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NEWS FROM A COMMUNITY OF FRIENDS |
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May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. At A Community of Friends (ACOF), our mission to end homelessness has always been guided by our commitment to mental health. Incorporating onsite services into our permanent housing for people affected by mental illness has been at the core of our mission. We learned early on to talk openly about mental illness to reduce the stigma associated with this often misunderstood and ignored illness. Stigma prevents people from acknowledging a problem and/or seeking treatment. This is true for our tenants and our organization, particularly in the past 15 months as ACOF coped with the traumas of the pandemic, the ugly manifestation of racism, the insurrection at our nation’s Capitol, and more recently the increased incidents of hate against the Asian community. ACOF has endured all of this, while simultaneously working diligently towards the development of new permanent housing and continuing to provide vital services and property management support to our tenants.
Next month, ACOF will celebrate several key events and achievements, including our first-ever virtual fundraiser and grand openings and groundbreakings, as noted below. Please join us at these events and click here to support our work in uplifting the voices of our tenants and employees.
With hope and gratitude,
Dora Leong Gallo
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Join Us For Our 18th Annual
"Beyond Perceptions" Awards Celebration - Virtually!
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It's back! We are going virtual this year! Please join us on June 16th as we recap our work the past 15 months, recognize leaders, innovators and social champions who share our commitment to ending homelessness, and highlight our tenant successes. With your support, we can continue providing quality supportive housing to individuals and families in need.
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Firestone Phoenix Is Completed and Move-Ins Underway |
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ACOF is thrilled to announce the completion of Firestone Phoenix and the welcoming of formerly homeless tenants to their new home. Located in the Florence-Firestone community of South Los Angeles, Firestone Phoenix provides permanent supportive housing to 43 formerly homeless and low-income households, including 20 U.S. Veterans. Designed to meet high environmental standards, Firestone Phoenix will pursue LEED Silver Certification.
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Three Projects to Break Ground in 2021 |
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Construction of West Terrace Begins in April 2021 |
ACOF's West Terrace project began construction in April 2021 following an amazingly short development timeline. Purchased in July 2019, West Terrace received entitlements in two months using SB35. The project will provide 64 units of affordable housing and permanent supportive housing with approximately 2,261 square feet of community space in the Hyde Park community of South Los Angeles. West Terrace will pursue LEED® Silver Certification and a Home Energy Rating System rating.
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Ventura Springs (formerly Ventura Veterans Home) Receives Tax Credit Award |
Ventura Springs will be ACOF's first project housing homeless and low-income veterans in the City of Ventura. The 122-unit project received a Further Consolidated Appropriations Act (FCAA) tax credit award in October 2020 and is on track to start construction in the Fall of 2021. Designed to meet high environmental standards, Ventura Springs is being developed in partnership with U.S.VETS. Venture Springs will pursue LEED Gold Certification.
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Oasis Senior Villas Receives Tax Credit Award |
ACOF's Oasis Senior Villas received its bond award and tax credit allocation late last month. Located in the City of Riverside, this 95-unit senior housing development will serve both low income seniors and seniors experiencing homelessness, including veterans. Oasis Senior Villas will break ground in November 2021 and will pursue LEED Gold Certification.
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Meet ACOF Tenant Fernando |
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Fernando joined the ACOF community in 2021 and currently resides in the AOCF's newest project, Firestone Phoenix. Fernando became homeless after suffering the loss of his then former wife to cancer. This was devastating to Fernando, launching him into a downward spiral leading him to abuse substances in order to cope with her passing. Fernando found the strength needed to seek help for his recovery from his children. Since becoming housed with ACOF, Fernando has maintained sobriety, has reconnected with his family, and takes pride in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
To learn more about Fernando and his journey, CLICK HERE.
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ACOF Launches its "Welcome Home Fund" |
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To welcome tenants to their new home, ACOF assembles "Welcome Home Baskets" containing essentials such as toilet paper, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, bedding supplies, cleaning supplies, and more. "Welcome Home Baskets" are vital to ACOF's tenants, who all come from homelessness.
To ensure that tenants have a successful start in their new life, ACOF has launched the "Welcome Home Fund" with a goal of raising $10,000 to provide 100 households a "Welcome Home Basket".
To help ACOF reach this goal and give tenants a second chance in life, CLICK HERE.
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Family & Children Services Program 2020 Year-In-Review |
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ACOF's Family & Children Services Program had a very productive quarter. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person activities were halted to ensure the safety and wellbeing of tenants. As a result, the program went virtual, offering families academic tutoring, art activities, guitar lessons, and more. A special thank you to Camp Harmony and Baby2Baby for their in-kind donations to our families this past quarter. In-kind donations included guitar lessons, pillows, car seats, masks for children, diapers, children's shampoo and body wash, baby formula, and hand sanitizers. To view a re-cap of activities from this past quarter, click the image below.
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ACOF Launches Companionship Calls Program |
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"It has been nice to have someone that I am able to talk to and it helps to keep me going. Thank you so much!" |
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ACOF launched the Companionship Calls Program in March 2021. The program provides tenants an opportunity to connect and socialize with trained volunteers during a time when many of ACOF's tenants found themselves more isolated than ever before due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program also provides participants an opportunity to learn more about ACOF's tenants and the work that ACOF does to end homelessness. All interactions are being conducted via telephone to ensure the health and well-being of all participants. Visit www.acof.org/give/ to support this work.
Featured Left: Robert (participant of Companionship Calls Program)
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ACOF is hiring!
The work at A Community of Friends is much more than a job, it is work that is meaningful and changes lives.
For the past 32 years, ACOF has demonstrated solid leadership in affordable, permanent supportive housing to those most in need. Become a part of a team that is committed and cares deeply about making a difference.
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Have you considered making an annual pledge to ACOF?
Annual pledges can be made monthly, semi-monthly, and quarterly.
Have you considered leaving a legacy by including ACOF in your estate planning?
To make an online donation and/or set-up a recurring donation CLICK HERE.
For additional information on how you can support the continued work of ACOF, CLICK HERE.
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For additional information please contact our Fund Development Department.
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