Donor Recognition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 22, 2009 CONTACT: Ruth Schwartz, Shelter Partnership 213-943-4580 or 213-446-4538 (cell)
SHELTER PARTNERSHIP CELEBRATES 24 YEARS OF SERVICE: 20th Annual Gala Dinner Honors Judge Harry Pregerson, Sheriff Lee Baca and Stephen Mayberg, Ph.D.
Los Angeles—Shelter Partnership celebrated 24 years of supporting homeless service providers and developing housing for the homeless in Los Angeles County at their 20th Annual Gala Dinner. To help commemorate this important milestone, Shelter Partnership honored Judge Harry Pregerson, with the Tom Bradley Lifetime Achievement Award for his life-long leadership on behalf of developing housing and critical services for the homeless. Shelter Partnership also honored Sheriff Lee Baca and California Mental Health Director Steven Mayberg, Ph.D. Fritz Coleman, KNBC-TV Weathercaster, served as the Master of Ceremonies and there was a performance by comedian Dom Irrera.
Over 450 people attended the Gala Dinner from all sectors of the community and the event raised more than $335,000 for Shelter Partnership’s work on behalf of all of the homeless agencies in Los Angeles County.
Shelter Partnership’s recent work includes the completion and implementation of a more than two-year effort involving the Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan. Amongst the findings, the Plan identifies that nightly there are 3,000 to 4,000 homeless older adults nightly in Los Angeles County and this population is one of the fastest growing amongst the homeless. More than 60% have a disability and permanent, affordable supportive housing would resolve the homelessness of the vast majority of these individuals. As a result of Shelter Partnership’s efforts, more than 100 older adults have secured housing in the last year.
Their S. Mark Taper Foundation Shelter Resource Bank has secured more than $160 million in new donated goods for free distribution, and in 2008 they distributed $9.4 million in products to 230 agencies serving the homeless and poor. Their 108,000 square foot warehouse in the City of Bell is currently undergoing a more than $3 million privately funded rehabilitation of the warehouse to increase safety and improve efficiency, which will be completed in Summer 2009.
Editor’s Note: Selected photographs will be available by JPG on our website on May 22nd at www.shelterpartnership.org
