Mayor Terry Tornek, Ralphs Grocery Company and Food 4 Less will host the 13th Annual “Operation Gobble Gobble” beginning at 7:30 a.m., Saturday, November 21, 2015 in front of Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave. to distribute 450 Thanksgiving turkeys with all the trimmings to local human service agencies.
In about 90 minutes, a whirlwind of charitable goodwill envelopes the area in front of City Hall as volunteers dash about to distributed the donated food to a long line of pre-determined charitable organizations that receive the items for re-distribution to their clients prior to Thanksgiving.
Including this year, more than over 4,500 Thanksgiving feasts have been provide to the Pasadena community by Ralphs and Food 4 Less, the equivalent of about 45,000 meals, as part of Operation Gobble Gobble.
“Thanksgiving is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to give thanks for the many blessings we’ve received throughout the year,” Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek said. “I’m pleased to continue the tradition of Operation Gobble Gobble with Ralphs Grocery Company and Food 4 Less, who make it possible to extend a Thanksgiving blessing to many of Pasadena’s most needy families.”
Ralphs and Food 4 Less are generously donating the Thanksgiving turkeys, along with stuffing, canned vegetables, potatoes and pumpkin pie. In addition, volunteer representatives from the companies will team up with Pasadena firefighters and other community members to help distribute the food.
Representatives of community organizations including, among others, Pasadena Unified School District Healthy Start, Union Station Homeless Services, Armenian Relief Society, Ronald McDonald House, Mother’s Club, Friends in Deed Pantry, Lutheran Social Services, Walter Hoving Home, Elizabeth House, and Door of Hope will receive the food for distribution to the community.
“Ralphs and Food 4 Less are pleased to be active citizens in Pasadena, and we are proud to join with Mayor Tornek to help make this Thanksgiving special for many people who otherwise might not have the resources to enjoy a turkey dinner with all the fixings,” said Kendra Doyle, Public Relations Vice President.
For more information about “Operation Gobble Gobble’” contact Rhonda Stone at (626) 744-7147.
Stay connected to the City of Pasadena! Visit the City of Pasadena online at www.cityofpasadena.net; follow the city on Twitter @PasadenaGov, www.twitter.com/pasadenagov, and like the City on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cityofpasadena. Or call the Citizen Service Center, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, at (626) 744-7311.
Pasadena, CA – For its 16th annual An Evening for the Station, Union Station Homeless Services is hosting an incredible comedy night to demonstrate that Homelessness is No Laughing Matter!
An Evening for the Station: Homelessness is No Laughing Matter will be held at ArcLight Cinemas, Pasadena, Thursday, October 15 at 6:30 pm. The event, which will be attended by over 400 community, business and civic leaders, will feature a hilarious line-up with top comedic talent from HBO, Showtime, Comedy Central, and more!
All funds raised will benefit Union Station Homeless Services, the San Gabriel Valley’s largest and most comprehensive social service agency assisting homeless adults and families.
Featured Comedians:
Jonah and Kumail(Comedy Central’s The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail): Based on the popular live show, The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail features comedy icons and up-and-comers performing in the back of a comic book shop. Jonah Ray is an actor, writer and comedian also known for being one of the co-hosts of The Nerdist Podcast and television show. Kumail Nanjiani has guest-starred in various comedy shows like Portlandia, and more recently is a regular on HBO’s Silicon Valley.
Matt Braunger(MADtv, Live at Gotham): Matt was recently a series regular on MADtv, his television credits also include The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, The Late Show with David Letterman, and Live at Gotham. Matt has performed at a variety of prestigious comedy festivals and was recently featured in Variety’s “10 Comics to Watch.”
Matt Peters(Showtime’s WEEDS, Netflix’s Orange is the New Black): Matt has been seen on Showtime’s WEEDS, G4TV’s Attack of the Show, and most notably, he has a recurring role on the Primetime Emmy Award-nominated Netflix series, Orange is the New Black. Additionally, he hosts the popular bi-weekly comedy show, BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! that takes place at the infamous R Bar in Los Angeles.
Ron Funches(TBS’s Conan, NBC’s Undateable): Ron has a recurring role on Disney’s Crash and Bernstein, Comedy Central’s Kroll Show and a starring role in NBC’s Undateable. He performs stand up all over the United States impressing audiences everywhere. Most recently, Ron was named one of the “Best New Comedians” by Esquire Magazine.
Nikki Glaser(Comedy Central’s @Midnight, MTV’s Nikki & Sara LIVE): Nikki is a comedian, writer, and host whose television appearances have included The Tonight Show, CONAN, and Last Comic Standing. She was the co-host of the MTV late night talk show, Nikki & Sara LIVE. Nikki can currently be seen as a regular contestant on Comedy Central’s @Midnight and will guest star on the upcoming season of Inside Amy Schumer.
Cameron Esposito(Put Your Hands Together, Chelsea Lately): Cameron is a fast rising Los Angeles-based standup comic, actor and writer who has been called “the future of comedy” by none other than Jay Leno. Cameron hosts Put Your Hands Together, has a biweekly column on The AV Club, and has appeared on Late Late with Craig Ferguson, @Midnight, CONAN, and as a regular on Chelsea Lately and TakePartLive among others.
Baron Vaughn(NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Netflix’s Grace and Frankie): Baron is a comedian who has performed on Conan, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and has had numerous appearances on Comedy Central, most recently in the form of his own “Half Hour” comedy special. Baron has performed in comedy festivals nationwide, TV shows and films and was a series regular on USA’s Fairly Legal (2010-2012). Catch him on the upcoming Netflix Original Series Grace and Frankie starting in May 2015.
Tickets are $40 and can be purchased at www.unionstationhs.org or (626) 250-4559. Event sponsorship begins at $500. To become an event or publicity sponsor, call (626) 240-4558.
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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. Headquartered in Pasadena, 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 nine programs throughout the San Gabriel Valley; 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.
Pasadena, CA – Hundreds of business and community leaders will join Union Station Homeless Services at its annual benefit gala, A PLACE TO CALL HOMEon Saturday, May 9, at the Langham Huntington in Pasadena. The nonprofit’s gala will honor the contributions of Charlie & Rene Chiara and Jim & Tina Hart, long-time supporters and distinguished members of the entertainment industry who have used their talents to benefit the organization.
The evening’s entertainment will include special guest appearances by Melora Hardin (The Office, Transparent), Gildart Jackson (The Young and the Restless, General Hospital), Byron Miller and the Psycho Bass Band, plus one-on-one interviews with the honorees, as well as a formerly homeless individual who found a place to call home through the work of Union Station.
Union Station Homeless Services is a nonprofit agency that helps homeless men, women and children rebuild their lives. As the San Gabriel Valley’s largest homeless service agency, Union Station is part of a premier group of nonprofit agencies in Los Angeles County that are leading the way to ending homelessness in our community.
Charlie & Rene Chiara have been involved in planning numerous events for Union Station for over 15 years. Charlie’s company, Clear Stream Media Group, has produced a number of films for Union Station, and last year, he enlisted his friend and star John C. Reilly to host the 2014 Anniversary Gala. Rene’s experience with public relations and event planning has made her instrumental in helping Union Station launch its inaugural gala, and she has continued to serve as its co-chair for 5 years.
Jim & Tina Hart have been dedicated supporters of Union Station for 28 years. Jim is an Emmy award-winning producer (LA Law, Wonder Years, Chicago Hope) and Tina has worked on over 200 television series as a voice-over actress. Jim has helped Union Station befriend the kindest hearted of Hollywood, including Hector Elizondo, who appears in Union Station’s PSA video and was honored at the 2012 Gala . Jim also served as co-chair for the Annual Golf Tournament at Brookside and co-chaired Union Station’s very first gala.
To commemorate the unique impact of the two couples, the agency will take a fresh, new approach at its gala. “This year’s event will be staged like a late night talk-show! Like a Hollywood event, guests can walk the red carpet as they enjoy a wine reception and silent auction before the program,” says Marv Gross, Union Station’s CEO.
“Charlie and Rene Chiara, and Jim and Tina Hart have all been enthusiastic Union Station activists and leaders for many years,” Gross says. “We are thrilled to be able to honor them at our 2015 gala. It will be a great celebration!”
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 41 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.
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.
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.
“Rock Out” for a Good Cause at Union Station Homeless Services’ 5k Run/Walk
For Release: March 6, 2015
PASADENA, CA – Runners clad in rock star gear will be racing to end homelessness on Saturday, March 21. The 1st annual Rockin’ for the Homeless 5K Run/Walk, created in collaboration with Union Station’s Young Leaders Society, is the first of its kind for Union Station Homeless Services. The race begins at 8:15am.
Combining exercise with a rockin’ good time, this family friendly event encourages participants to dress in their favorite rock star costumes as they race the 5k course around Arcadia County Park. The 1k Kiddie Dash offers young children a safe and fun course of their own. There will be race t-shirts for 5k participants and medals for all, as well as a costume contest for best “rock star.”
Food trucks, including Kona Ice, Pie and Burger, and Wafl Truck, await runners at the finish line. The closing event will feature live music from Head Lite View.
The event was created by Union Station’s Young Leaders Society, a group of more than 75 young professionals between the ages of 21 and 39 years old who are dedicated to ending homelessness in our community. The group organizes various fundraisers, volunteer opportunities, and young professional networking events throughout the year. This event is their largest effort to date! The 5k run/walk event is anticipated to host more than 150 runners and walkers, and raise more than $15,000 for the agency.
“We thought it would be nice to have an event that’s really family-friendly and promotes health and wellness,” remarks Grace Kim, President of the Young Leaders Society and a member of Union Station’s Board of Directors. “It’s our first 5k run/walk and we’re really excited about it!”
Rockin’ for the Homeless 5k is sure to bring together people of all ages to run, walk, and “rock and roll” for a great cause. All donations will support the ongoing efforts of Union Station Homeless Services, the San Gabriel Valley’s largest and most comprehensive nonprofit helping men, women, and children rebuild their lives and end homelessness.
Register today at https://unionstationhs.org/event/rockin5k. Please note that the deadline to receive a 5k t-shirt is Sunday, March 8. For sponsorship opportunities, call (626) 240-4550 ext. 116.
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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 41 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.
Mayor Terry Tornek, Ralphs Grocery Company and Food 4 Less will host the 13th Annual “Operation Gobble Gobble” beginning at 7:30 a.m., Saturday, November 21, 2015 in front of Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave. to distribute 450 Thanksgiving turkeys with all the trimmings to local human service agencies.
