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 The HRTS Board of Directors is pleased to announce the adoption of our new HRTS Charitable Giving Program. The board has decided that each year, the elected HRTS President will be allowed to choose a local non-profit organization to be the beneficiary of the support of HRTS, both financially as well as through ongoing promotion and participation opportunities. HRTS, as an organization of leading individuals and companies involved in the creation and distribution of entertainment content has enjoyed a long-standing tradition of supporting worthy organizations through its philanthropic efforts.
The inaugural beneficiary of this new program will be My Friend’s Place, a provider of support services for homeless youth in Hollywood.
“When we think of the good things that the media business has brought to all of us, the fact that young people are homeless right here in Hollywood, many of them engaging in very risky activities just to earn enough money to eat every day, it seems entirely appropriate that the HRTS shine a light on their (My Friend's Place) good work and support them” said HRTS President Kevin Beggs. “It is especially tough in this difficult economic environment, which ironically has boosted their client load while also reducing their private donations.”
 About My Friend’s Place:
The mission of My Friend’s Place (MFP) is to assist and inspire homeless youth to build self-sufficient lives. Founded in 1988, MFP began as a volunteer-led, mobile meal program that distributed sack lunches to homeless youth in Hollywood. Today, MFP has grown to become the most frequently visited drop-in center for homeless youth in Southern California. Our primary goal is to lower traditional barriers to service and provide homeless youth the opportunity to improve psychological, intellectual, and physical capacity to reach their potential.
 Each year, over 1,800 youth pass through our doors. They can access a wide continuum of services encompassing Basic Needs (food, clothing, showers, etc.), Transformative Education (employment and education workshops, creative arts programming, etc.), and Health and Well-Being Services (health education and clinical case management). All services are provided in a judgment free atmosphere of dignity and respect.
 My Friend's Place and its programs are almost completely privately funded--we rely on the generosity of community partners who share our dedication to helping some of the most vulnerable members of the community to keep our doors open. We're excited about our new partnership with HRTS and look forward to working together to help homeless youth move away from the streets and towards stability.
In the coming months, HRTS will be promoting opportunities for HRTS Members and Member Companies to support this worthwhile provider of youth services in the Hollywood area as well as documenting some of the many successes that our involvement with this organization has helped create. It is our sincere hope that the entire HRTS community will come together and empower My Friend’s Place to continue the tremendous work they do in our own backyard.
For more information on how you can get more involved please call HRTS Executive Director Dave Ferrara directly at (818) 789-1182 or Michael Kass at My Friend’s Place at (323) 908-0011.
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