, 11am to 2pm
Join us for a fun and friendly day of making jam and new pals! Fallen Fruit’s Public Fruit Jam is a wonderful social and community-building event that’s perfect for kids, adults, families and even first dates.
Folks are invited to drop by the courtyard anytime between 11am – 2pm for the Fruit Jam. Everyone is invited to contribute home-grown or picked public fruit to the cause.
Selecting fruit goodies from the communal fruit table, guests will join Jam Teams of 3 to 5 people. (New friends!) Your team’s jam ingredients can be anything you bring along or score at the fruit table. Fallen Fruit encourages experimental jams, such as basil guava or lemon pepper jelly. You can even add a kick of jalapeno or bite with some fresh ginger. Almost all fruits can be jammed, even bananas – if you dare!
Each jam session runs approximately 45 minutes from cutting to preserving. Fallen Fruit staffers will be on hand to help out. In the end, you will have jam to keep, swap and contribute to the tasting table where you can savor the fruits of your labors. And who knows – you may also leave with a new BFF or adorable meet-cute story!
A portion of the jam produced at this event (+ bread and peanut butter) will be donated to the Union Station Homeless Services Family Center.
We are grateful to Whole Foods Market and their locations in Pasadena on Arroyo Parkway and Foothill Boulevard for helping support this event.
About Fallen Fruit:
Fallen Fruit invite you to experience your City as a fruitful place, to collectively re-imagine the function of public participation and urban space, and to explore the meaning of community through creating and sharing new and abundant resources. Fruit Trees! Share your fruit! Change the world!
Fallen Fruit is an art collaboration originally conceived in 2004 by David Burns, Matias Viegener and Austin Young. Since 2013, David and Austin have continued the collaborative work. Fallen Fruit began by mapping fruit trees growing on or over public property in Los Angeles. The collaboration has expanded to include serialized public projects and site-specific installations and happenings in various cities around the world. More information at fallenfruit.org.
About One Colorado:
One Colorado is a collection of 17 historic buildings housing a curated mix of nationally acclaimed retailers and designers, unique local merchants, inventive restaurants and a boutique cinema. A full city block located between Colorado, Union, Delacey and Fair Oaks, One Colorado is the retail centerpiece of Old Pasadena and favorite casual gathering place for the greater community, with public events hosted year-round in its central courtyard.
Pasadena, CA –Union Station Homeless Services, San Gabriel Valley’s largest social service agency helping men, women, and children rebuild their lives and end homelessness, today announced it has been selected by the Yard House in Pasadena to receive a $1,000 grant as part of the Restaurant Community Grants program from the Darden Restaurants Foundation, the charitable arm of Darden Restaurants.
The annual grants program empowers every restaurant in the Darden family — Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze, Eddie V’s, Seasons 52, and Yard House — to award a $1,000 grant to an exceptional nonprofit organization in its local community and support its community programs.
The donation will enable Union Station to continue its Community Meals Program, which provides warm and nutritious cooked meals on a daily basis to individuals and families experiencing homelessness and very low-income community members.
“We are so grateful for the generous support of the Yard House and Darden Restaurants,” says Dana Bean, Director of Development with Union Station Homeless Services. “These funds will help us feed hungry men, women and children in our community.”
“We’re proud to be able to support Union Station Homeless Services through our Restaurant Community Grants program,” said Stephanie Ghertner, Director of the Darden Foundation. “Our team members are incredibly passionate about getting involved in their local communities, and this program enables them to do just that.”
The goal of Union Station’s Community Meals Program is to feed all who are hungry and come to eat. The program serves an estimated 165 unduplicated people per day, including shelter residents, people who are homeless, people living with mental or physical illness or substance use, senior citizens and low-income working people. The program provides 130,000 meals annually, including a daily breakfast and lunch for hungry community members and three meals a day for Union Station’s Adult and Family Center residents. It is Pasadena’s only free prepared meals program open daily to the community.
For additional information on Union Station Homeless Services, please visit www.unionstationhs.org.
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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 over 40 years of experience, we proudly offer a full continuum of seven 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.
The Darden Foundation
The Darden Restaurants, Inc. Foundation is the charitable arm of Darden Restaurants, Inc. The Darden Foundation’s mission is to maintain a spirit of service and community engagement as defining characteristics of Darden’s family of restaurants – Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille, Eddie V’s and Yard House. Since 1995, the Darden Foundation has awarded more than $71 million in grants to leading nonprofit organizations that align with its mission and community priorities: Recipe for Success®, Preservation of Natural Resources and Good Neighbor grants. Through the Darden Harvest program, Darden Restaurants has also donated more than 77 million pounds of food to hunger relief agencies across the U.S. and Canada. In 2011, the Darden Foundation introduced the Restaurant Community Grants program that is dedicated to supporting local nonprofit organizations in the hundreds of communities where we live and serve. For more information, please visit www.dardenfoundation.com.
