The New York Sun: Out & About

May 2006

Out & About
By A.L. GORDON
May 11, 2006

Homes for the Homeless held its first fund-raising gala this year to mark its 20th anniversary.

The organization's five American Family Inns in New York City provide temporary shelter for about a year, with 90% of occupants in permanent housing two years after their inn term ends. The inns are also centers of education, job training, and counseling. On a typical afternoon, a parent is studying for his GED while his teenager is playing in a basketball league and his toddler sister is in daycare.

Real estate developer and hotelier Leonard Stern, a major donor to New York University, founded the group in 1986 after he saw some homeless people sleeping in City Hall Park. And he seems to be passing on his commitment to doing good in New York through his daughter, Andrea Stern, a photographer who was the mastermind of the gala.

The event hit all the right high notes and avoided the pitfalls, to the pleasure of the gala veterans attending. At no point did any part of the evening seem to drag, with cocktails, speeches, and a 12-minute video moving briskly.

The political cameo was filled with gusto. Mayor Koch explained how he gave Mr. Stern his support when the organization was just starting. "Frankly, I would have said yes to anybody offering help at that point," Mr. Koch said.

The beneficiaries of the organization were also on hand. A group of teenagers gave a dance performance, and high school senior Sailey Williams came to the podium to thank the anonymous donor who has agreed to fund his college tuition. Mr. Williams, a poet and graphic designer, is deciding between St. John's University and Fashion Institute of Technology.

Most importantly, there was the requisite fun. At each place setting was a sack of Legos for guests to make homes out of. At the end of the evening, these were placed in a giant Lego house created by Lego artist Nathan Sawaya. And everyone left with a sack of fun too. The goodie bag included cookies in the shape of a house and a piece of Jonathan Adler pottery.

Ms. Stern helped keep the tone of the evening light and breezy with her frequent brief appearances on stage with her sons. She was so charming, in fact, that when she told guests it was okay to leave, everyone ignored her, choosing instead to mingle over dessert and the Lego building. The event raised $800,000.

The New York Sun, May 2006