| Greetings! | With summer fast approaching, My Friend's Place is preparing for increased numbers of youth seeking shelter to escape the hot sun. Read on to learn about recent events, important improvements to our building, summer clothing needs, and how volunteers and local community partners are helping.
Thank you for your support in assisting and inspiring the homeless youth of Los Angeles to build self-sufficient lives!
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Parenting Program Celebrates at Griffith Park
|  Eight youth participants and their children celebrated the completion of MFP's Parenting Program in April by taking a field trip to Griffith Park. The young families enjoyed a day of sun with pony and wagon rides and bagged lunches. The day was the culmination of a 12-week series that seeks to give young parents the skills and knowledge to establish and maintain a healthy parent/child bond. A collaboration between My Friend's Place and Home Safe: A Program of Vista Del Mar, the series is set to begin again in June with twelve more youth signed up!
Special thanks to Krysia Dankowski, LCSW and Laura Marillo, MSW from Home Safe and Erin Casey, LCSW and Erin Krummes, MSW Intern from MFP for facilitating the program, as well as Alice Romano and the Relief Society at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for donating the bagged lunches!
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Volunteer Spotlight: Big Sunday, Yale, and The Hartford
|  This month we were fortunate to have three volunteer groups dedicate amazing time and effort to serving the homeless youth of My Friend's Place:
Groups of volunteers from Big Sunday and the Yale Alumni Association swooped into My Friend's Place on two weekends to paint our patio, paint the planters in our garden, and help organize our Clothing Closet with a much needed Spring spruce up. Thank to their hard work, we're ready for summer!
 On May 11, volunteers from The Hartford Insurance took time out of their week to serve a special barbecue to the youth at My Friend's Place. More than 80 young people chowed down on hamburgers, potato salad, watermelon and dessert as they enjoyed the early summer sun.
Thank you to all our amazing volunteers for helping keep our building in top shape and letting the homeless youth of Hollywood know they are supported. You make a difference!
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Theater Company Raises Awareness and Funds for MFP
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 Special thanks to See Kay Theater
Company for choosing My Friend's Place to be the charity partner for their
fantastic production of The Gift Horse currently playing at the Working
Stage in Hollywood. The production follows the journey of a young woman
who overcomes a history of past trauma and abuse to build a stable, fulfilling
life. Thanks to the company and everyone who has seen the production for
their support of homeless youth in Hollywood.
Check out their final performances this weekend! Buy tickets and learn more at The Gift Horse web site.
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Help MFP Raise the Roof!
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My Friend's Place needs a new roof! Every time it rains, water streams into buckets throughout the
building, directly impacting the quality of care we are able to provide to the youth.
Water damage in one of our counseling spaces.  |
Our goal is to raise $30,000 for a
new roof by July 1. We are already nearly one third of the way to our goal.
Your contribution will get us one step closer to our fundraising goal and a new roof. Please help us maintain MFP as a safe, dry, and comforting space for youth in need!
Your donation today will be matched,
dollar for dollar, by one of our Board Members. Make a difference now!
Contribute now to support My Friend's Place! |
A new A/C unit for MFP
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Since last summer, one of our primary air conditioning units has been broken. Thanks to a generous grant from The Ahmanson Foundation, we were able to install a new one last month!
Many thanks to the folks at The Ahmanson Foundation for helping us prepare for the summer and be able to provide a cool, comfortable, and safe environment off the streets for the homeless youth of Los Angeles!
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