VAN NUYS, CA — The Van Nuys Neighborhood Council is pleased to announce the involvement of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti in the “Homelessness & Mental Illness” Summit next month. The Van Nuys Neighborhood Council is hosting this Special Council Meeting on Wednesday, December 17th, 2014 at 6:30 pm to address homelessness in the San Fernando Valley and throughout Los Angeles.
“Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and his office have always been readily available and supportive of the Van Nuys Neighborhood Council. Mayor Garcetti has co-sponsored several of our summits, providing invaluable input and an ongoing collaboration that has helped us successfully host these events. This continuing partnership with the Mayor of Los Angeles is highly beneficial to address the issues facing Van Nuys and the San Fernando Valley as a whole,” said George Christopher Thomas, President of the Van Nuys Neighborhood Council.
Eric Garcetti is the 42nd Mayor of Los Angeles. His “back to basics” agenda is focused on job creation and solving everyday problems for L.A. residents.
Garcetti was elected four times by his peers to serve as President of the Los Angeles City Council from 2006 to 2012. From 2001 until taking office as Mayor, he served as the Councilmember representing the 13th District which includes Hollywood, Echo Park, Silver Lake, and Atwater Village — all of which were dramatically revitalized under Garcetti’s leadership.
Garcetti was raised in the San Fernando Valley and earned his B.A. and M.A. from Columbia University. He studied as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and the London School of Economics and taught at Occidental College and USC. A fourth generation Angeleno, he and his wife, Amy Elaine Wakeland, have a young daughter. He is a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy reserve and is an avid jazz pianist and photographer.
“It is a great honor and privilege to work alongside all of the high profile speakers we have scheduled for the summit this December. Each one brings an interesting and unique perspective to addressing homelessness in the San Fernando Valley. This is a major issue in Van Nuys, as well as throughout the Valley and Southern California. This summit is a perfect opportunity to come together with community leaders in our area, and really tackle this terrible problem head-on,” said George Christopher Thomas, President of the Van Nuys Neighborhood Council.
A list of confirmed speakers include but are not limited to: Don LeStrange, Van Nuys LAPD Volunteer and Community Police Advisory Board (CPAB) Homeless Committee Chair. Representatives from the Office of Councilwoman Nury Martinez (CD6). Anthony Gonzales from the Village Family Center in North Hollywood. Ryan Bell from Community Outreach for PATH in Los Angeles. Representatives from the San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission. Representatives from the National Coalition For The Homeless. Representatives from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. Representatives from the Weingart Center Association. Representatives from the Homeless Health Care Los Angeles. Representatives from the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. And representatives from the Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger & Homelessness.
The Van Nuys Neighborhood Council meets at 6262 Van Nuys Boulevard and the Summit will take place in the Council Chambers starting at 6:30 pm. If your Neighborhood Council or organization would like to co-host this summit with the VNNC, please email Council President George Thomas at [email protected]. For more information please visit www.vnnc.org. The Van Nuys Neighborhood Council is the largest Neighborhood Council in the San Fernando Valley, and the second largest of all 95 Neighborhood Council’s in Los Angeles. (http://www.vannuyscpab.org/)
All media and the general public are invited to attend. Please email any questions or comments to [email protected].
Van Nuys Neighborhood Council
PO Box 3118
Van Nuys, CA 91407
Telephone (818) 533-VNNC (8662)
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.VNNC.org
