A Night in Old Havana Draws Record Numbers

There’s no night like a Havana night. The air in The Hippodrome was sultry and our guests were as ready to dance as they were ready to give.

Angel Rodriguez, “The Salsa Guy,” and Sally Hirsh show the crowd how to heat up the dance floor.

Our fourth annual gala drew our biggest turnout to date: 230 people who made it their mission to fight homelessness and have a good time doing so. We were able to raise a record amount of $75,000—more than $50,000 of which will go directly towards helping families find a home.

It’s been humbling watching these numbers grow every year, and spending valuable time with the people who make it all possible. If it weren’t for you, Housing Families First would be unable to help so many. Last year, 99 households got a fresh start—257 adults and children—joined our program, with HFF assisting 327 people in all over the course of the year. And, perhaps most excitingly, 85% of those who went through our Building Neighbors program didn’t return to homelessness.

It’s no wonder the photo booth is a hit every year.

In order to achieve our goals, we’ve created an efficiently run process that relies strongly on the spirited generosity of our team. In addition to the amazing crew of volunteers who last year donated a total of 6,250 hours, we’d like to extend our warm thanks to our Junior Board and our Events Committee for making A Night in Old Havana such a grand success.

You’d have had no reason to put on that colorful suit and put the flower behind your ear if it weren’t for our sponsors. A round of applause for these wonderful organizations lending their support to help Richmond families move out of homelessness:

AdvanceTEC
John and Susan Burton
Federal Advisory Partners
Taxing Authority Consulting Services (TACS)
Virginia Community Development Corporation (VCDC)
Bon Secours Richmond Community Health System
VHDA
BB&T
Becky McNeer, Realtor – Shaheen, Ruth, Martin & Fonville
New Outlook Pioneers
Virginia Community Capital (VCC)
Data Illuminated LLC
Springstory