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Door of Hope Swings Open for Gala on Feb. 20

Door of Hope will celebrate 30 years of helping Pasadena homeless families rebuild their lives at a gala on Feb. 20. Pictured are Door of Hope board members, supporters and staff, including (front row, from left) Jim Howe, Bob Joe, Congresswoman Judy Chu, Door of Hope founders Steve and Iris Lazarian, and Door of Hope Executive Director Tim Peters (far right). Back: George Rothwell, Greg Waybright, Gil Gazanian and Jeremy Rose.
Door of Hope will celebrate 30 years of helping Pasadena homeless families rebuild their lives at a gala on Feb. 20. Pictured are Door of Hope board members, supporters and staff, including (front row, from left) Jim Howe, Bob Joe, Congresswoman Judy Chu, Door of Hope founders Steve and Iris Lazarian, and Door of Hope Executive Director Tim Peters (far right). Back: George Rothwell, Greg Waybright, Gil Gazanian and Jeremy Rose.

For the past 30 years, Door of Hope in Pasadena has stood as a beacon of optimism in the community, helping homeless families rebuild their lives through a variety of resources. Nearly 1,500 individuals who once lived on the streets have found better futures as a result of their experience at the Christian faith-based transitional housing service. This concept of looking ahead toward a brighter tomorrow is one of the nonprofit’s primary pillars. It makes sense, then, that instead of focusing on the past three decades of success, Door of Hope is choosing to celebrate what’s to come in the next 30 years and beyond at the organization’s upcoming gala on Feb. 20.
Sponsored by East West Bank and Nestlé, the event will be held at the Noor space inside Paseo Colorado located at 300 E. Colorado Blvd. Door of Hope will welcome ESPN.com national basketball writer J.A. Adande as the gala’s Master of Ceremonies, enhancing a sports theme that has permeated the occasion with auction items ranging from a round of golf with NBA legend Jerry West to a private tennis lesson from Pete Sampras, among many others.
“It’s extremely exciting because of where we were at just 10 years ago, with the possibility of closing our doors. Now, it’s not even a question of closing our doors. It’s a question as to how big do we get and how much and how quickly do we expand,” said Door of Hope Executive Director Tim Peters. “We do have plans in the next 30 years to not only exist, but to continue to grow and expand. As we have more and more need of services for homeless families and children, we want to step up to the challenge and continue our successful program into the future. This gala represents a testimony to the hard work and exciting future that Door of Hope does have.”
Following a wine reception, the aforementioned online auction is scheduled to go live during an evening program that will accompany dinner. Peters plans to address the guests, sharing highlights of the organization’s first three decades while also discussing the focus of the future.
“We’re going to hear from a current family from Door of Hope as well as an alumni family that have been directly affected through the program,” said Door of Hope Development Associate Nicole Peters, who promised some surprises as well.
All proceeds from the auction and ticket sales will feed directly into the general operating budget of Door of Hope, which serves two-parent families, single fathers, single mothers and victims of domestic violence at three different locations in the San Gabriel Valley.
“We’re now on this precipice of where we’ve grown out of this little mom-and-pop organization,” said Door of Hope Director of Marketing and Public Relations Adam Benjamin. “In many ways, we’re still really grassroots, but we’re on the verge of being able to make a significant impact in fighting family homelessness as a whole issue instead of just for individual families that come into Door of Hope. With that, we need flexibility. We need resources. We need the ability to be able to adjust to the need in the community, and the only real way to do that is general operating.”
The typical family stays at Door of Hope between four and six months. During this time, the organization provides various essentials, including schooling for children, job training, financial planning and therapy. After residents are able to find jobs, Door of Hope helps each family transition into long-term housing and follows up for a minimum of one year with monthly check-ins, life coaching and other supportive services.
“It’s really critical for us to be able to sustain the organization’s growth that we’ve experienced,” Tim Peters said. “This is very significant to us. The proceeds generated by this event will go a long way to be able to make a difference in the lives of homeless families and children.”

Individual tickets to the gala are $175. For more information and other ticketing options, visit doorofhopegala.afrogs.org.

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