LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--An emotional vigil for the people who are often forgotten; the Coalition to Preserve LA and the Healthy Housing Foundation (HHF) will memorialize the 1,269 homeless men, women and children who have died in LA County in 2017 and 2018.
The Coalition and HHF, along with homeless advocates and community members will join together on New Year’s Eve to pay tribute to each life lost by reading off individual names and lighting a candle. This is the first time these homeless individuals will be named publicly to honor their difficult lives and passage. Our goal is to send a message to our Southern California communities that every life matters.
According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner records in 2017, 806 homeless people died. Thus far, the Coroner's office has recorded 463 similar deaths in 2018.
| WHAT: | New Year’s Eve Vigil for the 1,200+ Homeless who have died in LA County in 2017-2018 | |
| WHEN: |
New Year’s Eve: Monday, December 31, 2018 |
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• 12:00 pm (noon) - 1:00 pm |
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| WHERE: |
First Unitarian Church, 2936 W 8th St, Los Angeles, CA 90005 |
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| (between Vermont and Westmoreland Aves.) | ||
| WHO: | Homeless advocates, community leaders, others TBD | |
| B-ROLL: | A candlelight memorial, interviews, with the reading of each person’s name | |
The Healthy Housing Foundation powered by AHF (HHF) is a division of AHF created to immediately address the housing needs of homeless, low-income, and chronically ill individuals, with a focus on sustainable SRO and rental-to-ownership models. HHF owns and operates almost 400 units in the Los Angeles area and is currently developing two housing complexes in South Florida. HHF’s motto is “Prevent, Preserve, and Produce” – prevent displacement, gentrification and loss of affordable housing; preserve neighborhoods, historic landmarks and open spaces in cities; and produce new affordable housing solutions through adaptive reuse and innovative development. To learn more about HHF, please visit our website: Healthyhousingfoundation.net, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Coalition to Preserve L.A. Powered by AHF (CPA) is a citywide movement of concerned residents who believe in open government, people-oriented planning, equitable housing and environmental stewardship of Los Angeles through advocacy and empowering the community.
SEPARATE SUNDAY DECEMBER 30th AHF / ROSE PARADE MEDIA AVAILABILTY:
AHF’s ‘Another Day in Paradise’ Rose Parade® Float Spotlight Solutions to L.A.’s Homeless Crisis
AHF’s entry in the 130th Rose Parade® presented by Honda is titled ‘Another Day in Paradise.’
The float focuses on AHF’s Healthy Housing Foundation and its work over the past year to address the homeless crisis in Los Angeles and across the nation. There are now 55,000 homeless individuals in the 88 cities that comprise Los Angeles County, including 677 homeless in Pasadena.
Riding on AHF’s ‘Another Day in Paradise’ float will be Travis and Cionna Smith as well as Alex and Arianna Thompson, two (2) of their five (5) children, a family originally from West Virginia. The Smith’s currently live at the Healthy Housing Foundation’s Sunrise on Sunset (SOS) motel on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood and will be moving to permanent supportive housing in the Koreatown area after the new year.
MEDIA AVAILABILITIES with AHF FLOAT ROSE PARADE® RIDERS at FIESTA PARADE FLOATS:
Media availabilities will take place on Sunday, December 30, 2018 with AHF float riders in the Rose Parade®
| WHAT: |
ROSE PARADE MEDIA AVAILABILITY |
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| WHEN: |
Sunday, December 30, 2018- 10:00 am – 11:30 am |
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| WHERE: | Fiesta Parade Floats 16016 Avenida Padilla, Irwindale, CA 91702 | |
| WHO: | The Smith/Thompson family: | |
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• Travis and Cionna SMITH and 2 of their 5 children |
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• Alex THOMPSON, 14 |
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• Arianna THOMPSON, 12 |
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AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over one million individuals in 43 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us @aidshealthcare.