By Dana Miller

THE GOOD, THE SAD AND THE UGLY

One of my favorite thinkers, Mark Twain, wrote, “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” Sadly, all too often we are all blinded by the appearance of charity and fall deaf and dumb to real acts of contribution. I present to you the torrid and true tales of the Good, the Sad and the Ugly of charities in our community in 2006. It is by no means comprehensive or anywhere near all-inclusive. Morever, it is simply this author’s observations from my whacked-out and often troubled turret of thought.

THE GOOD  

AIDS Project Los Angeles, under the leadership of volunteer chair Jim Murphy and long time executive director Craig Thompson, continues to be a salient shepherd in our community. Client roster grows, budgets drop. They continue to beautifully deliver more for less. With AIDS Walk, Summer Party, The Envelope Please…, APLA remains current, vital and all the while, in fact, historic. This is the 20th anniversary of their Necessities of Life Program. It’s this nation’s largest food pantry for people living with HIV/AIDS. NOLP is just one small spoke on the APLA wheel, but these saints gave away 100,000 bags of groceries in 2006.

For 13 years, John Gile has overseen Project Angel Food. They enjoy an annual budget of $6 million, 96 percent of which is privately raised. How awesome is that? They deliver meals to 1,200 people a day. Between 800 and 900 of those are folks living with AIDS. John told me they have proudly served 11,000 people since spiritual activist Marianne Williamson and her posse started PAF. I like Gile. He is good and has proven time and time again to be a forward thinker. The PAF collective created something quite special and when they saw that those living with AIDS were healthier; they brilliantly expanded and opened their kitchen and volunteers to those homebound with other ills. Lord, just a thought, but wouldn’t it be glorious if PAF and APLA joined forces? I mean couldn’t volunteers delivering meals also deliver groceries? Seems to this old dog like a new-trick dialogue worth having. There’s strength in numbers, right?

With the graying of our community, we happily seem to be honed in on youth—the next generation. How wonderful to focus on life and future and not just death. One of my heroes, APLA co-founder Matt Redman welcomed me to take another look at the veteran agency, Gay & Lesbian Adolescent Social Services. For years GLASS has offered up social and health-care services to children and youth who are in foster care, on probation or who are homeless. It’s awe-inspiring, wonderous work and still good after all these years.

The biggest and maybe best story of 2006 is the formation of a dynamic duo. Once again it revolves around youth. Two of the most electric and zippy guys in our non-profit world are out to change the world beginning the first week of January. Don’t bet against them. Since 2001, Jorge Valencia has served as president and executive director of the Trevor Project. Employing charm, charisma and just plain smarts, Jorge has helped build one of the most important and successful nonprofits in the country. Trevor is all about promoting acceptance of gay and lesbian teens and preventing suicide among the group. And for the past six years, Chris Fritzen has been a senior development officer at APLA. He is simply a smiling, fundraising genius. I have known each of these guys for awhile and, honestly, have butted heads with both. But if I have one talent, it’s the ability to recognize real talent, and together they are champions. So when I learned that Jorge and Chris were both moving on to the Point Foundation, all I could think of was, wow, what a coup. These are bright, compassionate gents who will make a dramatic difference. To me, they represent the future of nonprofit, and I guarantee you they will kick this wonderful mentoring and support foundation into breathtaking orbit. Jorge will be in charge. Chris (who told me at the Toy Box party that his passions are children and education) will serve as development director. They are the new Batman and Robin here in town, and that’s beyond good. That’s great!

Very good captains of commerce who I witnessed first hand quietly give back to our community in ‘06: David Cooley, Trip Wilmot, Lorri Jean, Michael Weinstein, Leslie Barclay, Chef Wayne and Chris Diamond, Bryan Carter, David Bohnet, Rolando Lira, Tom Whitman, Jeffrey and Marilyn Katzenberg, David Geffen, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Judith Light, my Toy Box Executive Committee and a ton of folk. It’s all good in Hollywood!

THE SAD

Donor fatigue, this administration drying up grant dollars to folks like us and oddly, even bus routes had a sad and giant impact on two esteemed philanthropic enterprises this year. Being Alive faced a significant cut back and L.A. Shanti closed it doors. When I spoke with Jacquelin Welter the other day it was clear she was tired. Jackie was the last board chair of Shanti and the person who had to shut it down. She believes the demise began a few years ago when an executive director elected to move from donor cultivation to government grants to fund the programs. It was a successful attempt. For awhile. Grants dried up, and the donors—by then feeling neglected—had moved on. Jackie, above and beyond her donation of time, passion and cash, is owed $38,000 in loans she knows she will never see. Jackie lost her partner Wendy Sukman at 38 from breast cancer back in 1998. Yet when the strength and passion returns, she’ll reignite “Wendy’s Hope,” a support group for lesbians fighting cancer. Once a warrior, always a warrior.

Rafael Cosio is the new executive director of Being Alive. Talk about baptism by fire. Being Alive is a two-decades-old, sensational nonprofit that is operated by and for people living with HIV/AIDS. They offer great stuff like emotional support, treatment, education, prevention, advocacy, wellness and social services. They served our community from two locations—one in WeHo and the other in Silver Lake—until a couple months ago. Rafael told me they had to bite the bullet and close Silver Lake. It was caused by a severe cash crunch but also by the elimination of bus route 75. So many of Being Alive’s clients rely on public transportation, and they just couldn’t get to the Silver Lake location. Rafael, his board and staff intend to stick around. Damned good for them! This is one of those organizations for you to check out and, if so inclined, toss ‘em a lifeline. They are both wanted and needed. Rafael, you are a saint.

AND THE UGLY

What event producer barred his staffer from being named one of this year’s top community activists by this magazine? The reason was apparently over the silly musings and observations I have written over the years about said producer personally and not his event, which, by the way, I revere. “No award for you if I get banged” is his tragic theory I guess. Sad, pathetic and, yes, quite ugly. The guy’s a great producer and I’m a great actor. It takes a great actor to say the guy is a great producer. Thankfully charity will go on long after founders are put out to pasture. My litotes tribute to the bully big brother is simple and sweet: none too soon lad, none too soon.   

On a different note, 15 months ago I attended a West Hollywood-sponsored forum on the nonprofit L.A. Pride and the Pride parade. The guy responsible for Pride that evening promised to all of us in attendance “total transparency” regarding finances. Today, as I write this a full 16 months after Pride ’05 and six months after the last Pride Festival, the L.A. Pride/Christopher Street West Web page reads, "We are still updating our financial information. Please check back soon." So the guy has all but admitted that the budget can’t be balanced and quite honestly a gaggle of us would love to see a truly talented team take over the Pride events. The question is who the hell knows what to worry about these days—whether Pride 2007 will be overdrawn or overthrown?

Finally, to all those who proclaim, "a portion of our proceeds go to ..." What portion? What charity? If you are solid and honest, God bless you. If you are sadly in the majority, karma is your worst enemy. If you are robbing Peter and robbing Paul, that’s not good. And if you are finally dusting and flipping the couch pillows over just to find change to make good on your promise, get thee to a nunnery.

Charity begins at home and generally dies from lack of outdoor exercise. Make a renewed commitment in 2007 to do something big or small. Just give back. You will feel warm, alive, vibrant and involved. It’s like full release for your soul. We’re off to Carmel for the holidays. Wishing you warm drinks and cool love. I hope you will read and respond to my crap in 2007. I am truly both honored and thankful when you find the time to do just that.

See You Out & About

Contact me at: malibudana@aol.com