CCH’s Annual Gala held September 28 at the Oakland Rotunda was a beautiful night to remember as more than 150 guests shared tasty ethnic cuisine, camaraderie, lively Latin music and moving tributes about our CCH residents – all in the name of supporting affordable housing.
Centered on the theme, “CCH: Celebrating Diversity – Building Dignity,” tables lit with candles and colorful overlays fashioned by Leanne Stump gave homage to the rich cornucopia of cultures housed in our nearly 60 communities. Leanne’s husband, CCH President and CEO Don Stump, thanked supporters for their generous donations which enable CCH to serve more than 5,000 residents from Pennsylvania across the country to California. The annual gala raised more than $75,000 in support of our mission: “Providing Affordable Quality Housing in Caring Communities”.
Marketing Director Iris Murillo, emcee for the evening, recounted stories of how our residents are able to find more than a home at CCH. She read touching letters of gratitude from some of our residents and noted that as our society ages, a growing number of seniors — soon to be upwards of 75 million by 2025 — deserve to live in safe, healthy and affordable quality housing. “Anyone of us could someday be in need of the housing CCH provides,” Iris shared.
She introduced a video presentation in which three of our residents from St. Mary’s Garden spoke about the value of living in a caring community. Howard Gold, Jackqueline Jackson and Myra Chen told how moving to a CCH community enabled them each to flourish and live their lives with dignity. Professing self-love, service to others and the ability to overcome life’s obstacles, they represent three of the hundreds of vibrant souls who contribute to the diversity and beauty of our communities. To view their moving testimonials, click here.
The evening ended on an uplifting beat as Oakland City Councilwoman Lynette Gibson-McElhaney gave a rousing speech and lead the crowd in a chant in support of CCH and affordable housing. “We are honored and deeply grateful to all who made our 2018 Annual Gala such a huge success,” Don shares. “We look forward to the continued involvement and support of our mission-driven work in the coming year.”
