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| February 2009 |
Vol 1, Issue 2 |
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| My Friend's Place
Newsletter |
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The mission of My Friend's Place is to assist and inspire homeless youth to build self-sufficient lives. | |
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| Greetings! |
| Every day we see more and more young people in desperate circumstances finding their way to My Friend's Place seeking help. And every day, we are here for them, providing safe haven, care and reassurance that they are not alone.
We hope that you will join us in the fight against youth homelessness! Read on to learn how community members are taking action to make a difference, and find out how you can get involved!
Thank you!  |
| A Happy Birthday for Homeless Youth |
 Imagine growing up without ever celebrating a birthday. Many of the youth who visit My Friend's Place have never had a loving family member throw a party to celebrate the day they were born; no cake or balloons, no presents and no "Happy Birthday" song.
At My Friend's Place, we believe that everyone should have a special day. Once a month, Michael Deegan and volunteers from Beverly Hills All Saints Church throw a birthday party to celebrate these young people. Volunteers decorate our dayroom with streamers and signs, and present a delicious birthday cake with candles, wishing all who were born that month a Happy Birthday. Youth receive a present and a card signed by the entire staff, helping them know that they are not forgotten. To find out how to get involved, CLICK HERE! |
| A Visit from the National Danish Performance Team |
 On January 14th, the National Danish Performance Team visited the youth at My Friend's Place. During a day of cross-cultural exchange, the visiting gymnasts taught youth at My Friend's Place, as well as youth from our partner organization, the Los Angeles Youth Network. Young people learned traditional Danish gymnastics, tumbling, vaulting, and mini trampoline.
In collaboration with Cirque du Monde, the outreach division of Cirque du Soleil, My Friend's Place offers circus arts workshops to homeless youth as a way to develop trust, self-confidence and social skills in a safe and positive environment. To learn more about our creative arts programming, CLICK HERE! |
| Happy 21st Anniversary, My Friend's Place |
 January 8, 2009 marked the 21st Anniversary of My Friend's Place! What started in 1988 as a group of volunteers giving out bag lunches from the trunk of a car has grown into a thriving agency with 25 full time employees serving hundreds of homeless youth every year.
The staff of My Friend's Place enjoyed a celebratory brunch hosted by the founder of My Friend's Place, Steve LePore. Many thanks to all of the dedicated staff and board members, donors and volunteers who have been a part of the My Friend's Place family over the years. | |
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A Wish List |
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The youth who visit My Friend's Place are in need of the following items:
- Travel sized toiletries and hygiene supplies
- Diapers, baby wipes and baby formula
- Bus tokens
- Pocket calendars for 2009
To make an in-kind donation, please call Stuart at 323-908-0011 x116. To view our full Wish List, please CLICK HERE
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| Quick Links |
My Friend's Place received a
4 Star Rating on Charity Navigator!
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| Lunch Bunch January 2009 |
Thank you to our January Lunch Bunch participants!
Sherry McKuin, Lorcan O'Heherlihy and the architects of LOHA served tasty sandwiches for a special lunch for hungry youth.
Dick Fearn and Kaiser Permanente celebrated the Chinese New Year with us, serving egg rolls, beef with broccoli, orange chicken, noodles and other tasty treats in celebration of the Year of the Ox.
One Thing Church cooked up juicy hamburgers and hotdogs with all the fixin's for a festive weekend barbeque! Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers for visiting the youth at My Friend's Place and creating a special occasion.
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