More Than Shelter® Announces 2nd Annual Awards Dinner, May 14, 2009 at Skirball Cultural Center

April 29, 2009 - PRLog -- More Than Shelter®, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing much-needed social service programs to under served communities in Southern California, announced that it’s second annual awards and fundraising dinner will be held at the Skirball Cultural Center on Thursday, May 14, 2009 at 6:30 p.m.  The event is hosted by Henry Cisneros, the former U.S. Secretary of HUD and City View Chairman.  "It is with great appreciation and admiration that I am pleased to announce this year's More Than Shelter's Award recipients are the Honorable Harry Pregerson, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Ricardo F. Icaza, President of United Food and Commercial Workers Local Union 770, and Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas.  All will be recognized for their extraordinary contributions and service to our entire community," stated Ronald Griffith, President and CEO of Century Housing.

More Than Shelter® provides services critical to individuals and families struggling to meet their basic needs.  Dating back to the very first affordable housing development created in the 1970’s by the State’s Century Freeway Housing Program, they have worked with developers and the community to create More Than Shelter amenities: services designed to assist residents with their most pressing needs.  More Than Shelter offers after-school tutoring programs, job training and placement, transitional housing for homeless veterans, and two charter middle schools for deserving individuals and families throughout Southern California.

The first honoree, Harry Pregerson, will receive the Century Award for Exemplary Leadership in Economic Development. Judge Pregerson helped create Century Housing during the construction of the Century Freeway, Interstate 105. He ordered a more comprehensive program of measures to compensate the community and its residents and help mitigate some of the effects of the new freeway. This included building and replacing new homes lost to demolition, training of community residents so that they could get jobs building the freeway, development of child care centers so that parents would have a safe place for their children to stay while they worked, and many changes to the design of the freeway itself to offset the cancer-causing soot and noise inevitably generated by highways.  Among his most important accomplishments are those cases dealing with civil rights, consumer protection, social security benefits, employment discrimination, environmental protection, freedom of speech and press, fair housing, immigrants' rights, labor law, Native Americans' rights, race relations, and women's rights issues.

More Than Shelter® will also recognize Ricardo F. Icaza, with the William R. Robertson Award for Exemplary Leadership in Labor Relations.  As a trustee of the Southern California UFCW Employers Pension Fund, he helped increase access to scholarships by negotiating an agreement with several food markets to contribute into a college scholarship fund. He established the UFCW Local 770 Icaza Foundation in 2001.  The purpose of the Icaza Foundation is to raise funds to be available for donation to various charitable non-profit organizations, including but not limited to, nonprofit organizations devoted to leukemia research.   The primary fundraising vehicle is the Foundation’s annual charity golf tournament, traditionally held in September of each year within the jurisdiction of UFCW Local 770.

With more than 25,000 members, the United Food and Commercial Workers is the succeeding International Union following the merger of the Retail Clerks, Meat Cutters, RDSWU, ICWUC, and several smaller unions.  It has the combined membership of 1.3 million in the United States and Canada.  Mr. Icaza is also a Vice President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, President of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, Treasurer of the Food and Drug Council, and a Vice President of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA).  

The final honoree, LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, will receive the Kenneth Hahn Award for Exemplary Leadership in Public Service, for his total body of work and commitment to a broad range of issues with implications for economic and workforce development, health care, public safety, education, budget accountability, consumer protection and civic participation. As Supervisor, he is championing key issues which include delivering jobs, opportunity and economic development; creating safer communities by preventing crime and gang violence; leading the fight for better healthcare, seniors, the disabled and foster care, and sustaining our communities and the environment.

Century Housing Board Members, Dan Weinstein and Darroch F. Young, serve as Chairs for the event, with proceeds of the 2nd Annual Dinner supporting the growing need for More Than Shelter® services and facilities.  Tickets to the awards dinner and tribute journal information can be found at www.morethanshelter.org or by calling 310-659-5517.

About More Than Shelter

More Than Shelter is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing much needed social service programs to under served communities in Southern California.  According to the US Census Bureau, 40% of the population of LA County is either below the poverty line or considered low-income. Because of the number of individuals and families struggling to meet their basic needs, the social services provided by More Than Shelter are critically important.

More Than Shelter offers after-school tutoring programs, job training and placement, transitional housing for homeless veterans, and two charter middle schools for deserving individuals and families throughout Southern California.  

For more info visit www.morethanshelter.org.