News

Rabbi Ken Chasen welcomed to Imagine LA Board

2010-03-03T18:15:24Z

Imagine LA is pleased to announce the election of Rabbi Ken Chasen to its Board of Directors. Rabbi Chasen has served as Leo Baeck Temple's Senior Rabbi since 2003. He came to Leo Baeck after five years of service at Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale, New York. Rabbi Chasen began his professional career in television and film music composition; today, he continues his passion for music as a member of the Reform Movement's Joint Commission on Worship, Music and Religious Living, and as a part of the Jewish musical group, Mah Tovu. He serves on the National Board of Directors of the Association of Reform Zionists of America and the Board of Trustees of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, among many other things. Also a member of ILA's Faith Community Outreach Council, Rabbi Chasen is excited to join the Board of Directors and continue his commitment to the ILA cause.

SAVE THE DATE!

2010-01-29T22:11:21Z

Imagine LA will be holding its third annual Celebration of Family event this spring! Join us on Sunday, May 23rd, from 2-5pm as we bring together our formerly homeless families, their Faith Partner mentors and volunteers, donors and their families, and many more. The event will be held at Lakeside Golf Club in Toluca Lake, California, and will feature celebrities, live music, games and activities for children, guest speakers and more.

Tickets are $150 for individuals, $250 for families, and will be available through our Website in the upcoming weeks (look for updates on our site). Sponsorships are also available and range from $1,000 - $25,000. Please contact Jill Bauman if you are interested in sponsorship opportunities - jill@imaginela.org.

We look forward to seeing you all at this heart-warming, fun-filled event!

Toby Waldorf joins Imagine LA Board

2010-01-29T22:03:00Z

Imagine LA welcomes Toby Waldorf as its newest member of the Board of Directors. Toby has years of experience as an educational consultant. In 2004, she launched Destination-U.com, a Website designed to personalize and aid in the college selection and acceptance process. Toby is very active in UCLA philanthropy (Royce Center Circle, Women & Philanthropy, Foundation Board of Trustees) and social justice (Venice Family Clinic, Piece by Piece and more). As a member of the Board, Toby will be active on the Program and Development committees, in addition to heading the organization's Viable Education/Career Initiative.

2009 in Review: Our families and faith communities

2009-12-31T21:55:52Z

In 2009, a number of new faith communities joined the Imagine LA cause by becoming Faith Partners. Here is a list of Imagine LA's current Faith Partners:

Shoreline Community Church
Kol Tikvah Temple
Valley Beth Shalom
Bel Air Presbyterian Church
Thad's
Leo Baeck Temple
B'nai David Judea
Temple Emanuel
Congregation Tikvat Jacob
Hollywood Seventh Day Adventist
Lake Avenue Church

With the help of each of these Partners' congregations and volunteers, four previously homeless families were placed in permanent, furnished housing in 2009. Imagine LA is excited to continue working with these Faith Partners and families in 2010!

Imagine LA receives grant from John W. Carson Foundation

2009-12-15T19:51:25Z

The John W. Carson Foundation has awarded Imagine LA with a $25,000 grant. The funds will be used as scholarships for faith communities that wish to become involved in the ILA program but are lacking the financial capacity to do so.

Imagine LA is recipient of Rose Hills Foundation grant

2009-12-15T19:46:16Z

Imagine LA received a grant from the Rose Hills Foundation, which will help to fund our growing Supportive, Sustainable Family Housing and Mentorship Program.

Imagine LA named one of LA's Most Socially Innovative Non-profits

2009-11-15T19:16:53Z

Imagine LA is proud to announce that it was chosen as one of the 10 most socially innovative non-profit organizations in Los Angeles. Imagine LA was selected to participate in the Social Innovation Fast Pitch program and showcase, sponsored by Los Angeles Social Venture Partners, the Social Enterprise Institute and USC.

Larry Murphy joins Imagine LA Board

2009-10-29T18:07:35Z

Larry Murphy has joined the Imagine LA Board of Directors. Larry brings a wealth of experience in strategy development, finance and deal making, business development, and brand management to the ILA Board. Most notably, he served as The Walt Disney Company's Chief Strategic Officer, a position in which he was responsible for the corporate-wide leadership and direction of the company's strategic planning, acquisitions and divestitures, and new business development. Larry is excited to get "hands-on" involved in helping Imagine LA achieve its goals locally and ultimately become a national model.

Two Imagine LA Families to be honored at Success Breakfast

2009-09-23T20:29:02Z

On September 29th, the single mothers of two Imagine LA Families will be honored at the 14th Annual Celebrating Success Breakfast, sponsored by the Westside Shelter and Hunger Coalition. The Success Breakfast recognizes formerly homeless clients that have made successful exits. The two mothers and their families will be there along with their faith community partners. Imagine LA is proud of both Arlene Grey and her Bel Air Presbyterian Family Support Team and Maria Oliva and her Leo Baeck Temple Family Support Team!

The Himmel Family receives permanent housing

2009-09-23T20:26:27Z

The Himmel Family, with the invaluable help of Beyond Shelter's Housing First program, received a HUD Section 8 voucher. We are happy to report that they have now moved into an affordable duplex apartment with a yard for their dogs. The move was just in time, because all of the generous funds received by Imagine LA after the Steve Lopez article for use to help Kerry and Destiny, were depleted.

Charles Sipkins and Brent Brockermeyer have joined the Imagine LA Board of Directors

2009-09-16T20:22:29Z

Imagine LA is excited to announce that Brent Brockermeyer Esq. and Charles Sipkins have both been elected to its Board of Directors.

Brent Brockermeyer Esq., formerly a litigator is now the owner of the Brockermeyer Group, a real estate brokerage, consulting and investment company. Mr. Brockermeyer served as the Executive Director of the Blake W. Brockermeyer (his brother and the former Chicago Bears player) Foundation from 2000 - 2008, hosting events to support charities in Texas, California and Illinois. He is also an avid golfer, playing on the national amateur golf circuit and is ranked in the top 75 in California. Mr. Brockermeyer will serve on our Housing Council as well as on our Development Committee spear head events and the launch of our Junior Board.

Charles Sipkins is the Executive Vice President of Abernathy MacGregor Group one of the nation's best public relations firms specializing in crisis management. Formerly Mr. Sipkins was a Senior Vice President at Fleishman-Hillard in both New York and San Francisco. Mr. Sipkins will head our Marketing and Communications Committee and has already begun the assessment phase of developing a new marketing strategy.

Imagine LA in the Daily News!

2009-07-13T21:23:09Z

Imagine LA was featured in an article by Troy Anderson in Sunday's Daily News of the San Fernando Valley. The article is generating a great deal of interest and Imagine LA has received numerous calls and emails from potential faith partners through out the valley.

Click Here to read the article

Lee Silver elected to Imagine LA Board of Directors

2009-06-15T22:48:45Z

Imagine LA is thrilled to announce that Lee Silver has been elected to its Board of Directors. Lee Silver is head of ECJ's Real Estate Department and a member of the firm's Practice Development Committee.

Mr. Silver is very active in community affairs in Beverly Hills and is Past President of the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce. He served three years as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters, and is on the Board of Beverly Hills Rotary, the Maple Counseling Center, and the Foundation for Camp Max Straus.

Lee will be serving both on the Imagine LA Housing Council and on the Program Committee.

Imagine LA in Christianity Today!

2009-06-13T21:34:43Z

Imagine LA was featured in an article by Troy Anderson in Christianity Today Magazine.
The magazine, which has a circulation of millions, is generating a great deal of interest
and Imagine LA has gotten calls from all over the country from people who want to apply
the Imagine LA model to their communities.

Click Here to read the article.

Imagine LA's Celebration of Family Event - A Great Success!

2009-05-22T20:41:32Z

The Imagine LA Celebration of Family Event was held May 24, in Los Angeles
and was a HUGE success! The event brought together all of the Imagine LA
Families: the families on the journey from homelessness to self-sufficiency,
our Faith Partner Support teams and their families, our Service Partners and
their families and our donors and their families and friends to celebrate Imagine LA's
success and to look to the future to permanently end the homelessness cycle one family at a time.

The Reverend (and founder of Imagine LA) Dr. Mark Brewer kicked off the event by reinforcing Imagine LA's mission and saying that we must help homeless children and give them a chance for a prosperous future.

Click "Read More" to see the photos!

]]> City Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky introduced our Key Note Speaker and talked of tackling homelessness eyeball to eyeball, expressing his support for Imagine LA's one family to one faith community approach.

Imagine LA was fortunate to have Key Note speaker Steve Lopez, who spoke of his relationship with Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless musician living on Skid Row and the inspiration for the book and the film The Soloist. Lopez emphasized the importance of relationships and reminded us that one seemingly insignificant connection can make a real difference and mean the world to someone.