The Morris Kight Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an individual whose lifetime of work has left a lasting major imprint on the LGBT community. 

To make a lasting impression on an individual takes a special person. To make a difference in the lives of many takes a lifetime of work and a tremendous amount of selflessness. Nadia Sutton makes a difference in the lives of the people that she encounters every day. 

Nadia is described by her peers as a champion and as an individual constantly working to help others. In 1989, Nadia founded PAWS/LA (Pets Are Wonderful Support), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping those affected by HIV/AIDS who had difficulty caring for their pets. Nadia saw a need and wrangled a team to make sure that those in need were not forced to lose their cherished animal companions. Since then the organization has expanded its scope and currently serves nearly 2,000 low-income seniors and those living with terminal illness.

Nadia is passionate about fighting against injustice and for equality. She is among the first to mobilize teams of people to show up at a march or demonstration. She hits the streets for youth, seniors, pets, and those outside of the LGBT community as well. Nadia is a social activist, volunteer, and inspiration. Her tireless giving and constant contributions do not go unnoticed. One nominator wrote, “Nadia embodies the true attributes of a heroine. She has committed herself to the LGBT community for decades and asks for nothing in return!”

PAWS/LA is thrilled to be a beneficiary of PetCo Foundation’s Pet Food Bank Collection Program that launched in PetCo stores nationwide late May 2010.  Pet food collected at designated Los Angeles area stores will be donated to PAWS/LA in support of our Pet Food Bank for the companion animals of low-income senior and disabled animal guardians. PAWS/LA’s pet food bank distributes free pet food to more than 400 clients and their companion animals every month. Currently, we are in particular need of canned dog and cat food.

According to PetCo, the goal of this program is to help prevent pet abandonment by supporting pet parents in economic stress through collecting pet food and supplies for local pet food banks.

“Today, more than ever, pets are part of the family; and we don’t believe anyone should have to go through the pain of giving them up because of financial distress,” said Paul Jolly, the PETCO Foundation’s Executive Director. “With PETCO stores across the country visited every day by people who love and care for pets, we saw a huge opportunity to help prevent people from having to make such a heart-wrenching choice.”

Paul Jolly’s sentiment echo’s PAWS/LA’s mission to preserve the loving bond between people and their companion animals.

The pet food bank bins are clearly marked and designated for pet food donations/supplies and serve as a collection point for customers to drop off food or cat litter donations brought from home or purchased during their shopping trip.

Pet Food Collection bins at the following Pet Co. locations are designated specifically for PAWS/LA:

12800 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City, CA 91604-2367
818-506-6416

5347 S. Sepulveda Blvd
Culver City, CA 90230
310-390-7255

200 S. La Brea Ave Ste C
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-934-8444

1475 S. Robertson Blvd.
LA, CA 90035
310-282-8166

508 N. Doheny Dr.
West Hollywood, CA 90048
310-275-6012

(If you would like to contribute to the Pet Food Bank and these stores are not conveniently located for you, your cash donation for the purchase of food is greatly appreciated. Click here to donate.)

The program is an extension of the Pet Co. Foundation’s existing “We Are Family, Too” fund, which already provides seed funding for animal welfare programs to help pet parents who are in financial crisis, including food banks, product donations, referral lists of pet friendly housing, short term foster care and veterinarian services. While the Foundation also has programs in place to help feed pets in shelters, this program is specifically designed to support local food banks and families in financial crisis.

For more information about donating to the PAWS/LA Pet Food Bank, please contact Steve Wayland at 213.741.1950 x 114 or swayland@pawsla.org.

With the generous support and donations of Pet Co customers, PAWS/LA can continue fill its food bank with much needed food and supplies for its clients and the animals they love.

On Sunday, March 20, 2010 PAWS/LA participated as a destination along the fourth annual Los Angeles Great Urban Race course.

The event called for the nearly 700 racers to navigate the streets of downtown Los Angeles and West Hollywood as quickly as possible using only public transportation. Split into teams of two, the pairs solved clues and completed twelve challenges before they crossed the finish line. One of the clues led participants to the PAWS/LA Food Bank.

It read: “PAWS LA is dedicated to preserving the loving bond between people and their companion animals.  Make your way to the parking lot behind PAWS on W. 12th St. between S. Grand Ave. and S. Hope St. and get ready to lend a helping hand!  Each teammate must fill one five-pound bag of either dog food OR kitty litter using the materials provided.  Once full, seal the bags and place them on the rolling cart.”

For five hours, teams stopped by the food bank to scoop pet supplies. PAWS/LA volunteers directed racers to one of ten stations that were pre-setup with the packaging materials. Alan Campbell was the PAWS/LA lead volunteer. A slew of volunteers from Kohl’s, a major GUR sponsor, also showed up. By the end of the day, at least 200 bags of litter and 300 bags of food were filled.

“This is an event we want to do again. We got a lot done and had fun at the same time,” Scott Dunlevie, the PAWS/LA Client Services Coordinator said. “We really enjoyed participating.

While at the PAWS/LA Food Bank, many racers also checked off another task on their list. One of the other clues was to “take a picture of six people total making a 3-2-1 human pyramid” using only teammates and strangers. Dunlevie explained that the PAWS volunteers went above and beyond, and were willing to build the stunt with teams. A piece of cardboard was put on the concrete because volunteers got down on their hands and knees so many times during the day for the challenge.

Some of the clues were obviously straightforward, but others were more of a puzzle. Examples included: “My birth month’s flower is the violet. My birth date is the smallest composite number. My birth year is the same year the movie “American Graffiti” was released. Take a picture of all teammates in front of my statue in Los Angeles.” Another read: “Make your way to the photography shop in West Hollywood that boasts the slogan ‘It’s where the pros go’ and prepare for your GUR mugshot!”

After completing all 12 clues, team “Now You Know” was declared the winner of the race for finishing in a mere two hours and eight minutes. To keep things fun, there was also a costume contest. Team “Happy Birthday Felicia” won dressed as a birthday cake and a piñata.

The Great Urban Race is held in major cities across the country to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and other local charities. The top 25 teams from each city qualify to compete in the National Championship in Las Vegas later this year.

PAWS/LA believes every home with a pet should have an emergency alert decal to notify emergency personnel that you have a pet inside.

To protect your pet, and to give you peace of mind, we are offering complimentary Pet Alert Decals so you know that your pet will not be overlooked in the case of an emergency.

This easy-to-use static cling sticker adheres to any window.  Just peel & stick.

Fill out the form below to order your FREE decal today!

Click here to view the embedded video.

In October 2009, PAWS/LA moved their former Hollywood offices and food bank to a new, larger facility in downtown Los Angeles.

Located in the growing South Park area of downtown, near the Staples Center, the move allows easier access for the clients of PAWS/LA who use public transportation or major freeway systems.

The move to downtown will grant the agency several opportunities for growth helping to further the mission of creating solutions for disenfranchised animal guardians throughout Los Angeles County who are facing the physical and financial challenges of caring for their companion animals.

Internationally recognized fine artist, Melanie Stimmel Van Latum selected PAWS/LA as the beneficiary of a recent auction of one of her original works. The painting entitled “Cloistered Coiff”, soft pastel on velour, was from her newest series “Vessels of the Avant-Garde”.

Van Latum’s December 2009 exhibition and auction were held at the Deborah Martin Gallery in downtown Los Angeles.

]]> http://www.pawsla.org/renowned-artist-melanie-stimmel-van-latum-auctions-painting-to-support-pawsla/feed/ 0 http://www.pawsla.org/pawsla-opens-housing-companion-animals-for-hollywood-homeless/ http://www.pawsla.org/pawsla-opens-housing-companion-animals-for-hollywood-homeless/#comments Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:55:35 +0000 admin http://www.pawsla.org/?p=508

On Monday, August 4, 2008, representatives from the office of Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti, along with other dignitaries, were on hand to officially open PETCO PLACE – a groundbreaking project that will allow pet-owning homeless individuals…

On Monday, August 4, 2008, representatives from the office of Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti, along with other dignitaries, were on hand to officially open PETCO PLACE – a groundbreaking project that will allow pet-owning homeless individuals access to emergency shelter and support services without having to part with their companion animal. This unique “shelter-within-a-shelter”, sponsored in large part by The PetCo Foundation, is the first of its kind in the country.

Created by PAWS/LA, PETCO PLACE is a joint effort between PAWS/LA, the The PetCo Foundation and PATH, a comprehensive homeless service provider in Los Angeles.

According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, “between five and ten percent of homeless people have dogs and/or cats, and finding any kind of shelter for those with pets is nearly impossible.” When forced to make a choice between their pet and a roof over their head, homeless individuals usually choose to remain with their animal. PETCO PLACE will remove the need to make a choice by accommodating several dogs and cats in a safe, enclosed facility on the property of the PATH Hollywood complex.

Paul Jolly, Director of the The PetCo Foundation, spoke enthusiastically about the project. “The PetCo Foundation is delighted to support this project. This fits neatly into our mission, which is to promote a wide variety of educational and charitable activities nationwide by partnering with local animal welfare organizations at the grass roots level. This provides a way for pet loving members of the  community to remain with their animal, and at the same time allows the person to take steps to get themselves and their pet back into permanent housing.”

The The PetCo Foundation has been a supporter of PAWS/LA and its work since the Foundation’s inception in 1999. PAWS/LA Executive Director Pamela Magette noted, “The generosity of the The PetCo Foundation has allowed us to break new ground in helping animal companions remain with their guardians. We hope this project will be the first of many to address this important need, and allow more people to maintain the vital support their animals can provide.”

The need for this program was identified by PAWS/LA when some of their clients were facing homelessness and were without an option for emergency housing that would also accommodate their companion animals. Based on their knowledge of PATH, PAWS/LA approached the agency and presented the idea of this unique collaboration. With PATH’s agreement to host the animal facility at their site, the wheels were set in motion to create PETCO PLACE and to offer a safe haven for Los Angeles County homeless and their companion animals.

Other PETCO PLACE benefactors include:  The City of West Hollywood,  The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Community Foundation, The Home Depot, LegalZoom.com and other community members.

For more information about PETCO PLACE, contact Steve Wayland, 213.741.1950 x 114.

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PAWS/LA has expanded its services to include a new housing information program dedicated to preventing homelessness and improving the quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles County.

With grant funding from HOPWA (Housing Opportunities for People living With AIDS), PAWS/LA is collaborating with local AIDS Service Organizations and community-based organizations to develop an extensive clearinghouse of information and referrals for housing options (from emergency to permanent) and other related support services, including financial rental assistance (to qualified individuals) and case management services.

All services are free of charge and are available via the website, by phone or in-office appointments.

For more information call:

877.7CHIRPLA

Email contact:

info@chirpla.org

Website:

www.chirpla.org

Office location:

1150 S. Hope St. #A

Los Angeles, CA 90015