A Place Called Home Receives $100,000 Donation From The Sumner M. Redstone Charitable Foundation

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A Place Called Home (APCH) announced today that it has received a gift of $100,000 from the Sumner M. Redstone Charitable Foundation. The donation from Mr. Redstone, Executive Chairman of Viacom Inc. and CBS Corporation, supports the APCH in its mission of serving underprivileged youth in South Central Los Angeles.

The Redstone Foundation contribution will further enrich APCH's programs and activities, ranging from educational services to recreation, athletics, arts, and health, nutrition and well-being programs.  A portion of the donation will also support the Adopt-a-Family Program, which matches donors with APCH families in need and provides recipients with necessities including beds, clothing, household staples, toys, and food.  

Mr. Redstone said, "Improving the performance of our youth, both socially and academically, is one of the most critical and pressing issues today. I've been privileged to see firsthand the great benefit APCH has on the lives of young people and their families. I hope others join me in ensuring these youth receive the opportunities they deserve and the chance to make an impact on their own communities."

Jonathan Zeichner, Executive Director of A Place Called Home, said, "APCH would like to thank Mr. Redstone for his generosity and partnership in serving the South Central Los Angeles community. Not only has Mr. Redstone adopted three families in great need during this holiday season, he adopted them year round. Mr. Redstone's gift will help us provide the tools to inspire youth to succeed as adults and empower them to take ownership of the direction of their lives."

Over the last several years, Mr. Redstone has designated more than $100 million in charitable grants to fund initiatives in the U.S. and abroad. He has donated $1.5 million to the Global Poverty Project towards eradicating polio and funded the establishment of the Cambodian Children's Fund child rescue center along with research and patient care advancements in cancer, burn recovery and mental health at several major non-profit healthcare organizations. Many of his major gifts have been focused on encouraging the acceleration of basic research into clinical trials and, ultimately, to individuals and their families. In addition to A Place Called Home, Mr. Redstone has supported such internationally recognized programs as Autism Speaks, FasterCures/The Center for Accelerating Medical Solutions, based in Washington D.C.; the prostate cancer research of Dr. David Agus at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine; and the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

ABOUT APCH:

A Place Called Home is a safe haven in South Central Los Angeles where underserved youth are empowered to take ownership of the quality and direction of their lives through programs in education, arts, and well-being; and are inspired to make a meaningful difference in their community and the world. Core program work in conjunction with one another to support APCH members in avoiding destructive behaviors by developing life skills and motivation to overcome adversity, make healthy, productive choices, and take advantage of the opportunities that lie before them.
www.apch.org

SOURCE Sumner M. Redstone Charitable Foundation