Home is Just The Beginning Gala

Home is Just the Beginning Gala

Our Home is Just the Beginning Gala last month raised over $275,000 that will directly fund youth programming in California. Take a look at all of the wonderful photos of the Gala. We are so grateful to the 370 attendees who came out on a Thursday night to support our mission to create stable, vibrant, and healthy communities by providing affordable, service-enriched housing. Of course, an event of this scale is only possible because of the efforts of a generous group of people.

First, our sincere thanks and appreciation to the gala committee: Mary Magnano Smith, Co-Chair, Brian Swift, Co-Chair, and Christopher Lee. Our small but mighty event committee did an outstanding job of guiding the event. We had a hard act to follow after the success of the inaugural Home is Just the Beginning event in 2017, but the committee rose to the challenge and exceeded all goals.

We could not have asked for better speakers. Mercy Housing California (MHC) Board Chair JoAnn and Brian Swift kicked the evening off beautifully; special guest, Mayor London Breed’s remarks were very complimentary about the City’s collaboration with Mercy Housing and the value of the work we do; keynote speaker Fred Blackwell was excellent; and of course, our resident speakers, Wallace Pellette and his daughter, Wallae, captured everyone’s hearts with their speeches.

During the event, MHC President Doug Shoemaker introduced the upcoming Sunnydale HUB capital campaign to fund gathering spaces where a diverse community can learn, play, grow, and thrive. He also acknowledged special guest George Argyris, who is working with Mercy Housing on a $30 million bequest from the Bettye Poetz Ferguson Foundation to fund 345-365 new senior apartment homes in the Bay Area. This housing will be developed in Alameda, Oakland, and Richmond.

In the course of 15 minutes, our auctioneer, Devon Bell, did a great job during the Fund-A-Need paddle raise, which raised close to $83,000 for youth programming.

Thank you all for your support of the event and for introducing your many friends and professional colleagues to Mercy Housing last Thursday evening.