(Monday November 2, 2015, Altadena, CA) – Five Acres hosted its 2nd annual Permanency Launch Party and invited key supporters, donors and board members including sponsors Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, Kanel Foundation, The Langham Huntington Hotel, Merrill Lynch Private Banking/Bank of America and community partners; LATHER, Meat District Co, Morgan Stanley Pasadena, Pasadena Convention Center and Live on Green, Pasadena Tournament of Roses, along with local government representatives and press.
The event was held at Cross Campus; the latest state of the art work space and community hub for tech, innovators, entrepreneurs and creative people. Five Acres chose this venue as the launch pad to unveil the display and the innovative, artistic representation of the more than 20,000 children in LA County foster care.
This year’s campaign introduced supporters and guests to a “mobile PSA”; a six foot high, nine feet wide pop-up display featuring Girl 5A through photographic and video storytelling; Girl 5A is a six year old girl who is living in foster care and needs a forever family to call home. The display includes a 36” monitor and a one minute video sharing her personal journey. The display will be featured at various venues throughout the month of November tied to National Adoption Awareness and during the holidays at strategically placed locations including the Pasadena Convention Center’s “Live on Green” event and the Tournament of Roses post parade; with an estimated 120,000 guests to visit the floats after the parade.
The message is clear; LA County needs more parent recruits and the goal of this campaign is to identify 20,000 families for children in foster care, by the year 2020. It’s a lofty goal but Five Acres is up to the task. Since premiering the campaign in 2014, Five Acres has been able to secure more than 1,365 permanent families for children in foster care. The campaign has increased the recruitment of parents by 79% and the overall campaign continues to bring much needed awareness to the crisis that is the LA County foster care system.
Five Acres CEO Chanel Boutakidis shares,
“After just one year we have been able to help 1,365 children discharge to permanency. The largest numbers were because of our prevention and intervention efforts. Children were able to stay safely with their biological family and did not enter the foster care system to begin with. Although the number of inquiries and those starting the certification process to become a foster parent has doubled, our greatest challenge continues to be the need to recruit many more; both foster and adoptive families. Although our numbers have increased we still need more. Many more! We need to do better if we want permanency for the 20,000 children. We need to continue to rally for change in our communities. If you want to learn more about how you can get involved, please visit our website or call Five Acres today.”
The event featured complimentary wine, signature cocktails; lime green, “appletinis” and custom-designed salami and cheese “clip boards,” butternut squash fritters, pear, blue cheese, fig chutney and pistachio crostata with honey drizzle and mushroom vilos, from City Fare Catering.
To learn more about Cross Campus Pasadena visit www.crosscampus.us/locations/pasadena
Have you ever thought about becoming a foster parent, or adopting? Visit www.5acres.org for more information and to learn ways to get involved, educate, donate or become a foster parent today!
ABOUT FIVE ACRES:
Five Acres is a child and family services agency strengthening families and preventing child abuse through treatment and education in community-based and residential programs. Established as an orphanage in 1888, today Five Acres offers an array of services including community-based services, residential treatment, foster care and adoption, supporting the nearly 8,400 children and families in five counties, including Los Angeles. www.5acres.org