We appreciate being connected with other local non-profit professionals, philanthropists, business leaders, and other organizations to promote the advancement of philanthropic efforts, community collaboration, and the sharing of resources and strategies to improve our collective impact on the community.
Our mission is to prevent and alleviate the suffering of homelessness throughout San Diego County.
The Lucky Duck Foundation has purchased and installed industrial tent structures that shelter 450 individuals nightly; funded more than 20 different employment and job training programs benefiting more than 1,000 individuals; distributed more than 12,500 winter coats that transform into sleeping bags; distributed more than 1.75 million meals to homeless individuals through our Food & Water outreach initiative; removed more than 200 tons of trash through our “Cash for Trash” program that pays homeless individuals $2 per bag of trash removed; created “Shamrocks & Shipwrecks,” a public grading system to evaluate politician’s effectiveness in reducing homelessness; and much more.
In May 2023, we helped fund and launch Timmy’s Place, a pizzeria, cafe, and print shop that trains and employs youth facing homelessness. The goal of Timmy’s Place is to employ more than 50 shelter residents per year, while helping them build up the transferable skills of kitchen work, service work, barista work, and print shop work. The Lucky Duck Foundation and the Rolf Benirschke Legacy Foundation provided the capital to get the business off the ground, and the Lucky Duck Foundation is leveraging ongoing donor support to continue paying the young employee’s wages until Timmy’s Place becomes a self-sustaining business.
In September 2023, we invested $500,000 to launch a new program called “Seniors Safe at Home” to quickly stabilize housing for seniors who are at risk of homelessness. The program will be implemented by the San Diego Housing Commission and Serving Seniors and includes employment navigation to help seniors secure job opportunities to prevent homelessness from occurring. The program targets seniors experiencing a housing crisis, such as facing eviction, or situations where fixed incomes simply cannot keep up with sharp rises in inflation and housing costs. An investment as little as $250 per month, or $3,000 per year, can keep a senior safely housed, compared to an average cost of $35,000 per unsheltered person per year due to greater emergency room use, more frequent inpatient admissions, longer hospital stays, and many other reasons.
This year, our Food & Water outreach initiative eclipsed 1,800,000 meals distributed to individuals suffering from homelessness or on the brink. The program is largely driven by volunteers and maximizes its reach and impact by leveraging partnerships with many local outreach organizations.
Additionally, this year, our employment and job training program in collaboration with Feeding San Diego and the Salvation Army eclipsed 670,000 pounds of food rescued, which was then redistributed at the Salvation Army to individuals facing homelessness.
We hope you will consider joining us at our “Showcase Soirée” on September 12, 2024, an entertaining variety show meant to be unlike any other fundraising event. Last year’s event was held at The Sound in Del Mar and hosted by Peter Jacobsen, a professional golfer and commentator on Golf Channel and NBC. It also featured an LDF-themed game show hosted by Jacobsen; a comedy show by actor and comedian Steve Hytner, best known for his role as Kenny Bania on Seinfeld; a magic show by Derek Ostovani; a musical performance by the Dizzy Biz Band; and an appearance by former NFL and Chargers coach Norv Turner, along with dinner, a live auction, paddle raise, and more.
To learn more about the Lucky Duck Foundation, please visit our website: www.luckyduckfoundation.org
For the Showcase Soirée event: https://www.luckyduckfoundation.org/events