Dear Friends,

This summer we’ve continued to pound the pavement to bring Project Legacy to life -- and we're making major progress! In addition to moving our construction forward (see update below), we were honored to host TWO California constitutional officers to our site: Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and State Controller Betty Yee.

Commissioner Lara is the first and only LGBTQ+ elected statewide constitutional officer and he has played a significant leadership role advancing equality and equity through a storied career in the legislature, and now in the CA Department of Insurance. We are grateful to the Commissioner for taking the time to meet with us and learn more about our work.

Controller Yee also stopped by to learn about our site and services during her latest visit to the Inland Empire.

Our work continues to get attention for the impact we are making, and will continue to make, when we open our doors at Project Legacy. Black Voice News discussed a recent visit to Project Legacy and the resource it will be for the Inland Empire in one of their latest segments with KVCR. 

I invite you to see what else we’ve been up to in the newsletter below. As always, we appreciate your partnership and support!!

Sincerely,

Gabe

Executive Director

TruEvolution

TruEvolution welcomed California’s first openly LGBTQ+ elected constitutional officer, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, to tour the Project Legacy construction site in August. A national leader for LGBTQ+ rights, Commissioner Lara heard from TruEvolution staff about the important work that the state’s only Homekey site will provide to HIV+, LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness. 

“The LGBTQ community is resilient and lives in all pockets of California with a significant population in the Inland Empire,” said Insurance Commissioner Lara. “It is wonderful to see the dynamic leaders at TruEvolution realize a truly remarkable vision through Project Legacy that will help those young people experiencing homelessness and who are HIV+.”

“Commissioner Lara is a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community not only in California but across the country” said Gabriel Maldonado, CEO of TruEvolution. “We appreciate him taking the time to learn more about the work our team is undertaking to move Project Legacy forward so we can continue serving those in our community who need it most.”

Commissioner Lara’s visit follows visits from Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy Harold Phillips, California Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes, and several local elected leaders throughout the region.

State Controller Betty Yee was the latest California leader to stop by Project Legacy. She toured our campus and saw first-hand the progress we're making. TruEvolution staff led the tour and showed her what makes our Homekey site unique. Thank you for taking the time to visit our site, Controller!

"Controller Yee is no stranger to the Inland Empire and is one of the LGBTQ+ community's staunchest allies," said Maldonado. "She understands that regions like ours need further investment, especially for projects like ours that provide resources for a severely underserved population. Thank you for your time and partnership, Controller Yee!"

Our construction crews are working around the clock to bring Project Legacy to life. We are excited to share regular updates with all of you until we open our doors and begin providing life-saving housing and healthcare services to those in our region who need it most. Click below to watch an update from Project Legacy's Project Manager, Andrea Ordaz. 

Project Legacy continues to get recognized as a significant project in the Inland Empire for those who identify as LGBTQ+ and who are experiencing homelessness. This summer, Black Voice News discussed Project Legacy and its impact on the region.

Project Legacy was featured in the Black Voice News’ weekly broadcast on NPR KVCR 91.9 “The Voice” segment.