Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich and Council President Pro Tempore Jan Perry Officially Welcomes The WE Movement To L.A.

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 10. 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- On Wednesday, November 10, 2010 at a press conference at the Los Angeles City Hall, City Attorney Carmen Trutanich officially welcomed the WE Movement to L.A. along with other local dignitaries, including City Council President pro tempore, Jan Perry and others, all of whom lent their support to WE, an innovative community-based outreach effort that links Providers, those that have goods, products and services they wish to offer gratis, to Recipients, those who desperately need them—the underserved and most fragile among us—via a new, software system: HELP4U.

Along with City Attorney Trutanich and Council President pro tem Jan Perry, representatives of California State Senators Carol Liu and Curren Price, Manuel Gouveia and James Westbrooks; and one of WE's celebrity spokespersons, singer and talk show host Laura Bryna, were also present at the press conference to support the WE Movement.

Tom Loker, the organization's founder, demonstrated how the WE Movement by way of HELP4U stands to completely revolutionize and expedite the process of helping those in need this holiday season—and throughout the year—saying, "HELP4U is not only a quick and efficient 'search and match' tool to link those that have with those who do not, it also has the capability of helping Recipients build a community of care and benefits—a virtual network of support." The WE Movement's motto is: "Offer What You Can. WE Will Do the Rest." Making a Difference by Coordinating Community Resources Across the Nation. WE brings people together in six critical categories: health care, financial services, housing, legal assistance, youth programs and education.

Trutanich and Perry expressed the tremendous need in Los Angeles that the WE Movement will help fill, and in a letter to WE, Senator Price expanded on that writing, "The WE Movement reminds us all that each of us can make a difference helping others by giving a little of what we do best to close the gap between those who have and those who do not."

Also present at the press conference were WE Provider Paul Miller, president of Buena Vista Foods, and Betty McWilliams, a representative of WE Recipient, Foothill Unity Center, which was recently linked via the WE Movement. Buena Vista Foods offered 102 cases of calzones—nearly 5,000 sandwiches—that would have been tossed out due to an expiration date of early next year. WE found a match: Foothill Unity Center—an organization that provides groceries to those in need. Despite being only a few blocks away from each other, these two parties never would have found one another if not for the WE Movement. Miller, McWilliams, and Rodriguez answered questions about their experience with WE and expressed enthusiasm for their continued relationship with each other and the WE Movement.

Loker issued an appeal for those in communities throughout Los Angeles and Southern California to help in expediting the public's awareness of WE, so they can help the underprivileged receive what they need this holiday season quicker and more efficiently than ever before stating, "This is a critical opportunity to help those most fragile among us by simply spreading the word. We have already seen WE's remarkable ability to facilitate and simplify the process of neighbor helping neighbor," Loker continued, "and now we just need more people to know that WE is here to help."

To get the word out, WE relies on WE Champions—those energetic individuals within the community—who help to coordinate logistics in each California city so that those who need the goods, products and services donated through HELP4U can easily find them. WE needs those most active and familiar with their respective communities to assist WE in gathering up both Providers—those who wish to offer goods, products and services free of charge—and also Recipients—those who most need them. Once we gather these sources, WE can link them together quickly and efficiently. WE is currently seeking WE Champions in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California.

The WE Movement is enthusiastically supported to date by California's governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and mayors Kevin Johnson of Sacramento, Ron Dellums of Oakland, Miguel Pulido of Santa Ana, and Los Angeles' own, Antonio Villaraigosa, as well as the other dignitaries present at today's press conference. A WE Movement PSA, shown at the press conference, featured celebrities and honorary WE Champions: Bill Medley, Mindy Sterling, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lee Greenwood, Maz Jobrani and Laura Bryna. Bryna was on hand to share her thoughts on the positive efforts of the WE Movement.

Nonpolitical and nonpartisan, the WE Movement is also seeking WE Partners, individuals who are willing to host informational events to spread the WE message and recruit both Recipients and Providers.

To become a WE Champion—or to become a WE Partner, Sponsor, Provider or Recipient, please visit www.wemovement.org or call the WE headquarters at 510-587-2669. For interview opportunities with a WE spokesperson or additional PSA selections, please contact Cherie Kerr at 714-550-9900 or email [email protected].

SOURCE The WE Movement