Dear Friend,
The temperatures outside have let us know we are fully in the dog days of summer. Friends In Deed programs, services, and staff members are staying very busy despite the heat. We thank them and each of you - our amazing supporters - for enabling FID to do this important work in our community.
And with summer comes our annual summertime fundraising event, this year entitled Jazz, Encore! We hope you will support this virtual event complete with honoree spotlights, an online live kickoff, jazz playlists, and creative ways to brings folks together, all while raising much-needed funding for a worthy cause. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for all of the exciting event details.
Please read on for some "PAWesome" stories and enjoy your summer!
In service,
Bret Schaefer Board President, Friends In Deed |
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It is through your generosity that we are able to provide these programs and services |
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Baxter's Story - A Very, Very Good Boy! |
Friends In Deed: Baxter, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Baxter: Baxter is a very good boy! Baxter is a therapy dog. Baxter visits ladies in The Women’s Room with Baxter’s human, who is named Anna. Baxter likes food. Sometimes Baxter’s human does not give much food, ‘cos Baxter gets fat! Baxter also sleeps lots.
Friends In Deed: Do you enjoy your work?
Baxter: Baxter likes to sniff at the ladies in The Women’s Room. Baxter enjoys making people feel calmer, and getting treats. Read more... |
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| Marlene's Story - A Strong Relationship |
Friends In Deed board member Marlene Pomeroy and her husband, Jake, moved to Pasadena 24 years ago to become co-pastors of the First Congregational Church, Pasadena. Marlene, as a new pastor, was soon invited to connect with Friends In Deed in planning the annual interfaith Thanksgiving service.
A lot has changed since that time! Friends In Deed has grown massively and now places a greater emphasis on social services than on acting as an interfaith council. First Congregational Church sold the church building that no longer fit its needs and is using the capital to finance hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of grants to meet need in the local community. Read more... |
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Stories from Our Programs |
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Gloria's Story - Sleeping in the Park |
Gloria, a senior, was illegally evicted from her apartment. With no other resources to fall back on – other members of her family are also unhoused or not in a position to offer help – she ended up on the streets of Downtown LA. Not surprisingly, this terrified her. She came to Pasadena and established herself in Pasadena’s Central Park.
Even other unhoused folks were horrified to see a 71-year-old woman sleeping in the park. They started to help her get connected with resources. Read more... |
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| Sherry's Story - Determined to Finish School |
We’re not sure whether or not Buddy is an official emotional support animal, but he certainly goes everywhere that Sherry goes, and we’re sure plays a major role in keeping her calm and centered in her everyday life.
A student at a local college, Sherry has no family support or financial resources, but she’s determined to complete her degree. Read more... |
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A Pantry Story - A Devoted Friend |
A volunteer came into the Food Pantry to report that someone had passed out in front of Friends In Deed House. Food Pantry Manager Stacey went to check, and discovered a man sprawled on one of our benches, his dog standing guard beside him. She tried to wake him but he was barely responsive and she called 911.
When they arrived, the paramedics asked Friends In Deed to watch the dog until animal control could arrive. The dog, however, did not cooperate! After the paramedics refused to let it in the ambulance, the dog raced away up Los Robles with Food Pantry Director Tim in hot pursuit. Read more... |
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| Brenda's Story - A Companion to Care For |
Brenda – a regular guest in The Women’s Room – arrived in a very excited mood. Her friend had a puppy she couldn’t keep and, rather than have the dog put down, Brenda had offered to take her. Now, along with all the challenges of living on the streets, Brenda had the extra challenge of caring for a dog.
She wasn’t completely opposed to trying to rehome the dog, but Brenda said the puppy brought her peace and comfort. Read more... |
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Our Staff - Stories from Then and Now |
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Eva’s Story – Having the Tools She Needs |
When she was a child, Eva’s beloved dog would wait for her by the mailboxes at the end of her road and run to her when he saw her coming home from school. This began a lifelong love of dogs and a deep appreciation for their companionship and the joy they bring.
Before Eva was employed by Friends In Deed she was a long-time pantry volunteer, and she still occasionally finds the time to help out a little. Her bilingual skills are greatly valued both in the pantry and in the office! Read more... |
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Providing cold-weather support for our neighbors experiencing homelessness
Short- and medium-term rental support to prevent eviction
Dignified grocery shopping experience for 400+ households weekly
Team of workers on the streets engaging with our neighbors experiencing homelessness and connecting them to services
Daytime shelter for homeless and at-risk women |
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Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater Executive Director
Marty Campolo Deputy Director and Grants Officer
Merria Velasco Director of Development
Helen Angove Operations Manager
Marlene Martinez Director of TWR
Tim Nistler Director of The Food Pantry
Tish Strickland Director of Street Outreach and Housing
Ryan Greer Director of EPRA
Lindsey Reed Senior Manager of Programs and Director of BWS
William Shelby Housing Navigator and Locator
Stacey Cutshaw Food Pantry Manager
Najwa Payton Jones Housing Navigator and Outreach Specialist
Jane Armbruster TWR Program Associate
Angel Maxwell Street Outreach Worker
Michael Jaimes Street Outreach Worker
Eva Rivera Administrative Assistant
Doug Haught Security and Grounds
Rion Waller Food Pantry Program Associate
Coty Dietel Food Pantry Aide |
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Bret Schaefer President
Jonathan Webster Vice President
Christopher Pelch Treasurer
Debby Singer Secretary
Richard Cheung Immediate Past President
Kevin Bourland
Barbara Dangerfield
Ervin Galvan
Rev. George Hines
Tim Howett
Nishanthi Kurukulasuriya
Pamela Marx
Stacy Santeramo
Kathy Simpson
Ed Vidimos
Ursula Hyman
Rev. Marlene Pomeroy |
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Friends In Deed is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. We embrace and celebrate the spectrum of our employees’, volunteers’, and clients’ ages, color, ability or disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, neurodiversity, and other characteristics that make our employees, volunteers, and clients unique. |
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