Hundreds of community leaders, food and music enthusiasts and community-minded area residents gathered together at the Pacific House Close To Home Dessert Tasting and Youth Concert Friday night at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich. The event raised $160,000 to help homeless youth and the Pacific House Young Adult Program.
This spectacular community tradition offered incredible food and dessert tastes from local restaurants, bakeries and chocolatiers, as well as live music performed by talented musicians from local high schools. A highlight of the evening were performances by Javier Colon, winner of NBC’s hit show, The Voice. Colon performed on his own and together with the students.
“This event is a tremendous example of what can be accomplished when our community comes together to support those that need it most,” said Rafael Pagan, Jr., Executive Director of Pacific House. “We are grateful to all the performers, vendors and attendees for making this event a success. Funds raised will help many homeless young adults get the services they need and prevent a lifetime of homelessness.”
One year ago, Pacific House emergency shelter began a Young Adult Program in response to the significant number of young adults coming into the shelter. These young men, ages 18-24, have nowhere to live and are currently calling the shelter home. In addition to providing food and shelter, the Pacific House Young Adult Program provides an array of services that help these young people gain employment, re-start their education, find housing and more. These services change the trajectory of their lives.
Pacific House would also like to thank the restaurants, bakeries and chocolatiers that participated in the evening, including: Acuario Restaurant, A Chef’s Choice, Bad Louie’s Fudge, Bella Nonna, BonJo Coffee Roasters, Bull’s Head Diner, Chocolate Works Darien, Dimare's Pastry, Filicori Zecchini, Izzi B’s Allergen Free Bakery, Le Rouge, Little Pub, Longford’s Ice Cream, Pasta Vera, ShopRite, Tea-riffic Ice Cream, The Granola Bar and Tomatillo.
Pacific House is the only regional men’s emergency shelter, serving the towns of Greenwich, Stamford, New Canaan, Darien and beyond. Since 1985 the organization has served our area by providing food, temporary shelter and an array of support services to homeless men and young adults, including workforce development, recovery programming, and job readiness training. Shelter case managers work with each individual, helping them obtain housing and becoming more self-sufficient. Visit www.PacificHouse to learn more, or to make a donation.