Vol. 1, No. 3, November 30, 2020 |
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Welcome to the 2020 Winter edition of Weingart News, a quarterly newsletter highlighting all things Weingart.
The Weingart Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency located in Downtown Los Angeles and provides homeless individuals with the basic tools necessary to stabilize their lives, secure income, and find permanent housing. Our mission is to empower and transform lives by delivering innovative solutions to break the cycle of homelessness.
As one of the best comprehensive human services organizations in the western United States, we are committed to establishing a world in which all people have and maintain a high-quality productive life.
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Tuesday, December 01, 2021
Created in 2012, GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.
Over the years, GivingTuesday has inspired hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity in a variety of ways —whether it’s helping a neighbor, advocating for an issue, sharing a skill, or giving to various causes. Every act of generosity counts.
The Weingart Center is proud to participate in this effort to build a world in which the catalytic power of generosity is at the heart of society. You, too, can make a lasting impact by making a special tax-deductible donation in honor of this great social event.
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Weingart Virtual Gala 2020
The Weingart Virtual Gala 2020 sponsored by U.S. Bank was held on October 17, and was an incredible evening full of food, laughs, libations, and great fundraising fun.
Over 200 online viewers and supporters took part in this very special Interactive cooking demo with Celebrity Chef, Wolfgang Puck. Each guest received a freshly prepared meal kit created by Chef Puck and his team containing everything needed to cook along with the Chef while enjoying special signature cocktails and wine pairings.
Broadcasting from his test kitchen in Beverly Hills, Chef Puck provided step-by-step instructions while interacting with guests, telling stories, and checking in on viewers as they prepared dishes from the comfort of their homes.
Musical entertainer, Chris Pierce, offered uplifting sounds. Mixology legend, Charlotte Voisey, demonstrated how to prepare the evening's signature cocktail. Billy Harris kept things moving smoothly with his lively, comedic charm.
In an effort to celebrate the amazing work that Weingart Center clients do to overcome homelessness, we held a very special, socially-distanced Gala Garden event at the Center in their honor, portions of which were broadcast during our online event.
We'd like to thank Wolfgang Puck and his team as well as everyone who helped make the Weingart Virtual Gala 2020 something to remember for years to come.
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Click here to view a recording of the night's event.
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Weingart Wins Homekey RFP Bid with Hotel Solaire
Building upon the success of Project Roomkey, Homekey is the next phase in the State’s response to protecting Californians experiencing homelessness who are at a high risk for serious illness and are impacted by COVID-19.
Administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), grant funding was made available to local public entities and housing authorities to purchase and rehabilitate hotels, motels, and vacant apartment buildings in order to convert them into interim or permanent, long-term housing.
The Weingart Center is happy to announce that it won the Homekey RFP bid with Hotel Solaire, now to be known as The Beacon. The Beacon, located at 1710 7th Street in Downtown Los Angeles, will open as interim housing and then convert to permanent supportive housing.
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As city officials and service agencies come together to find creative solutions to address our homeless crisis, the Weingart Center is paving the way with innovative permanent supportive and affordable housing solutions. |
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Dear friends,
As 2020 comes to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you one of my favorite Weingart Center Success Stories.
This story is moving for many reasons. At the heart of it, this story exemplifies our core principles: inclusion, equity, and empathy for all who enter.
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Meet Tracy Coleman & Kate Gonzalez
Tracy Coleman came to Los Angeles from Atlanta after the passing of her father. Tracy moved in with a relative where drugs became a daily fixture. Her affair with drugs ultimately led to a life on the streets, where she turned to prostitution.
After 3 years on the streets, Tracy entered the Weingart Center for help. It was here that she found a kindred spirit in Intake Coordinator, Kate Gonzalez. Recognizing a common bond with Kate, Tracy said to her, “You know what? You’ll do something good for me.” And that’s exactly what happened.
Recalling the difficulties of life on the street, Tracy reveals, “We have the most difficult time out there [as transgender persons]. You know, people talk about us, they want to jump us, they want to beat us, because of who we are.”
Kate shares what it’s like as Intake Coordinator, “[…] obviously they’re looking for a place to feel safe. [Being] the first person they come to see, makes me feel like I have a very important job—someone who welcomes them to their new place of transition.”
With self-determination and empathy from her new friends at the Weingart Center, Tracy was able to get her life back on track. With assistance from our Workforce Development team and Housing Navigators, Tracy was able to move into her own home and began working with other women to help them overcome their struggles.
When asked what the Weingart Center means to her, Tracy states, “They will give you hope. They will give you encouragement. They will give you faith to try to help yourself and to be helped.”
More great Success Stories like Tracy's are available on our website.
The Impact
The Weingart Center provided direct services to 40,000+ Angelenos, provided employment assistance to 12,000+ people, housed 600+ people daily, and served over 300,000 meals.
None of this important work would be possible without the generosity of individuals like you. I invite you to embrace the spirit of the season by investing in a life; make a tax deductible donation today. Your contribution helps fund programs and services that empower and transform lives through the use of innovative solutions that are designed to break the cycle of homelessness.
Thank you. And may each of you have a safe, warm New Year.
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Senator Kevin Murray (ret.)
President and Chief Executive Officer
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