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News
Cecil Younger Gardens Grand
Opening a Success (June '06): On the morning of Tuesday,
June 13, L.A. Family Housing (LAFH) was proud to host the grand
opening of our latest affordable housing development, “Cecil
Younger Gardens.” The event was attended by nearly 100 individuals
and showcased the newest of LAFH’s 21 permanent affordable
housing properties.
The building was named for the late Cecil Younger,
former Director of Loan Development at Century Housing. While with
Century, Mr. Younger was responsible for financing more than 3,000
units of affordable housing in Los Angeles. The highlight of the
morning was a moving speech by Cecilia Younger, daughter of Cecil
Younger, who expressed her appreciation and honor for her father’s
recognition. She was introduced by G. Allan Kingston, President
& CEO of Century Housing and a member of the LAFH Board of Directors.
Other speakers at the event included: Arturo Gonzalez,
who represented 6th District City Councilmember Tony Cardenas’
office; Mercedes Marquez, General Manager for the Los Angeles Housing
Department; Rich Friedman, Deputy Director, State of California
Department of Housing and Community Development; Rosanne Hawkins-Pinedo
Relationship Manager with Washington Mutual; and Lawrence H. Parks
Senior VP, External and Legislative Affairs of Federal Home Loan
Bank of San Francisco and LAFH Board Member.
The new 30-unit complex, located at 14649 Saticoy
Street in Van Nuys, is serving very low to low-income families.
The property includes units ranging in size from two to four bedrooms,
and incorporates an on-site child care center, community room, and
outdoor play space. All of the units are wired for high-speed Internet
access. Attendees of the event were invited to tour several of the
units.
In addition to Century Housing, financing for the
$7.2 million project has been provided by Washington Mutual, the
Los Angeles Housing Department, the Federal Home Loan Bank of San
Francisco, LISC, and the National Equity Fund (NEF).
To read more about the Grand Opening and Cecil
Younger Gardens, please see the Wednesday, June 14 article in the
Daily News here.
To make a donation to support the work of LAFH,
please click here.
KaBOOM! Build Day (June '06):
On June 15, 2006, more than 200 volunteers from The Home Depot and
KaBOOM! joined residents and staff from the Sydney M. Irmas Transitional
Living Center (TLC) to build a brand new outdoor play area for the
young children residing at TLC. The day was full of activity and
excitement as the playground came together literally from the ground
up!
Peter Tilden, morning radio show host at KZLA, did a live remote
broadcast from TLC and helped to kick off and motivate the day’s
efforts. Also in attendance and helping to build the playground
was 6th District City Councilmember Tony Cardenas. Colorful balloons
spotted the grounds and music recorded by the children of TLC added
to the festive atmosphere. Clad in their signature bright orange
T-shirts and accompanied by TLC residents and staff, Home Depot
volunteers worked tirelessly to build the playground in six hours,
and encouraged by the obvious excitement and anticipation of the
children whom the playground is designed to serve. Breakfast, lunch
and other refreshments were provided throughout the day.
The new play area was made possible through a partnership among
L.A. Family Housing, KaBOOM!, and The Home Depot. KaBOOM! is a national
nonprofit organization with a mission of creating great play spaces
through community participation and leadership. The Home Depot is
the largest home improvement retailer and second largest retailer
overall in the United States.
Special thanks to the generous volunteers from The Home Depot, Stephanie
Nelson and her KaBOOM! Colleagues, Councilmember Tony Cardenas,
and LAFH Board member Reverend John Simmons, who spoke at the closing
ceremony.
To make a donation to support the work of LAFH, please click
here.
TLC Children’s Art
Exhibit (June ’06): On June 1, TLC and Oakwood School
co-hosted an extraordinary art exhibit at TLC showcasing the art
of resident children. Rebecca (Becky) Marriott, Oakwood senior and
LAFH volunteer, curated the exhibit. The artwork was created during
weekly children’s arts and crafts sessions led by Becky at
TLC between Fall 2005 and Spring 2006. The Oakwood Arts Outreach
project, which Becky founded, plans to continue working with children
at TLC in the future.
Freedom of expression was encouraged during the
sessions, and the results were amazing. Colorful watercolors by
the children--attractively matted and framed--line an entire hallway
wall in the social services department at TLC. Another wall displays
a variety of bright drawings in colored pen; children’s family
trees using green construction paper for leaves, on each leaf a
child’s family member’s name; and visual representations
of children’s hands, drawn on white cloth, each hand unique.
One outstretched palm reads, “I want to be friends with all
of you.”
The exhibit included a reception with an instrumental
jazz trio of Oakwood students, and light snacks and refreshments
beautifully accompanied by a flower arrangement. On behalf of LAFH,
our heartfelt thanks to Becky, her parents, Oakwood School principal
Jerry Goren, and the Oakwood teachers, parents and students who
helped make the event a great success. We truly appreciate all the
generous volunteer time and support Oakwood students and parents
have provided LAFH over the
Christmas in the Spring (April '06):
L.A. Family Housing's annual Christmas in the Spring, hosted by
generous volunteers from Universal Studios Hollywood, is always
an entertaining, fun-filled event for children and families living
in LAFH's emergency shelter and transitional living facilities.
This year's event, held at our Sydney M. Irmas Transitional Living
Center in North Hollywood, was attended by more than 300 families
and individuals.
Participants at this year's event were treated
to a delicious barbecue chicken meal and enjoyed colorful decorations,
music, toys and games, including cookie decorating and the chance
to build their own exotic banana split! Children were delighted
with the chance to meet Universal character "Curious George,"
and also enjoyed getting temporary, removable tattoos. Santa Claus
was on hand to distribute gifts for both children and adults. Carnival
games and prizes added to the festivities.
Homeless children and families living at L.A. Family
Housing enjoy the generosity and goodwill of many individuals and
organizations during the winter holidays. Christmas in the Spring
reminds us that families are in need of care throughout the year.
L.A. Family Housing extends a great big `THANK
YOU" to Universal Studios for your tremendous generosity!
...letters
March 2006
To whom it may concern,
Comunidad Cesar Chavez has been the most delightful experience
that L.A. Family Housing can provide for a homeless family. I am
a 32-year old single mother of a 9-year old son. Michael and I have
been homeless since 2004. Chavez has allowed me the chance to keep
my goals, become successful and complete college. They also helped
with moving costs and furniture for a one-bedroom apartment. Before
my release, staff made sure that my goals were set and stable and
that I had enough money saved to survive. They even allowed my son
and I to stay until the electricity was on and my furniture arrived.
This made it very comfortable for us.
I would like to thank L.A. Family Housing for allowing my dreams
to come true and believing in me. They have made things easier for
me and I couldn’t have done this without them. Overcoming
homelessness is not easy to do alone and it feels great to have
support.
Thank you,
Dettra
____________________________________________________
December 2005
To whom it may concern:
I would like to thank everyone at Comunidad
Cesar Chavez for everything they have done for us through the different
programs they have to offer. The parenting classes gave us helpful
skills and I also received a certificate for completing the program.
With the help of the job club coordinator I was able to get a resume
so that I can look for a part-time job while I am attending school
for medical billing. I thank the staff for their encouragement to
stay in school so that I can better my life and my children’s
lives.
My children and I would like to thank you very
much for helping us receive a grant for our furniture and utilities
for our new home. I am very grateful for your help.
I would also like to thank our case manager
for being one of the kindest people I have ever met, for an opportunity
to start a savings account, and for the house meetings which were
always helpful.
I thank everyone for their kindness in the
child care program. Our stay at Comunidad Cesar Chavez has been
very comfortable and helpful in many ways. Thanks to everyone we
were able to find permanent housing. This is one of the best Christmases
my children and I have had in a long time.
Thank you all,
The O. Family
____________________________________________________
December 2005
Dear LA Family Housing:
We are writing to express our gratitude for
the attention your program has afforded my family.
In September 2005 I came to Chavez House from
a domestic violence shelter where I lived with my two children since
September 2003. During our stay at Chavez House I was blessed to
receive a Section 8 voucher. I found an apartment to move into,
but I had no furniture. There was another blessing to hear that
the program could help provide furniture for my children and me.
Last week I received the furniture. I am so glad that I came to
Chavez House and found the help that I really needed. I also received
a gift card from the staff.
We are very impressed with your ability, as
well as with the amount of care and attention you have given my
family.
Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
The T. Family
____________________________________________________
December 2005
Dear L.A. Family Housing,
First, I want to thank you for putting a roof
over me and my children’s head when I couldn’t do it
myself. I was going through rough times and you faithfully—with
no questions asked—came to our rescue. I want to thank you
for all the services you provided me and my children, and gifts,
and all the extras to make them feel at home when staying at Chavez
House. But most of all I want to thank you for the chance to start
over in permanent housing.
Thanks to you, L.A. Family Housing, we now
live in a 2-bedroom 2-bath apartment in Winnetka, CA and my children
are happy, and I can finally take better care of my mom and keep
a close eye on her. She’s also come back to life now that
we are all a family again. Thank you for the second chance.
God bless,
Jessica
____________________________________________________
December 2005
To TLC Staff:
Thanks to all the staff at TLC for helping
us in our time of need. We are so thankful and very glad that you
changed our lives from sad to happy. You did everything you could
and we’re so glad everything turned out good. So we wish you
all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and hope the new year brings
you lots of cheer.
So again thank you all for all you have done
and take care of yourselves and have fun. Merry Christmas and Happy
New Year!
The M. Family
____________________________________________________
& Updates
S. Mark Taper Foundation
(June ’06): L.A. Family Housing was awarded a $400,000
grant from the S. Mark Taper Foundation to rehabilitate the Trudy
& Norman Louis Valley Shelter. Those funds will match a $341,013
grant from the State’s Emergency Housing Assistance Program
(EHAP) for a total of $741,013. Construction, including upgrading
the building’s plumbing systems, repairing and installing
new flooring, and installing industrial bathroom fixtures, has begun
and should be completed by the end of the year.
EHAP Capital Development
(June ’06): LAFH was awarded a $1 million deferred
loan from EHAP for the renovation of the Sydney M. Irmas Transitional
Living Center (TLC). The facility will undergo extensive rehabilitation,
including work on its drainage, plumbing, ventilation, and boiler
systems, flooring and painting, and fire safety issues. The construction
project will be completed by the end of the year.
New LAHSA Contract (December
‘05): The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA)
has contracted with L.A. Family Housing to fund 10 units at TLC
for a new emergency shelter program for homeless families. The funding
has been allocated out of County Supervisor Yaroslavsky’s
budget. The contract runs from November 2005 to June 2007, with
the possibility of renewed funding based on program performance
and funding availability. The units have not been in use since they
were flooded and damaged as a result of rains in early 2005. Some
of the contract funds have been used to repair the flood-damaged
rooms. The funding allows TLC to operate at full capacity once again.
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