Rooftop Dedication and Open House Event a Success!
Over the past year, we have had the wonderful opportunity to renovate our rooftop here at URM into a beautiful, welcoming environment thanks to many generous people. This new rooftop is an oasis in the middle of Skid Row, especially to the families and kids of URM. The entire URM family is deeply blessed by the new rooftop. Last Saturday, we celebrated this blessing with an Open House and special Ribbon Cutting event!
As guests arrived they were greeted by Rev. Andy Bales, enjoyed videos from our “Stories from Skid Row” series, took a tour of URM, and finally gathered on the beautiful rooftop as the sun began to set. The Los Angeles skyline as a backdrop, the fantastic refreshments, and the rich fellowship made for a perfect evening.
The children currently staying at URM were able to play on the playground, and enjoy goodie-bags courtesy of Frito Lay. Refreshments were served to everyone – including Andy Bales’ very own “Carne Asada Sliders”.
As guests were enjoying their refreshments two staff members gave moving testimonies. Chris Strode, Donor Officer and Manager of Gifts-in-Kind, and Alexandra Monsibaez, Gifts-In-Kind Representative, are both graduates of URM programs and walking examples of true Life Transformation.
After hearing a brief background on how the rooftop renovation came about from Andy Bales, the ribbon cutting took place, dedicating the newly redesigned space and thanking the many people who helped make it possible!
We are truly grateful for the generosity of our key rooftop renovation contributors: Norb & Cindy Hackett and the Hackett Trust, Lysa Grygorian and The John & Hasmik Foundation, The Sloan Family, The Wells Fargo Foundation, Goldman Sachs, and Interior Designer Jessica Patterson of JLP Design. Without the generosity of these friends, this dream would not have been possible.
For more pictures, please visit our facebook album here