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!

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. 

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!

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

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 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.

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, 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.

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.