Since 1997, Achieve Glendale has worked with homeless families and
individuals. Instead of just providing for their basic needs
(such as food and clothing), we have created a portfolio of
tools and resources that help them move from the streets
into permanent housing. Since 1997, 70% of our shelter
residents have moved into housing at the end of their
two-three month stay. The success of shelter residents is
dependent on our volunteers, donors, and staff working
together to bring hope to the homeless.
Latest News
Thanks to our Thanksgiving Donors and Volunteers!
Appreciation for our Thanksgiving Day donors and volunteers!
St. Francis High School of La Canada and Brother Hai for preparing and serving breakfast on Thanksgiving morning
Temple Beth Hillel, employees of Unum in Glendale and Basilea Community for generous dinner donations
A Client's story
“I would be dead if you had not helped me.” Today Ann is moving into her own home, after staying in PATH Achieve Glendale’s emergency housing program. Staff has supported Ann with counseling, resources for food, move-in funding and additional case management to help her stabilize and budget her limited income. We are delighted to be able to facilitate her move into her own studio apartment. Because of your continued support, together we are able to change lives.
December Events
Homeless Connect Day - Join us!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
The Glendale Armory
220 Colorado Street
Glendale, CA 91205
Please join us in supporting United Way’s HomeWalk on Saturday November 7th at Exposition Park. HomeWalk is a 5k walk and educational journey to end homelessness in Los Angeles. PATH Partners is a funded partner of United Way and it’s important that we do all we can to support their efforts.
There are two teams created, PATH Partners and PATH Partners-Faith Matters. Please register yourselves as well as family, friends, clients, business associates and those you might be connected to in the faith community.
CLICK HERE to register online. Please make sure you select, “Join a Team” and select one of the two PATH teams.
Thanks for your support in advance and we’ll see you on November 7th!
PATH Achieve Glendale Part of National Recovery Effort
On October 1st, PATH Achieve Glendale will launch its Rapid Re-housing Program for five families in Glendale, that have become homeless due to the economic downturn. U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded $300 million in Recovery Act funding to nearly 100 communities across the nation. The funding will rapidly re-house families who fall into homelessness, or prevent families from becoming homeless in the first place.
PATH Achieve Glendale’s First Annual Signature Event A Success:
PATH benefit raises funds
Group that helps the homeless holds a gala at Americana that includes a BMW giveaway.
By Christopher Cadelago
DOWNTOWN — Civic and business leaders and champions of local nonprofits had dinner under the stars Saturday at the Americana at Brand as part of a fundraiser for PATH Achieve Glendale, the chapter’s first large-scale benefit since opening its doors to the homeless three years ago.
More than 4,000 homeless people have transformed their lives during that time by receiving from the organization emergency, transitional and permanent housing as well as goods to help begin rebuilding their lives, said Executive Director Natalie Profant Komuro.
The dinner-and-a-movie gala, which began with a small reception, saw Larry Zarian serve as master of ceremonies and highlighted a mother of three whose family successfully progressed through the system.
“I am proud to say I broke the cycle of violence and am now living free of abuse,” said the woman, whose name is not to be publicized because she was a victim of domestic abuse.
Like many of today’s homeless, she had a job, but the $1,800 a month was not enough to pay the bills and put food on the family of four’s table. They slept on church floors, but even that wasn’t the most difficult part, she said. The children still needed to be brought to school every morning, and she needed to get to work, where no one suspected that she had become homeless.
When the family qualified for transition housing, “I will never forget the day when we got the key,” she said.
Zarian referred to her plight as “unfathomable.”
“What condition would I be in if I had to turn to my children and say, ‘Kids, we have to go?’”
Today she’s part of the community helping mothers like her former self make the changes necessary in their lives.
Stories like hers keep the program’s lifeblood flowing, convincing “angels” to open up their checkbooks and corporations to donate, Zarian said.
The list of angels Saturday stretches several pages and is punctuated by businesses and organizations, such as Pacific BMW and David L. Ho Jr. and the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, which Zarian announced pledged $225,000 and $50,000, respectively.
“It’s heartwarming,” he said. “But we need more. Truly we need more.”
Demand for goods and services is outpacing the supply, and the recession has for the most part caused grants and other funding from the state and county to dry up, Zarian said.
“It takes you people,” he said. “We can come to you and say, ‘Help if you can.’ And it always comes back.”
Cathay Bank, Glendale and Glendale Water & Power each pitched in $5,000 before the crowed of board and council members, business leaders and other top donors made their way down from a reception area of the Excelsior condominiums to the Americana at Brand’s courtyard.
Waiting for them were another 150 people, catering provided by Katsuya and a massive inflatable screen on which the group would watch “Forrest Gump.”
The movie was preceded by the raffling off of a 128i BMW Coupe.
“My heart is full of gratitude when I see a big group of people like this coming together and doing something good for the less fortunate,” said Nicholas Lam, the organization’s chairman of the board. “Hopefully we can [do] something that is good for everyone.”
“Day of Gratitude” Touches Hearts
Prompted by the continuing support of elected officials, businesses, private
donors and volunteers, PATH Achieve held its second annual “Day of
Gratitude” to express our appreciation.
Los Angeles County Supervisor
Michael D. Antonovich was the featured guest, and the Glendale City Council
was well-represented by Mayor Pro Tem Frank Quintero, and members Ara
Najarian and Bob Yousefian. Former Glendale Mayor and State Transportation
Commission Larry Zarian also spoke at the event.
Representatives from
State Senator Carol Liu’s office and from Assembly Assistant Majority Leader
Paul Krekorian were also on hand for the ceremony.
Bob McFall,
Assistant City Manager and PATH Achieve Board member, emceed the event. Rev.
David Palmer of 1st United Methodist Church of Glendale stepped up for an
invocation.
The audience of sixty people listened intently as Maria,
a current resident in PATH Achieve’s transitional housing program, related
her story of homelessness. Maria became homeless after her partner of twelve
years and the father of her children had left her and did not pay child
support. Unable to pay rent on her meager earnings, she and her children
moved into a camper. It was nearly a year before she learned of PATH Achieve
Glendale and entered the Emergency Housing Program. She has since moved on
to PATH Achieve’s Scattered Site Transitional Housing Program, where she and
her children now live in an apartment in the community. For details, see
Maria’s story.
Over 40 individuals and organizations were
honored at the event. In addition to Supervisor Antonovich, Mr. Zarian,
Miriam Long and Mike Bohlke, major donors recognized include:
David
Ho, Owner/President, and Nick Lam, Vice President, Pacific BMW
Joel
Roberts, CEO and Co-Chairs David Alden and Myrna Hant, PATH (People
Assisting the Homeless)
“It was cold. And every day I called 211 and they
couldn’t find shelter for us.”
Finally, after six months of
calling, she was accepted into a shelter in Pomona where she was able to
save money, but received no services. During the three months in Pomona,
Maria told the audience, “my children and I would catch three buses
every morning to come to school in Los Angeles because I wanted them to
have some stability and I worked at their school at that time. We spent
four hours every day on the bus just to get to and from school. During
all this time, as much as we struggled, my children all maintained above
grade level grades, my two older children were and continue to be
straight A students. Their test scores are above 90% in statewide
testing and all participated in the gifted program at their school known
at GATE.”
When her time to leave the Pomona shelter came, she
still had no housing options. But a friend told her about PATH Achieve
Glendale.
“Finally, after almost a year of homelessness I found
the help I needed for myself and my family. We were provided not only
with shelter and food but a way to save money as well. The staff has
been nothing but wonderful, they provide so much more than I could have
asked for. My children received tutoring several times a week. PATH
Achieve Glendale had special events to bring happiness not only to my
children but to all the children in their program during what has to be
the most difficult time of their lives.”
Maria qualified for PATH
Achieve’s family transitional housing program. Her case manager, Nancy
Friedson, coordinated closely with the City of Glendale, which took
extraordinary measures to inspect Maria’s apartment was approved for
occupancy in time for Thanksgiving. In addition to the donated items
facilitated by PATH Achieve, a neighboring client cooked Thanksgiving
dinner and took it over to Maria’s new home.
“It is hard to
believe that just one year ago my children and I were living in a small
camper, now thanks to PATH Achieve Glendale, we have our own furnished
apartment and are on our way to getting back on our feet. I can now see
a brighter future for myself and my family. I would like to thank
everyone in this room for EVERYTHING that they have done to keep PATH
Achieve Glendale open because thanks to you, PATH Achieve is able to
help many families like mine.”
Despite Economic Uncertainties, Local Businesses Raise $400,000 to Help
the Homeless
On Saturday, October 11th, local businesses and community supporters, led by
Pacific BMW, raised over $400,000 for PATH Achieve Glendale, which provides
services and housing for homeless families and individuals. The
announcement, made at the annual RE/MAX Elite-sponsored event last Saturday,
underscored the commitment of the community in helping homeless families and
individuals at a time when the economic crisis has
“I am so thankful for all our sponsors who restored my faith and enthusiasm
in making this event the turning point for our cause to eradicate
homelessness in our Community.” Said Silva Hameline, Owner/Broker of RE/MAX
Elite, and PATH Achieve Glendale Board Vice-Chair.
In addition to Pacific BMW and RE/MAX Elite, event sponsors included CalStar
Motors, Cathay Bank, East West Bank, RE/MAX Elite, Alliance West Builders,
Designer Engineering and Contracting, Glendale Adventist Medical Center and
Glen Oaks Escrow. The event caps off several months of private fundraising.
In addition to the $400,000 raised by the local community, over $200,000 in
County funding has been committed by Los Angeles County Supervisors Mike
Antonovich and Yvonne Burke this fall to support PATH Achieve operations in
the coming year.
Nearly 200 guests attended the event, which included a presentation by Debra
Collins, a PATH Achieve graduate. Ms. Collins told of how she became
homeless, lost her children and rebuilt her life with the help of PATH
Achieve staff and housing programs. The event was emceed by PATH Founder
Claire West Orr, who also was instrumental in helping to create PATH Achieve
Glendale.
PATH Ventures Clients Serve Dinner at PATH Achieve Glendale
On Friday, May 23rd, clients of Glendale Housing Now—a PATH
Ventures program—served dinner to the clients at the PATH
Achieve Glendale (PAG)transitional shelter program. Many of the
clients from Glendale Housing Now have connections to PAG, as
they’ve either stayed in the transitional program themselves or
have received case management services from the Access Center.
One of the Housing Now participants came up the idea of serving
dinner when asked what kind of activities she would be
interested in doing with PATH Ventures program participants.
Housing Now clients were excited to serve the clients tasty
food, having spent time in shelters and knowing how special it
is when groups come to cook delicious meals. One of the Housing
Now clients was a former caterer and headed up the project. All
of the clients set some of their own money aside to contribute
to the budget for the meal. The clients came early and prepared
an extravagant Middle Eastern meal including beef and chicken
kabobs. Their case manager, Maria Carr, says she was “very
impressed by the effort and energy my clients put forth and how
much it meant to them to be able to give back to their
community.” Housing Now clients also enjoyed interacting with
the PAG clients and some, who had previously stayed at PAG
themselves, discussed the enormous difference that the PAG
program made in transforming their lives. PAG clients graciously
enjoyed the meal, wrapping it up by giving Housing Now clients a
standing ovation for their service.
HOMELESS CONNECT DAY 2008
On Thursday, May 8th, over 100 volunteers, service providers and City
representatives were on hand to help homeless people access a broad range of
services and resources on Homeless Connect Day, in a day that turned out to be
equally as good for agency networking.
Volunteers, including elected officials, ministers and bikers, showed up to
support the 33 agencies in serving homeless people who were primarily
chronically homeless adults.
Glendale Mayor John Drayman was joined by City Councilmen Frank Quintero and Bob
Yousefian, as well as CDBG Commissioners Chang Lee, Alec Baghdasaryan and Gary
Cornell. Marie Lemelle, Elizabeth Manasserian, Paula Devine and Grace Walker,
Commissioners from Glendale’s Commission on the Status of Women, also were on
hand to provide information regarding assistance to victims of domestic
violence, as well as gift bags for homeless women.
Rita Hadjimanoukian, representing Supervisor Michael Antonovich visited County
Department sites and also helped at the Commission on Status of Women Site.
PATH Achieve Glendale Board Chair Nick Lam assisted with serving food.
Vietnam Vet Motorcycle Club volunteers assisted with outreach.
# Volunteers: 39
# Provider Agencies: 32 agencies, with over 60 representatives
# Client Served: 36
Storage: Items for 6 people
Dog placement with SPCA: One homeless man arrived with a dog. Upon further
discussion we learned he did not want to keep the dog, and so arrangements were
made for the SPCA of Pasadena to pick up the dog.
