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Guest Speaker
President Steve introduced the speaker Mark Casanova the Executive Director of Homeless Healthcare of Los Angeles (HHCLA) a non-profit President Steve sits on the Board of.
Mark started with HHCLA with 4 employees and has grown to over 200 today similar to the growth of homelessness in Los Angeles. Their work focuses on the individual client needs meeting people where they are. In 2023 there were over 40K people visit by the organization employees. They work with drug addicted individuals and those with mental health needs. Over the years they have developed training classes that they use internally and market to outside firms for a charge. 90%+ of their funding comes from government sources. Historically they have been able to meet all the benchmarks defined by government for continued funding. Services are offered free to clients. They send outreach workers to homeless encampments to reach clients. They work to get clients into permanent housing but are not involved in constructing housing and are finding it is now taking longer (6 to 8 to 12 months) to get clients in to permanent housing compared to only 4 months in the past. 98% of those in permanent housing say in the housing with help from case managers who stay with the clients.
During questioning the issue of homelessness in LA during the future Olympics came up with an indication planning was already taking place to move the homeless people in downtown LA outside of the city like was done in San Francisco recently.
HHCLA is having a fundraising event on 6/02/2024 “The Art of Saving Lives” at SLS Beverly Hills Hotel, 465 S La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048 5:30 pm.
The meeting began with President Steve Day presiding over the in-person/Zoom meeting at Hillel UCLA and began by indicating the 2023/2024 Rotary theme this year is “Create Hope in the World”. May 9th is “National Lost Sock Memorial Day”.
Teya McCockran read the 4-way test. President Steve thanked Nanci Cohen for greeting and Bill Roen for leading the pledge of allegiance. PP Marsha Hunt shared the thought for the day “Peace begins with a smile” and encouraged us all to smile with others we encounter. PP Ed Gault wrapped up the first half of the meeting by singing “Home on the Range.”
Guests of Rotarians included Marsha Day wife of President Steve Day and Susan Shemin a guest of PP Mark Rogo. President Steve and PP Mark Rogo made a Paul Harris Fellow Presentation to Susan Shemin whose husband is known as the leading heart surgeon in the United States and who is head Cardiology at UCLA. The Shemin’s are longtime dear friends of the Rogo’s.
A recap of the recent District Conference at the Biltmore Hotel included our Club being awarded the “Club of Excellence for 2023/2024 and Past President Gordon Fell being recognized for 6 years of service as the District Treasurer. Although the highlight was WVRC receiving the Club of Excellence Award for medium size clubs, second best was a video shown of DG Makiko hip-hop dancing at the District Conference dinner Saturday night.
No meeting next Thursday, May 16th.
President Steve ended the meeting with a quote from singer-composer Billy Joel born May 9th, 1903 “Take risks. Take chances. Don’t be afraid. You gotta go into life brave.”
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