City Honors Outstanding Local Organizations

The Human Relations Commission of the City of Pasadena has once again rolled out its red carpet and recognized four organizations during its annual awards ceremony and reception at the Donald Wright Auditorium of the Pasadena Central Library on Thursday night.

The Commission handed out the Models of Unity Award to SANKOFA and Walter Hoving Home; the Dr. Raymond Pitts Human Relations Award to College Launch; and the Harry Sheldon Memorial Award to the Lovebird Café and Bakery, during last Thursday’s ceremony attended by HRC Commissioners, Mayor Bill Bogaard and Assemblymember Anthony Portantino’s field representative Adam Carter.

SANKOFA, a youth organizing and rites of passage program that aims to educate young African-Americans to respect and value their vast and intricate global history and enhance their communities, received this year’s Models of Unity Award.

The award is given to groups and individuals already working to eradicate prejudice and discrimination among diverse communities and to connect people separate by race, class or language, said Commissioner David Leming.

“The group just started last year, bringing young African-American men to work in the community, and they have accomplished something in a little span of time and we believe they want to do more,” said Leming.

Aside from the award, SANKOFA, represented by program coordinator Jason Anderson, also received four laptop computers from Commissioner Nat Nehdar and a certificate from Assemblymember Portantino.

“I feel honored.  I feel that if we continue, we are on the right track that we are on the same room with other organizations doing the same thing,” said Anderson, as he thanked the Jackie Robinson Senior Citizens, Inc. for its elder leadership.

Receiving the same award was the Walter Hoving Home, a residential rehabilitation center that provides food, shelter, clothing, medical care, educational and vocational training as well as spiritual guidance and Christian teaching to thousands of alcoholic and drug-addicted women.

“Tonight it is our honor to recognize an amazing organization that has impact so many lives and in doing so greatly improved our community,” said Michaell Baily, Friend of the HRC, as she handed out the award to Teresa Walter.

The Lovebirds Café and Bakery was also awarded the Harry Sheldon Memorial Award for their involvement in the community.

“They helped the needy, they provide food for shelters and churches and the most important thing they do, is that they sponsor young students and musicians,” said Commissioner Nehdar, who handed out the award to bakery owners Johan Shah and Johan Soos Jomehri.

The Dr. Ramond Pitts Human Relations Awards was given to College Launch, an organization that helps seniors apply to college and offers life coaching to the personal development of each student.

The award, established in February 1967, recognizes the most significant contribution in the field of Human Relations through the schools. It is named for Dr. Raymond Pitts, former director of inter-group education for Pasadena City Schools, who retired in 1966.

The recipient of the award must participate in a project that contributes to improved human relations, and be concerned in some with youth or the school community, be group oriented, and be conducted within the boundaries of the Pasadena Unified School District.

“I still feel like it’s truly a dream because I always feel young to be receiving this and there’s still so much we have to do before we can be recognized,” said Tammy Huang-Anacletl, president of College Launch.

College Launch programs are unique because they address a student’s academic IQ needs by development their emotional quotient in a nurturing social environment, while engaging the support and understanding of the whole family.

Going beyond traditional academic tutoring, College Launch uses a ‘whole person’ approach to find each student’s strengths and weaknesses, involving personality evaluation, a family interview, multiple intelligence survey, plus college and career assessments.

“We started out just helping seniors apply to college but we expanded to life coaching. Our mission is personal development, helping each young person understand their dreams and who they are so they can be more successful in life,” said Tammy.