Despite the bizarre use of the Village People song about the “YMCA” at Trump rallies, the actual organization couldn’t be further away from his ethos. In Los Angeles, the YMCA supports under-served communities in many ways. Since the pandemic, they’ve provided over 1 million meals to families and homebound seniors, as well as over 25,000 hours of free child care to emergency responders and essential workers. And there’s more: showers for the homeless, blood drives, and no-cost flu shots, to name a few.
The organization’s annual MLK breakfast honors L.A. figures who are also helping the community. Going virtually this year due to COVID-19, with 2021 honorees include Dave Roberts (manager of the LA Dodgers) who will receive the Brotherhood Award and Sharon Robinson (Vice-Chair of the Jackie Robinson Foundation) presented with the Human Dignity Award. Stedman Graham, (CEO of S. Graham and Associates and Oprah Winfrey’s longtime partner) will provide the keynote speech for the online event.
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