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From sold-out fundraisers to special events for the youth, My Friend's Place is firing on all cylinders as we approach the Holiday season. Keep reading to see what's going on and how you can help!
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Singing at the Top of Their Lungs!
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 A day in the life of a typical young adult might involve going to school, doing their homework, and playing a video game. But for the youth who visit My Friend's Place, finding enough to eat, having a safe place to stay, and surviving on the streets are higher priorities.
Once a month, My Friend's Place and volunteers from Brentwood Presbyterian Church host a Karaoke Party for the homeless youth of Hollywood. Clapping, cheering, and singing at the top of their lungs while eating a special meal of fried chicken or pizza, the youth have the chance to briefly put aside their all-too-real concerns and allow themselves to simply have fun and be young.
Having fun in a safe environment helps the youth to have the confidence and optimism to confront their circumstances and begin to build self-sufficient lives. Thanks to Brentwood Presbyterian for your ongoing service to the youth of MFP!
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Youth Educate Peers Using Social Media
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Over the summer, several of the youth who visited My Friend's Place took part in a pilot project called "Have You Heard?" funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. Hoping to find effective ways to prevent the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections among people ages 15-24, Dr. Eric Rice, a professor at the USC School of Social Work, and Eve Tulbert, a PhD candidate at UCLA, enlisted young people to find creative ways to use social media to educate other youth about sexual health.  By the end of the summer, the youth had created several series of comic strips and web videos to get the word out to their peers about safe sex methods, STI testing, and more. Using online social networking sites as their distribution tool, the youth reached over 100 of their peers! My Friend's Place thanks Dr. Rice and Eve Tulbert for helping to empower the youth of Hollywood to educate themselves and their peers about such important information. Special thanks to Pablo Balderas, Health Educator, and Stephanie Gallegos, Direct Services Counselor, for co-facilitating! |
Volunteer Spotlight: Andover Alumni
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 For the third year in a row, members of the Andover High School alumni association volunteered to touch up our facilities as part of their National Day of Service. Volunteers and their children re-painted walls, re-hung portraits, and installed new baseboards in the dayroom, our most used space serving up to 100 youth per day.
 Keeping our building in top shape through volunteer action serves to let
the young people know that adults in their community care for their
well-being. Thank you, Andover, for making a difference!
Special thanks to Stephen Matloff and Sarah Grafferty for coordinating the day, as well as Board Members Mimi Won Techentin and Rob Long, both Andover alumni, for connecting us with such phenomenal community partners.
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Phil Hendrie CDs for Sale
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Each year, radio host Phil Hendrie generously donates 100% of the sales of his CDs to benefit My Friend's Place!
Each time you purchase a Phil Hendrie CD, you provide 3 days worth of meals to a homeless youth.
Special promotion: buy 2 or more and save!
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MFP is a top eBay Seller!
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 We just learned that our summer online auction placed My Friend's Place in the Top 25 eBay Giving Works Sellers list for July! Many thanks to everyone who purchased items and contributed to the auction.
Keep your eyes out for a special, one-week-only online auction in time for the holidays!
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