Alfre Woodard Leads All-Star Cast at Red Carpet Kickoff Event for Homeward LA - April 23, 2019

    LOS ANGELES, CA, April 22, 2019 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Midnight Mission in downtown Los Angeles' Skid Row is pleased to announce the kickoff event for Homeward LA with a celebrity cast reading of monologues based on real stories from people who have experienced homelessness, April 23, 2019 at The Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, California. Participants include: Alfre Woodard (Emmy-Award winning and Oscar-Nominated), Jeremy Sisto (FBI), Natasha Rothwell (Insecure), Lamorne Morris (New Girl), Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Ione Skye (Arrested Development), Jon Huertas (This is Us), Lil Rel (Get Out), Vanessa Williams (Days of Our Lives), Wilson Cruz (Star Trek: Discovery) and Adam Rodriguez (Criminal Minds). The reading is directed by Lisa Cholodenko (Oscar-nominated) and hosted by comedian Jeff Ross. The Kickoff event is sponsored by Soylent. For the second year Homeward LA staged productions of monologues are set to take place in venues all over Los Angeles and surrounding areas for ten days, April 26 – May 5, 2019. "The Midnight Mission is proud to partner with Homeward LA in telling stories of people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles" says Mike Arnold, President & CEO of The Midnight Mission. "The Midnight Mission's goal is to restore people to self-sufficiency and combat the issues surrounding homelessness. There is no one solution that will end homelessness. It will require all of us working together."

Personal stories of men and women in Los Angeles who have experienced homelessness come to life in the staged productions for the second year of Homeward LA, a fundraiser for The Midnight Mission. The collective collaboration of close to 500 actors, 50 directors, over 70 producers, and over 50 venues will make it possible for every community in the city to participate in the fight against homelessness. Tickets for the productions can be purchased at www.homewardla.org for $20 each. Each production has a fundraising goal of $2,000.00. Jason Lesner, Homeward LA Founder/Project Director, explains, "I think, by hearing a story from someone's life, you see yourself in them, and they can no longer just be a "homeless" person. Ultimately, it is about raising the level of compassion in our community."

About Homeward LA: Homeward LA is a 10-day citywide event where multiple productions of monologues, based on stories from people who have been homeless, are performed all over Los Angeles, bringing attention to the homeless crisis and raising funds for The Midnight Mission, a nonprofit organization on Skid Row committed to ending homelessness. The inaugural productions were staged in 2018 and were seen by nearly 2,000 people, raising over $55,000 for The Midnight Mission. Founder, Jason Lesner describes his inspiration for Homeward LA, "As a writer, I've always believed that people connect through stories, that we see the humanity in each other through the sharing of stories. I also knew we had a great entertainment and theatre community in Los Angeles, and I felt if I gave that community an opportunity to spread real stories from people who have been homeless, they would jump at the chance, and the community would be inspired to do more. To find out more about Homeward LA visit their website and social media pages, www.homewardla.org or @homewardla (Instagram).

The Celebrity Kickoff is sponsored by Soylent. Soylent is on a mission to provide complete, sustainable nutrition that is accessible, appealing, and affordable to all, and its line of products are engineered from the ground-up to provide the vitamins, minerals, fats, carbohydrates and protein that the body needs - all in convenient packages.

About the Midnight Mission: Founded in 1914, The Midnight Mission offers paths to self-sufficiency to men, women, and children who have lost direction. Their emergency services and 12-step recovery, family living, job training, education and workforce development programs offer a compassionate bridge to achieve and maintain healthy, productive lives. The Midnight Mission provides an environment that removes obstacles and provides the accountability and structure that people who are experiencing homelessness need to be productive in their communities. The conviction and commitment of the men and women to their success defines The Midnight Mission. For additional information, please visit www.midnightmission.org.

For press registration to cover the red carpet click here or email.

About the Midnight Mission: Founded in 1914, The Midnight Mission offers paths to self-sufficiency to men, women, and children who have lost direction. Their emergency services and 12-step recovery, family living, job training, education and workforce development programs offer a compassionate bridge to achieve and maintain healthy, productive lives. The Midnight Mission provides an environment that removes obstacles and provides the accountability and structure that people who are experiencing homelessness need to be productive in their communities. The conviction and commitment of the men and women to their success defines The Midnight Mission. For additional information, please visit www.midnightmission.org.

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