The I Have A Dream Foundation - Los Angeles Announces 6th Annual Dreamer Dinner Benefit

The "I Have A Dream" Foundation - Los Angeles (IHADLA) is holding their 6th Annual Dreamer Dinner on Sunday, March 31, 2019 at The Skirball Cultural Center. This event honors those who inspire hopes and dreams for Los Angeles underserved youth and their families, showcasing the work being done by IHADLA to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty through education, empowerment and opportunity. The host for the evening will once again be actress & comedian Melissa Peterman ("Baby Daddy," "Reba") in her sixth turn as emcee for the event. Oscar-winning actress Regina King ("If Beale Street Could Talk") will be in attendance to introduce Pamela Miller, CEO and Executive Director of IHADLA since January 2018 and devoted IHADLA board member since 2016.

2019 HONOREES: The evening program will honor Jon Huertas (actor, NBC's "This is Us") presented by Tetona Jackson (BET's "Boomerang," "Hulu's "All Night"), Tanya Saracho (Creator, Starz's "VIDA") presented by her "VIDA" series' stars Melissa Barrera & Mishel Prada; Korin D. Williams (CEO, Kronicle Media) and Laurie Zaks (President, Mandeville Media) presented by Heather Graham (actress).

Past Honorees Include: Regina King, LL Cool J, Larry Wilmore, Marcia Clark, Jamila Hunter, Susan Rovner, Wilmer Valderrama, Terence Carter, SHARE Inc. and Homeboy Industries' Jose Arellano, Gregory Boyle & Richard Cabral.

ABOUT "I HAVE A DREAM" FOUNDATION - LOS ANGELES: The "I Have a Dream" Foundation - Los Angeles (IHADLA) was established in 1987 as the second affiliate of the national "I Have a Dream" Foundation, which was founded in 1981 to combat high school dropout rates among inner-city youth in Harlem, New York through guaranteed college scholarship support. Building upon national's model, IHADLA provides long-term support to children and youth living in under-resourced communities to help them achieve their full potential, by promoting from an early age, values of higher education and career success, with opportunity guaranteed through financial resources, and other services. Utilizing a "whole-child" educational approach, we provide entire grade levels of students with 12+ consecutive years of individualized academic, emotional and experiential support, from 1st grade through high school, and into college. Upon completion of high school, each student is eligible for an $8,000 scholarship to be used for post-secondary education. Our comprehensive program includes: academic support (in-school, after-school, Saturday Academy, summer school), college and career readiness; Dream Speakers; STEM/STEAM enrichment activities, field trips and career exposure; life skills development, parent engagement, mentorships, internships, social-emotional learning, case management; and college tuition support to assure their best outcomes for employment and life success.

For over 30 years, IHADLA has cumulatively impacted over 11,500 individuals including students, their parents and siblings. IHADLA currently serves nearly 500 youth from Boyle Heights, Watts and Inglewood towards completing high school, attending and completing college, and pursuing fulfilling careers. IHADLA has a proven track record: 98% of their most recent Class of 2018 12th graders from Inglewood graduated high-school on-time, with 75% college enrollment. Among the colleges they currently attend include UC Berkeley, UC Riverside, and Spelman College.

For more information about IHADLA, please visit www.ihadla.org.

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