Mayor’s Liaison Addresses Fundraising Professionals

Special Advisor to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Torie Osborn addressed the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the Greater San Fernando Valley Chapter, at their monthly luncheon meeting on August 3 at the Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City. Osborn, a member of the Mayor’s senior staff, has worked as the liaison to the philanthropy community and is now the strategic point person on homelessness for the city of Los Angeles. Osborn is also coordinating with the County, City Council offices, non-profits, the business community, foundations and other agencies and stakeholders essential to making progress on the homelessness issue. Coordinating the AFP event was Joanne David, Director of Development for Haven Hills, Inc., located in Canoga Park, which serves victims of domestic violence in the San Fernando Valley. Among those that attended the event include representatives of non-profit organizations: E. David Migocki, the Chief Development Officer of the Morbrook Institute, Brian Miller, Director of Development for Wheels for Humanity and Evan Press, Director of Public Affairs for Valley Community Clinic. The purpose of AFP is to advance philanthropy through education, training and advocacy. Project Playhouse HomeAid Los Angeles/Ventura will be displaying its Project Playhouse at The Lakes in Thousand Oaks as a fundraiser from September 16 through October 22. Four one-of-a-kind playhouses will be open for tours before they are auctioned. Funds raised will go to the HomeAid’s shelter development program. HomeAid has completed 16 other homeless shelter projects to date, including one in downtown Los Angeles and in Compton. Among those donating to the construction of the playhouses that will be auctioned are New Urban West, Inc., Pardee Homes, Lennar Homes and Shea Homes. Landscaping will be donated by Landscape Development Inc. other sponsors include Countrywide, Caruso Affiliated, Weston/Mason Marketing, Outdoor Dimensions, One Eighteen Advertising and Stock Building Supply. The co-chair of the Project Playhouse event is Joyce Mason of Pardee Homes and Tina Rosen of E. Rosen Construction, Inc. Rosen said: “This is a phenomenal opportunity to showcase and auction off the playhouses donated by these generous builders. Their dedication to this powerful cause benefits the community as a whole.” Mason said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for builders to come together to improve the lives of others that find themselves temporarily homeless.” HomeAid also works with the Building Industry Association to donate labor, materials and services for homeless shelters. HomeAid has aided 95,000 homeless people in the Los Angeles and Ventura Counties to date. HomeAid works with a number of emancipated foster care youth, victims of domestic violence, and abandoned teens. Teradyne Scholarship Teradyne, an electronics testing company in Agoura Hills, has awarded Michael Watts, a resident of Oak Park, a $5,000 scholarship in honor of its co-founder, Peter Hashem. Teradyne established the scholarship in memory of Hashem, who was a victim of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Watts is the son of Leah and David Watts and will be majoring in physics at the University of California, Berkeley.