At A Community of Friends, we are dedicated to serving some of our most vulnerable neighbors by providing safe housing, essential items, and supportive services to those in need. Today, many of our tenants face a new challenge: the loss of their SNAP (food assistance) benefits. Across nearly 52 ACOF buildings, approximately 1,000 tenants (seniors, veterans, and families) are now at risk of food insecurity.

To respond to this urgent need, ACOF has established an Emergency Fund to help ensure our tenants have reliable access to groceries and basic necessities.

Please consider joining us in supporting our community during this critical time. Your donation can help a neighbor put food on the table today.

SNAPSHOT OF THIS QUARTER

This fall, A Community of Friends proudly marked the grand openings of Ventura Springs, in partnership with U.S.VETS, and Huntington Square, both creating safe, stable homes for veterans and their families.

Our team, along with amazing volunteers came together to assemble Welcome Home Kits for residents moving into two of our newest communities, Highland Heights and The Nova, helping them start this new chapter with comfort and care. And to top it off, we’re thrilled to share that A Community of Friends has received an AHEAD Grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco to support our Professional Development Program.

It’s been a season full of growth, gratitude, and new beginnings—and we couldn’t have done it without your continued support.

GRAND OPENINGS

On September 25, 2025 we celebrated the grand opening of Ventura Springs, a 122-unit supportive housing community for veterans and low income families. Your support made this milestone possible. Ventura Springs embodies our mission to end homelessness through permanent supportive housing and extends our impact into Ventura County.

Thank you to U.S.VETS, the City of Ventura and our additional partners: the County of Ventura, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, The Salvation Army, Gold Coast Veterans, Providence Saint Johns and Harbor Freight Tools.

Thanks to your continued support, we celebrated the grand opening of Huntington Square on October 1, 2025. Huntington Square is a 48-unit supportive housing community designed to provide safe, stable homes for senior veterans. Thank you to the City of Huntington Park and everyone who joined us to celebrate this important milestone.

An additional thank you to our service providers: Department of Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and Volunteers of America Los Angeles. Together we are honoring our veterans and continuing our mission to end homelessness through the provision of permanent supportive housing.

WELCOME HOME KITS - HIGHLAND HEIGHTS & THE NOVA

At ACOF, we believe that the transition into a new home should be as smooth and comforting as possible for our tenants. That’s why we provide Welcome Home Kits to new tenants moving into each new ACOF apartment community. These kits include essential household items, from kitchenware and bedding to cleaning supplies and personal care products, all aimed at helping our tenants settle in and feel truly at home from day one. Our wonderful team had a blast assembling Welcome Home Kits for 61 units at Highland Heights, with volunteers from the Office of Councilmember Nithya Raman, and 99(!) units at The Nova. Visit our website to learn more on how you can contribute to our Welcome Home Kits.

AHEAD GRANT

The FHLBank of San Francisco selected ACOF as a grant recipient in their competitive 2025 round of Access to Housing and Economic Assistance for Development (AHEAD) Grants. This program “supports innovative initiatives that create new economic opportunities by expanding proven development models or piloting new interventions”.

The funding will help maintain and grow ACOF’s Professional Development Program (PDP), which supports ACOF tenants to secure and maintain employment or pursue other professional development opportunities. The program has delivered training in professional and technical skills at almost twenty ACOF buildings, and 150 tenants have participated, gaining skills, confidence, and employment opportunities. The AHEAD grant will help fund program staffing as well as upgrades to shared computing facilities at ACOF buildings where PDP alumni live.

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For questions, please contact

Fund Development

funddevelopment@acof.org or 213.480.0809 x 268