LOS ANGELES — This month, the Los Angeles Dream Center is celebrating a significant milestone. Founder Matthew Barnett, his wife Caroline and their entire team of staff and volunteers are commemorating 25 years of service to the people of Los Angeles. The 25th anniversary celebration beginning on Thursday, September 26 will include many events, but the heart of the celebration will be the stories of the lives impacted over their quarter-century of service in Los Angeles.

What began as a wild idea and a prompting from heaven 25 years ago has turned into a ministry to those desperately in need on a scale far larger than any of us ever thought possible,” said Pastor Matthew Barnett.

“When I set about my calling to help the wonderful people of this city, I had a lot of questions and a lot to learn. But for the past 25 years, God has faithfully provided the Los Angeles Dream Center with the resources and the team we’ve needed to connect thousands of broken people to an effective community of support. We’ve been able to offer countless free resources and services in order to address immediate and long-term needs for those facing poverty, addiction, and abuse.”

“This is only the tip of the iceberg,” Barnett added. “I can only imagine what’s in store in the decades to come.”

The Los Angeles Dream Center is a non-profit, faith-based organization committed to meeting a variety of needs burdening individuals throughout the greater Los Angeles area. They offer assistance to homeless and impoverished families, victims of human trafficking, prisoners, foster children and individuals fighting substance abuse addiction, among others. They even offer residential programs, housing hundreds of individuals year-round at their campus, a converted hospital in downtown LA that was once abandoned and now offers life to many. The LA Dream Center provides free personalized care, mentorship and counseling to each resident, with the goal of helping each individual secure employment, independent housing and continue in their education and personal growth.

In the years since the LA Dream Center opened their doors, more than 80 entirely independent ‘Dream Centers’ have begun similar programs in cities all across the U.S. and internationally as well.

The 25th anniversary celebration kicks off with a special Thursday night church service beginning at 7PM at the historic Angelus Temple. The evening will include inspirational stories from years past as well as recognizing pastors from across the nation who have been faithful advocates for the Dream Center and who plan to continue their support as they press onward for another 25 years.

Then on Saturday, September 28, the Dream Center will host a “Night of Dreams,” a festive evening combining laughter, inspiration, entertainment, and a live auction to coincide with an elegant dinner. Among those in attendance will be community leaders, corporate sponsors, celebrities, and numerous faithful Dream Center supporters. Tickets for the Night of Dreams are made available here.

The weekend-long celebration concludes on Sunday, September 29 during the usual 9:15am and 11:00am service times at Angelus Temple with prayer, worship and a special message from Matthew Barnett honoring and thanking volunteers and staff from the Dream Center while looking forward to the future.

For more information on this upcoming celebration, visit https://dreamcenter.org/anniversary/.

To request interviews with Matthew Barnett or make arrangements to cover any of the weekend’s festivities, please email press@thekcompany.co.

To read more news on Humanitarian Services on Missions Box, go here.

About the Los Angeles Dream Center

The Los Angeles Dream Center is a faith-based non-profit organization located in Echo Park, dedicated to transforming lives and underserved communities in the city of Los Angeles. By offering residential and outreach programs to individuals, families and communities in the areas of homelessness, hunger, poverty, addiction, domestic violence, education, and human trafficking, the Dream Center is committed to enabling immediate and long-term transformation. The Dream Center welcomes those in need into our community completely free-of-charge with the resources, training, and support they need, regardless of faith, age, gender, orientation, nationality, or any other defining factor.