News and Events
Annual Fundraising Gala
Ascencia’s 17th Annual Gala: Hope Starts Here

Ascencia’s Hope Starts Here Gala took place on Saturday, April 26, 2025 at Oakmont Country Club in Glendale. As our largest fundraiser of the year, our 2025 Gala was a night of HOPE, dinner, dancing, awards, and auction to support Ascencia’s mission to lift people out of homelessness. We are excited to share that our event brought 270 attendees and raised $348,000 for Ascencia! These funds raised are vital in enabling us to fully address the hardship that chronically homeless individuals and families have experienced.
The demand for our services is rising, but your contributions help us continue our life-saving work. Thank you so much to everyone who attended and donated to support our event!
For more information, please contact Camille Guerrero, Director of Development, at (818) 246-7900 x 114 or cguerrero@ascenciaca.org.
Past Events
Homeless Persons’ Memorial Service
Friday, DECEMBER 20, 2024 at 5pm
We hope to see you at our 2024 Annual Homeless Persons’ Memorial Service on Friday 12/20 at Wee Kirk of the Heather in Forest Lawn Glendale. Thank you for honoring the memory of Ascencia clients who have passed away this year.
Volunteer Appreciation Event
Saturday, July 13, 2024
Our 2024 Volunteer Appreciation Event was held at Elks Lodge in Glendale. We showed our gratitude with awards, appetizers, and a good time. Thank you for helping us grow!
Ascencia’s 16th Annual GALA
Saturday, April 13, 2024
Our 2024 Gala, “Opening Doors to Change” Ascencia’s largest fundraiser of the year, was a huge success. Thank you for raising money to support our cause.
Ascencia News & Press
Outlook Newspapers – Glendale News Press, Burbank Leader
- “Homeless Services Get Boost From Ascencia Gala”, May 2025
- “Lives Lost to Homelessness Remembered By Ascencia”, December 2024
- “GPD, Nonprofit Team Up to Aid Homeless”, November 2024
- “Ascencia to Host Homeless Persons Memorial Service”, December 2023
- “Ascencia Adopt-A-Family Seeks Holiday Helpers”, November 2023
- “Ascencia’s ‘Summer of Hope’ in Full Swing”, July 2023
- “Ascencia Rises for Its 15th Annual Gala”, May 2023
- “Ascencia Remembers Lives Lost to Homelessness”, January 2023
- “Ascencia Cooks Up Banquet of Ways to Volunteer”, November 2022
- “Ascencia Holds Share the Love Gala”, April 2022
- “Remembering 7 Lives Lost to Homelessness”, December 2021
- “Ascencia Keeps Finding Ways to Help the Homeless”, November 2020
- “Performer’s Generosity to Ascencia”, August 2020
Pasadena Now
- “St. Francis Senior Jason Chaidez ’23 and His Eagle Scout Project”, August 2022
- “St. Francis Culinary Club’s Creative and Impactful Ways to Serve the Community during the Pandemic”, December 2020
- “St. Francis Culinary Club Holds a Fundraiser for Ascencia Shelter”, February 2020
- “‘Criminalizing’ Homeless Creates Criminals, Say Experts at Pasadena Forum”, September 2015
Crescenta Valley Weekly
- “A Key to a Safe Place”, July 2020
- “City and Ascencia Continue to Help High Risk Citizens”, May 2020
- “GPD Connects Longtime Homeless Man with Homeless Outreach and Permanent Housing”, May 2020
- “Las Candelas Celebrates the Season of Giving”, December 2019
- “Many Stories Heard During Homeless Count”, January 2019
- “Ascencia Welcomes New Executive Director”, January 2019
- “Friedman Names Ascencia the 2018 “Nonprofit of the Year”, June 2018
- “Ascencia Hosts Event Fit for Royalty”, February 2018
- “Ascencia holds annual gala”, February 2017
- “Ascencia Celebrates Capital Campaign Donors”, December 2016
- “Las Candelas Ladies Serve Ascencia Clients”, June 2016
- “Protecting the Homeless During El Niño”, December 2015
- “Ascencia Celebrates ‘Coming Home”, September 2014
- “NCL Projects Benefit Ascencia”, February 2012
LA Times – Glendale News Press
- “26 ways to volunteer during the holidays in Los Angeles”, November 2022
- “On the Town: Ascencia continues to help the homeless during the coronavirus pandemic”, April 2020
- “Glendale works to protect city’s homeless from the coronavirus”, March 2020
- “Glendale police officers help reunite homeless woman with mother from Portland”, September 2019
- “They had a name and they mattered”, January 2019
- “On the Town: Evening remembers those who are homeless and have died on the streets”, December 2018
- “Laura Duncan takes the reins at homeless organization Ascencia”, December 2018
- “On the Town: Laemmle Theater opening helps provide homeless services”, August 2018
- “Natalie Profant Komuro led homeless organization Ascencia to growth in area”, June 2018
- “On the Town: Guest chefs have secret recipe for helping homeless”, May 2018
- “On the Town: ‘A Royal Night’ gala will benefit programs supporting area’s homelessness”, January 2018
- “Glendale’s annual homeless count relies on community to help those in need”, January 2018
- “On the Town: Charity League honored for supporting homeless”, February 2017
- “Homelessness drops 6.5% in Glendale but rises by 12% countywide; work not done, local officials say”, June 2016
- “City Briefs: Doctors House Museum to hold candlelight tour; food drive to benefit Ascencia”, December 2015
- “On the Town: Ascencia holds ninth anniversary gala at Union Station”, February 2015
- “Ascencia holds celebration for national goal”, June 2014
- “Ascencia relocates its winter shelter in Glendale”, December 2013
- “Path Achieve Glendale becomes independent, changes name”, September 2011
TruthDig
- “Unhoused and Disabled in America“, November 2022
ABC 7 Los Angeles
- “Shake Shack opens 2nd California location in Glendale”, September 2016
CBS Los Angeles
- “Officers Arrange New Clothes, Makeover, Free Flight So Homeless Woman Can Reunite With Mother”, September 2019
- “Comedian Helps To Transform Glendale Homeless Shelter Into Five-Star Restaurant”, April 2014
NBC Los Angeles
- “Volunteer Opportunities” , July 2019
- “Boy, 8, Break Dances for Southern California’s Homeless”, July 2016