June 27, 2020
Alex Trebek dug deep into his pockets again to help a homeless shelter get a new facility off the ground — more than doubling his previous donation for a very similar cause.
Ken Craft — founder of Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission — tells TMZ … Alex handed over $500k of his own money to help Hope of the Valley with a brand new homeless shelter they’re aiming to get built over the next year or so in the San Fernando Valley.
This new initiative is mega — they’re calling it Hope Central — and we’re told it’ll be a 50,000-square-foot facility that’ll house homeless seniors in the area. The team is currently scouting properties and will break ground in 2021 — now, with much more ease thanks to Alex.
Now, bear in mind … AT’s latest donation comes on the heels of another generous move — giving Hope of the Valley a $100k donation for another facility it’s working on in North Hollywood.
Well, we’re told Alex and his wife, Jean, actually went out there Tuesday to tour that facility, which has a whole wing named after them. Specifically, the largest room in that building, the Alex and Jean Trebek Multi-Purpose Room, where people will eat and chill.
At some point in the day, Trebek and co. also toured another facility HOTV is building in Van Nuys — and somewhere along the way, they were also seen hitting up a Home Depot nearby, rocking hard hats and face masks.
As for this latest donation, Ken tells us it brought him to tears. He also says the Trebeks told him they hoped it would spur others to donate/help out the homeless crisis.
Apparently, Alex and Jean feel society tends to write off people suffering from homelessness as nothing but drunks and addicts. They clearly don’t feel that’s the case, though.
Charitable AND inspirational … two more reasons Alex is so beloved.
June 6, 2020
Dear Friend of the Mission,
Every day at Hope of the Valley, by our actions, we speak up for the marginalized, mistreated and overlooked in our community which are disproportionately people of color. Stories of despair, racial prejudice and poverty are common themes. We see the effects of social injustice daily. The killing of George Floyd by Derek Chauvin, and allowed by other officers, was not only disturbing it was reprehensible. The horrific image of a man, a black man, crying out to breathe has created a visual image that I hope NEVER leaves our minds, motivations and conversations.
While I might not understand the journey of a person of color in America, I stand with them, Hope of the Valley stands with them and we stand against all police brutality and unnecessary force. I believe that all men are created equal by their creator and therefore black lives DO matter! We have a moral obligation to love and protect our neighbor!
Unfortunately, there are bad cops, but not all cops are bad. There are white racists, but not all white people are racists. As an organization that works closely with LAPD I have seen firsthand their strategic efforts to become a more racially diverse unit with ongoing diversity training and community engagement. They have come a long way since 1992, but WE ALL have a long way to go to rid ourselves of social bias and prejudice. Now more than ever we must seek to truly understand, value and support one another especially those who may not look like us. We must put UNITED back into the United States of America.
As a white man, I have undoubtedly experienced privilege in this life. As the Founder of a Rescue Mission I talk to people every day that started life at an extreme disadvantage enduring immeasurable suffering, trauma and pain. None of us can change the color of our skin or the circumstances of our birth or upbringing. No one should apologize for their skin pigmentation or past, but, as a society, we MUST be mindful of the ugliest of all sins, pride. The arrogance to think that somehow one group of people is better than another or less deserving than another is destructive and evil. God help us for not speaking up for our brothers and sisters who have been unfairly mistreated and persecuted.
As a Rescue Mission, we will continue to love and serve all people equally and pray for racial healing and social justice in our country and community. Our hearts and prayers go out to George Floyd’s family. As an agency we will continue to fight for equality.
If you have never watched this 5 minute video titled: Life of Privilege Explained, please take a moment and watch it….it changed my life and perspective giving me a whole new appreciation for others who have truly been less fortunate than me…I hope the video will do the same for you as we work together to level this playing field called life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Ken Craft
