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Dear Ascencia,
With spring around the corner, we are looking forward to brighter, longer days ahead. Our efforts to solve homelessness are continuously expanding as our staff and programs grow. With that, our commitment to maintaining the highest levels of transparency and accountability in our work is as crucial as ever.
At Ascencia, we believe that transparency is key to building trust with our community. We are dedicated to sharing detailed information about our programs, finances, and outcomes with our supporters. It’s important that our community is fully informed about what we do every day, and about how your contributions are making a difference in the lives of those experiencing homelessness.
We encourage you to review our audited financial reports, which are always available on our website, to see firsthand the impact of your contributions. In addition, our Charity Navigator profile highlights and rates Ascencia’s impact, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, organizational strategy, sustainability, and more. I am proud to share that Ascencia has received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator for 2025! Read more: www.charitynavigator.org/ein/204233822.
If you would like to invest in the future of our mission, please consider Ascencia in your estate plans. This is an opportunity for you to leave a lasting legacy by including Ascencia in your will or bequest. By making a planned gift, you are helping to sustain our programs and ensure that we can continue to support those in need for years to come.
For more information about our Planned Giving Program, please contact our Development Director Camille Guerrero at cguerrero@ascenciaca.org or visit our website at www.ascenciaca.org/planned-giving.
Thank you for your trust, support, and commitment to Ascencia’s mission. Together, we are making a meaningful difference in so many lives. We look forward to a brighter, safer future for all.
With Gratitude,
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Dr. Laura Duncan
Executive Director
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Leslie is HOME!
Leslie's story is a testament to the life-changing impact of Ascencia’s mission. After learning about our services through Glendale Public Library, Leslie took action and reached out for help. Alfred Hernandez from our Emergency Street Outreach team was there to offer support.
Homeless since 2020 after losing his job in the garment district, Leslie’s journey included sleeping on buses and the streets. But today, he's thriving in a safe environment where he gets three meals a day, a clean bed, and, most importantly, case management services.
Monique, his case manager, shared, “Leslie was goal-oriented from the start. It was amazing to work with him because he was determined to regain stability and get his life back on track.”
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In just two months, Leslie was housed! Ascencia continues to provide him with case management and resources to keep him moving forward.
Leslie expressed his gratitude: “Monique was incredible—she’s such a great case manager. I’m thankful for Chris Pineda, Ascencia’s Community Resource Specialist, Mary Leisure at Glendale Library, and all the donors supporting Ascencia’s work!”
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Ascencia's 17th Annual Gala is Next Month! | | |
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Ascencia's 17th Annual Gala, "Hope Starts Here", will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Oakmont Country Club in Glendale. We are so grateful for everyone who has bought tickets, and we can't wait to see you next month!
The funds raised at our Gala are essential to our organization! We hope you can make it to our event to support the future of our work and our ongoing mission to lift people out of homelessness. Thank you so much!
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Attend
Tickets are ON SALE NOW!
We also still have sponsorship packages available ranging from $1,000 to $12,000, which include tickets, marketing exposure, and more!
Join us to make our event a success and help fund our programs.
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Support
If you'd like to support our event, we have underwriting opportunities available! Cover specific event costs such as photography, entertainment, or printing to ensure more funds go towards our programs.
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Thank you for Donating Outreach Supplies! | |
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Ascencia's Street Outreach teams work every day to connect with individuals experiencing homelessness at the heart of the issue. They offer vital case management services and build relationships with our unhoused neighbors, starting with providing water, food, and hygiene products. This simple act conveys our commitment and care. Your donations of snack bags and hygiene kits make this possible!
In the last month, we ask our community for snack bag and hygiene kits donations, and you delivered. We want to say a huge thank you to the following donors and volunteers:
- Armine Chitjian
- The Reynolds family
- The Mid Valley National League of Young Men
- Barden Willits
- The Assisteens of Glendale
- CBRE
- City of Glendale Firefighters
- And anyone we may have missed!
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We are ALWAYS in need of snack bag and hygiene kit donations! If you or a group of friends/colleagues are looking for a fun project to give back, please consider hosting a donation drive or purchasing items and assembling snack bags or hygiene kits.
Learn more about these projects at www.ascenciaca.org/volunteer or reach out to our Volunteer Coordinator, Makena Goodwin, at Volunteer@AscenciaCA.org or 818-246-7900 ext. 113.
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Volunteer as a Guest Chef - More Coverage Needed! | |
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Ascencia has a 45-bed shelter in Glendale. We provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner to our shelter residents every day of the year. That’s about 50,000 individual meals served per year.
Our Guest Chef Volunteers dedicate their time to help us serve three meals a day to our shelter residents to ensure that no one goes hungry at Ascencia.
In 2024, we had 58% of 1,098 meals covered. We do partner with Glendale Memorial Hospital to recover their cafeteria food every Monday, as well as a local Chick-Fil-A that donates frozen chicken to us twice a week. However, with the short fall in coverage and high food costs, we desperately need more help covering meals.
Guest Chefs plan a menu, purchase and prepare the ingredients, then cook and serve the meal to our residents. If you cannot come on-site as a Guest Chef, please consider donating meals, whether it’s a monetary donation or signing up to drop off food. We also allow Guest Chefs to order or pick up food from a restaurant and coordinate a drop-off.
You can learn more about out Guest Chef program at www.ascenciaca.org/volunteer.
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P.S. We need RECURRING Guest Chef groups! If your family, friends, church group, or work team want to sign up for a weekly, monthly, or quarterly date, please email Volunteer@AscenciaCA.org. Thank you! | |
Thank you for supporting our mission to lift people out of homelessness, one person, one family at a time! | | | | |
