Matt Lillard, creator of 5JammaSlamma, with Five Acres CEO Chanel Boutakidis – Photo courtesy Lisa Weingarten
[Altadena, California] May 2, 2018 – 5JammaSlamma, the foster youth slam poetry workshop hosted by actor Matt Lillard (Scooby Doo, Good Girls) enjoyed its best turnout to date at its second annual celebration last month. Accompanied by Hawaii’s poet laureate Kealoha and other notable artists, foster youth from Five Acres performed original works of poetry before 150 guests at Werkartz in downtown Los Angeles.
5JammaSlamma began in 2017 as Lillard’s week-long workshop to teach foster youth the power of creative writing, bringing in poets and musicians to work with the children. With the support of Engaging the Senses and Say Word, the workshop expanded to a six-month program and will continue serve children living in residential foster care at Five Acres, one of LA’s oldest child and family services nonprofits.
Several foster youth from Five Acres performed original poetry at Lillard’s 5JammaSlamma celebration. – Photo courtesy Lisa Weingarten
“5JammaSlamma asks for no money from the friends who attend,” said Lillard about the celebration. “We only ask that we as a community stand as witness to the beauty our young poets find in themselves.”
With LA’s foster care crisis continuing to grow, 5JammaSlamma exemplifies the level of supportive advocacy needed to help foster youth thrive.
“Five Acres’ mission is permanency for every child, whether that be through preventing kids from entering foster care, reunification with a biological family or through foster-adoption,” said Five Acres CEO Chanel Boutakidis. “5JammaSlamma provides a necessary life-enriching experience to children who are navigating very adult challenges, and we’re so thankful to Matt, Engaging the Senses and Say Word for giving them the opportunity share their stories.”
To learn more about future events supporting foster youth, please contact Five Acres at events@5acres.org.
About Five Acres
Five Acres is a child and family service agency ensuring every child has a safe, healthy and permanent family solution through advocacy, prevention and evidence-based services. Established as an orphanage in 1888, today Five Acres offers programs spanning a full continuum of care including community-based counseling and support services, intensive residential care, a therapeutic school for special needs students and foster care and adoption services. Currently, Five Acres serves approximately 8,700 children and their families across five counties. Visit 5acres.org for more information.
About Matt Lillard
Matthew Lillard, a veteran of both stage and screen, is well known for his performances in over 50 films and television shows over the last 20 years. With titles like Scream, The Descendants and Scooby Doo 1 & 2, Lillard is associated with a number of Hollywood Box Office hits totaling over $800 million dollars in revenue worldwide. He received critical success with independent titles SLC Punk! and Ed Burn’s The Groomsmen, debuted three films at the acclaimed Sundance Film Festival and won the Audience Award at the 2012 South by Southwest Film Festival with his directorial debut Fat Kid Rules the World.
A graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles and New York’s prestigious Circle in the Square, the award-winning actor has been an Artistic Director of theatre companies in both Los Angeles and New York City, directing 6 plays in 2015 including the European premieres of Neil LaBute’s Filthy Talk for Interesting Times and Stephen Belber’s Fault Lines. Recently appearing in a pivotal role in the reboot of Twin Peaks, Lillard currently stars in NBC’s Good Girls.