A Place Called Home
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2025
FAIRMONT CENTURY PLAZA HOTEL
5:30 pm: Cocktails
7:00 pm: Program & Dinner
A PlaceCalled HomeAgency Film
Host
Stuart K Robinson
Remarks and Acknowledgements
Norayma Cabot, APCH CEO
Dinner&Conversation
Special Guest Performance
NEZZA, APCH Youth Band 29LIVE, and Brett Winn
SpecialYouth Performance
APCH Members, APCH Dance Company
MeettheAPCHYouth and Alumni
Kindness in Action Award
Brett Winn
Debrah Constance Founder’sAward Bank of America
Final Performance
DearFriends,
ItiswithgreatenthusiasmthatIwelcomeyoutoAPCH’s2025CelebrationofHome.This yearhaspresentedourcommunitywithsomeuniqueandheavychallenges;fearand disruption,acommonnarrativeamongthepeopleweserve.Andyet,amidstthe uncertainty,thehope,resilience,andenduringjoyofourmembers,families,andstaff burnbrighterthanever.That’scertainlysomethingtocelebrate!
APlaceCalledHomewasfoundedonnimbleactioninresponsetotheneedsofthe youthinSouthLosAngeles.Itsformation,anactoftendernesstowardthoseaffectedby LA’s1993CivilUnrest,andourcommitmenttomeetingthemomenthasnotwavered sincethen;creatingasafehavenforeachpersonwhohaswalkedthroughourdoors overthepast32years.Thatiswhywedecidedtoupdatethenameofourannualgalato a“CelebrationofHome.”ACelebrationOfHomeframesourgalaasafamilyreunionwith purpose;itrecognizesthathomeissomethingwebuildtogetherfromscratch,from care,andfromcourage.
Thisyear,wehavemadeanimmenseefforttofosterdeeperconversationwithour membersabouttheirexperiences,theirdreams,andtheirstruggles,insideandoutside ofourcampuses.Today,ouryouthfaceanxietiessurroundingimmigrationandmixedstatusfamilies,readingandmathscoresbeingdowninLAUSD,collegeandhousing gettinglessaffordableeveryday;allofthesethingsweighonthem.Buttheir commitmenttobecomingfutureleaders,creators,andagentsofchangeisonewe share,anditisourresponsibilitytoprotect,nurture,andchampiontheirrighttothe toolstheyneedtothrive.
Wecan’tdoitalone.Youarepartofthiscriticalwork,andIcan’tthankyouenoughfor yoursupport.Asyouhearfromouryouthandstafftonight,Ihopeyouwillseethatwhen yougiveyourtime,youreffort,andyourhearttotheyouthweserve,youarenotjust supportingAPlaceCalledHome,youarebecomingapartofAPlaceCalledHome.
Thankyouforbeinghereandforbeingavitalpartofthisjourney.Thefuturemaybe uncertain,butIknowthattogetherwecanmakeitbright!
Withdeepgratitude,
NoraymaCabot,CEO
Our Mission
A Place Called Home provides a safe, nurturing environment with proven programs in the arts, education, and wellness for the young people in South Central to help them improve their economic conditions and develop healthy, fulfilling, and purposeful lives
About the Celebration of Home
This special evening highlights the tremendous young people we serve and showcases the collective efforts that continue to drive our mission forward The event includes a cocktail hour and silent auction, followed by a program featuring a seated dinner to be served, along with a live auction and appeal, and dynamic entertainment Why the new name? A Celebration Of Home reframes our gala, not as a fundraiser, but as a family reunion with purpose! It recognizes that home is something we build together from scratch, from care, and from courage. You are not just supporting APCH, you belong with APCH.
EventProducers
GilbertRadillo
AmyShomer&Associates
GuestManagement
AmyShomer&Associates
PRConsultant
DanaGreen
MusicDirection
JoaquinPacheco
Choreography
MichaelVallejos
ProgramandEventPhotography
GaryNellis
CharmaineCruz
Centerpieces
CarinWong
APCHTeenAmbassaors
DavidValle
TiffanySerrano
BelindaAviles
IrisVazquezAmaya
KevinLorato
DanielEchegaray
YosgarMariano
JayleenArzate
JadeCordon
APCHDancers
JessicaVasquez
MarianaVelazquez
AndreaArgueta
MelinaSalado
IrlandaMejia
DarelynRodriguez
JohannaEscobedo
JulissaTorres
MarielZenteno
JazminLezo
APCHLeadership
NORAYMA CABOT
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
KATIE LEE ALHEIM
CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
OFELIA MANCERA
CHIEF FINANCE & ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
BoardofDirectors
SUSAN NAPIER
BOARD CHAIR
GARETH SCHWEITZER
VICE CHAIR
ADAM ROSENBLATT
VICE CHAIR
BARBARA GLAZER
TREASURER
MARYELLEN ZARAKAS
SECRETARY
DAWN CAMPBELL
MICHAEL CONVERSE
KATHRYN FRAZIER
SHARON HAUPTMAN
APCHMusicians
CarmenZaragoza
RyanMendez
MarioRosales
KingCortez
KingImmanuel(Frankie)Cortez
AngelPonceVera
AngelCervantes
ZytlaliBarrios
BrayanBanda
SamuelTorres
APCHSpokeWordPerformers
MelvinAzurdia
EzequielMeza
MathewFelix
BrianMedina
MarilynIturbide
AnahiGomezLopez
AshleyRamirez
OliverRamirez
SamuelTorres
TOM MCCABE
EDGAR MORALES
ALUMNUS
HOWARD SHERWOOD
STEPHANIE SHERWOOD
VERA STEWART
ZACK STIEFLER
HAMED TAVAJOHI
MARSHALL WAX
SUSAN WOLF
ADAM ROSENBLATT
LEADERSHIP COUNCIL CHAIR
