On March 9, we came together at Union Station for Gather Everyone In 2019. Nearly 600 advocates stood shoulder-to-shoulder inside the historic walls to get inspired and renew our commitment to ending homelessness.
We will speak out, as long as it takes, until we bring everyone in.
The day’s events kicked off in the morning with volunteers showing up across L.A. County to get trained and give back.
More than 50 people showed up to LA Family Housing in North Hollywood.
Here we are assembling home and bath kits at St. Joseph Center in Venice…
…and PATH Headquarters in Central L.A.
A big thank you to the volunteers who came to HOPICS in South L.A.
And finally people from all over L.A. County came together to hear from leaders in the fight to end homelessness.
Like SSG HOPICS Outreach Manager Toni White…
And United Way of Greater L.A. CEO and President Elise Buik, who said: “We know that housing saves lives. We know that everyone deserves a home. And that’s what this campaign is about.”
Everyone In Deputy Director of Organizing Gabriela Garcia reminded us that the progress we’re making isn’t a matter of statistics for the individuals who have been able to secure housing—homelessness can feel overwhelming, but ending it happens one person at a time.
Big thanks to KCRW DJ Raul Campos for providing the soundtrack and getting everyone dancing.
There were activities and installations for families to explore how homelessness and solutions like supportive housing impact their communities.
We handed out a ton of gear for members of the Home Team and other advocates to spread the word…
It was just an incredible day of community action and engagement. L.A. City Council President Herb Wesson called the crowd an “army of hope,” and we couldn’t agree more.
We have many challenges in the struggle to end homelessness. Perhaps the most critical is to make sure L.A. doesn’t lose hope. Because it’s going to take more than a year or two to achieve our shared goals.
It’s critical that everyone understands that while this work won’t happen overnight, we are headed in the right direction. We are making change. It needs to happen faster, and it can—if we continue to build our collective effort and resolve.
And that is why we will keep speaking out, keep showing up, keep organizing day after day until we achieve the only outcome that makes any moral sense: A home for everyone who needs one.
That’s our promise. That’s what it means when we say Everyone In.
Thank you to our committed advocates, organizers, staff members, volunteers, partners, and speakers—Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, L.A. City Council President Herb Wesson, United Way of Greater L.A. President & CEO Elise Buik, SSG HOPICS Outreach Case Manager Toni White, Everyone In’s Gabriela Garcia, City of Los Angeles Deputy Mayor of City Homelessness Initiatives Christina Miller, San Pedro Community Advocate Amber Ginsberg, Reverend Zach Hoover from L.A. Voice and Get Lit poets Hannah Harris, Marcus James and Marquesha Babers. We couldn’t do it without you. And special shout out to The California Endowment for opening up their parking lot to us for the night!
If you’re already a part of this movement, please tell a friend about us and invite them to get involved. If you haven’t yet signed up, register for a training here. We all need to speak out so we can bring everyone in.
