The Santa Monica Bay Area Human Relations Council (HRC) is delighted to announce:

Un|Housed Panel Discussion

Date: August 8th 5-7pm

Location: Santa Monica History Museum

RSVP Here

Creativity can play a critical role in finding solutions to the great challenges of our time. In partnership with the Santa Monica History Museum, HRC will host a panel discussion as part of the Museum’s exhibition, Un|Housed: A History of Housing in Santa Monica. The panelists, including artists, advocates, and activists, will speak to their personal experiences being unhoused and subsequently working within the housing system. Skilled facilitator Dr. Karen Gunn will moderate the conversation.

Moderator:

Dr. Karen Gunn: Dr. Gunn is widely recognized as a trainer, facilitator, motivational public speaker and community activist. In addition to her extensive consultation experience, she has worked in higher education at the graduate and undergraduate levels. She was a tenured professor in the Psychology Department at Santa Monica College and served as Department Chairperson. Karen has played an instrumental leadership role in curriculum transformation, student equity initiatives, anti-bias training and facilitator of numerous professional development programs.

Panelists:

René Buchanan: René Buchanan found refuge at The People Concern (then OPCC) after being discharged from a Los Angeles hospital in 2001. After graduating from their Daybreak program for homeless women with mental illness, René later became Daybreak’s administrative coordinator. In that role she built enduring connections between the women and the wider community. René served on the Santa Monica City Housing Commission for 10 years, broadening its focus to center the most vulnerable. She volunteers with dog rescues, is active in her faith community, and promotes civic engagement and voting in her work on the Santa Monica League of Women Voters Board.

Kevin Glover: Kevin Glover is a longtime Santa Monica resident who is passionate about meeting the needs of those in the local community. He currently serves as Executive Director of Hand to Hand Hunger Project – a local nonprofit that provides hot meals, necessary hygiene items, referrals, and hosts a monthly resource fair for those in need. Additionally, Kevin volunteers with The Salvation Army in Santa Monica. Previously, Kevin was Director of Client Services at Chrysalis in Santa Monica and Director of Outreach & Missions for Metropolis Santa Monica.

Kim Reeder: Kim Reeder serves on the community advisory board for the Urban Institute’s Housing Justice project. She is an advocate with Housing Now! CA, serves on the Housing Advocates Council for Abundant Housing LA, and is a Housing Justice Advocate with ACCE (Association of Californians for Community Empowerment). She holds a BA in Communication with emphasis in Public Relations and Journalism and has a background in marketing, primarily in the entertainment industry (publicity, promotions and special events.)

Suzette Shaw: Suzette Shaw is a Skid Row resident who writes, talks, and advocates Skid Row from AnWoman’s Perspective. Suzette says her pain fueled her testimony and her testimony has now fueled her advocacy. Expressing herself through poetry, Suzette paints a broad stroke, painting hues of pain and purpose in her healing journey where she advocates for a shift in the paradigm towards the dismantling of systemic policies and practices which have perpetuated the trauma of the oppressed, which too often look like her. Suzette believes, “We can no longer talk about equality and empowerment while enforcing inequities.”

Light refreshments will be provided.

For more information, please contact us via email info@civicwellbeing.org.