LOS ANGELES (October 2, 2024) – Wellnest (formerly the Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic), a nationally recognized leader in holistic, emotional health and wellness services for children, young adults, and families, celebrated its 100th anniversary on September 27, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Emceed by Chris Schauble, co-anchor of the KTLA 5 Morning News, the Wellnest Centennial Celebration gala honored Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra with the Visionary Award and four additional honorees for their significant contributions to the organization’s mission of empowering mental health and wellness in the community. In addition, it raised money to benefit the Community Wellness Center at The Nest on Jefferson, an innovative and supportive permanent housing project for young adults aged 18-25.
“We honor champions for children who have made significant impact at the local, state, and national levels, from expanding access to health care and reforming juvenile justice to reducing child poverty,” said Wellnest President and CEO Charlene Dimas-Peinado.
Besides Becerra, honorees included the Louchheim Family received the Legacy Award for 80 years of combined support for Wellnest; Jacqueline Jacobs Caster received the Impact Award for her contribution as the president and founder of Everychild Foundation; Best-selling Author David Ambroz received the Champion Award for his impact as a child welfare advocate; and GRAMMY award-winning Musician Pablo Stennett received the Ambassador Award as the founder of We Are Tomorrow Foundation.
“Our journey forward requires us to be bold in our advocacy and unrelenting in our pursuit of social justice for the most vulnerable,” Dimas-Peinado told 600 guests. “It will take the dedication of our employees, board of directors, community partners, and you—our resolute supporters—to shape the next century of Wellnest’s legacy. Our vision is one of continued growth, innovation and impact.”
“Wellnest’s commitment to the mental health and emotional strength of everyone in our community is unmatched,” said Jennifer Louchheim, Wellnest Centennial Celebration gala chair, to a sold-out crowd at the gala. “From early intervention and prevention to intensive services and crisis response, their passion for their mission of providing hope, healing and opportunity for families is infinite.”
Dimas-Peinado shared Wellnest’s bold vision to offer progressive mental health services for children at a time when their mental health was hardly recognized. “Our founders broke through the stigma, envisioning a world where children’s emotional and psychological needs received the same attention as their physical health. Their pioneering spirit built an agency known for its compassionate care. Today, Wellnest is a nationally acclaimed agency offering trauma-informed mental health services; it is a community dedicated to nurturing the minds and spirits of our children. We meet families where they are—in schools, homes, and community settings—ensuring mental health care is accessible, culturally competent, and free of barriers.”
The evening’s sponsorships, donations, and live auction bids generated vital funds for the Community Wellness Center at The Nest on Jefferson. This transformative initiative is set to profoundly impact the lives of vulnerable young adults and families in Los Angeles. The center will not only provide essential behavioral and clinical health services within its walls but also reach out to children, youth, and families in the surrounding community, ensuring broader access to much-needed care.
Sponsors for the Centennial Celebration gala included Centennial Sponsor: the Louchheim family; Presenting Sponsor: David and Susan L. Hirsch; Platinum Sponsors: Annenberg Foundation, The Bakewell Company, Carrie Tsang-Hidding and Harry Hidding, Delta Dental and RPS Monument; Diamond Sponsors: The Peinado family, AEG, Bridge Builders Foundation and East West Bank; Emerald Sponsors: AltaMed, Jim Balla and Family, Banc of California, Cordoba Corporation, Frost Brown Todd Attorneys, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, Jennifer Louchheim, University of Southern California, and The Shops at USC Village; Ruby Sponsors: Avina Financial Group, Jacqueline and Andrew Caster M.D., Montage Insurance Solutions, Voya Financial; and Sapphire Sponsors: Adventist White Memorial, Alicia Jacob/Ajament Partners, Andrea Salazar Garcia and Carlos Garcia, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Jarrett Dube, James Gallagher, Gusdorf Marketing Group, Hanson Bridgett, LLC, David Hirsch IV, Gail Kennard, LA5 Rotary, Margo Kaatz, Dae Levine, Martin H. Hodgett Foundation, Alicia Minana, Michael Okada, Patrick Pan, Ronit and Ron Stone, Shelly Holmes, Sola Impact, Monica Alfaro Welling and Virginia Wilson.
Wellnest Centennial Celebration Gala Chair was Jennifer Louchheim. Honorary Committee members included Sandra Jackson-Dumont of Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, Randall Martinez of Cordoba Corporation, Writer and Director, Anika Poitier, Maria S. Salinas of Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, and John H. Semcken, III of Majestic Realty, Co.
To learn more about Wellnest and donate toward its mission, visit www.wellnestla.org.
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Additional Quotes by Honorees:
“To Charlene [Dimas-Peinado], to your family, and to everyone who’s on the team of Wellnest, can I simply just say congratulations. I am honored to be among the awardees tonight and fabulous Americans who have done some phenomenal things for especially the young kids in America who need a little bit of attention and a lot of love, so thank you to them as well,” said Xavier Becerra, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who accepted the Visionary Award. “As we move forward, this administration, as I hope you know, have put more resources into behavioral health than any administration in the history of the United States of America.”
“The reason I agreed to join the board was both the connection to my grandparents and the values instilled by my parents. It was not just about giving back to the community, but the understanding that our society cannot achieve the maximum of its potential unless everyone achieves their potential. Wellnest’s mission is to help those most at risk of being a burden to society, to instead become productive members of society,” said Mark Louchheim, whose grandmother and grandfather were involved with Wellnest when it was known as the Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic. His daughter, Jennifer Louchheim, served as the gala chair.
“The gift of music gave me wings to fly beyond my small island. I’ll never forget my first gig—it was in a hotel I was terrified, not knowing what the future held, but I’ll always remember the pride I felt when I handed my first paycheck to my mother. It was the moment I realized that this passion, this gift, could truly make a difference in our lives. After my father passed when I was just eleven, my mother took on the role of provider. Things were tough—probably most of the time—but she was a rock, and her resilience and determination fueled my own drive. To stand here today, receiving this award, feels like a full-circle moment. I share this honor with my family, especially my mom, who sacrificed so much for me to chase this dream,” said GRAMMY award-winning Musician Pablo Stennett, who received the 2024 Wellnest Ambassador Award, and is the founder of We Are Tomorrow Foundation.
“During the pandemic when the needs of local children swelled to even more untenable levels and the Everychild Foundation was seeking agencies to support, our members realized that this remarkable organization – WELLNEST – could provide dramatic and impactful results. I mean – here was an agency that for almost a century had been implementing methodologies that effectively raised the communal level of contentment for the children of Los Angeles. Thank you for demonstrating over the past 100 years that a community is really just a larger version of a family where its most vulnerable members are not regarded as just someone else’s responsibility – and that when we embrace this simple concept, – we ALL stand to benefit and truly become stronger – and happier – together,” said Jacqueline Jacobs Caster, president and founder of Everychild Foundation.
“I want to have a city that doesn’t have homeless children; it’s completely possible. In California, you’re more likely to die than go to Community College when you emancipate from foster care and what a word emancipate. In California, you are more likely to be sex trafficked if you are a girl when you leave foster care in the state of California. If you’re a boy of color, there’s a two-thirds chance you are going to go to jail when you leave foster care. In the United States of America, of the 50% who are homeless, 15% were in foster care. We have the power to shape the world, but we will not do so unless we decide as a society that this is the last generation where our children are homeless. We can do that. Let’s make that choice,” said Best-selling Author David Ambroz, who received the Champion Award for his impact as a child welfare advocate.
About Wellnest
Founded in 1924, Wellnest is a comprehensive mental health services and housing organization touching more than 200,000 lives annually. For 100 years, Wellnest has been on the leading edge of mental health and supportive services for children and families. Wellnest is a trauma-informed organization, helping to pioneer early intervention programs for the 0-5 population, intensive services for at-risk children and families, skills-based mental health services for young adults 16-25, and an inventive collaboration with primary care providers, bringing mental health professionals into community settings. Through a holistic approach to emotional well-being, Wellnest offers hope, healing and opportunity for the children, young adults and families in the community. More information at wellnestla.org.
Media Contact
Rebecca Haussling, Vice President of Communications & Public Affairs
RebeccaH@wellnestla.org / Mobile: 310-922-7384