CIVIC INIATIVES
WITHIN OUR GATES
LA County is the epicenter of America’s homeless epidemic – with over 66,000 people living on the streets, in shelters or in vehicles. Every year, we partner with a homeless advocacy group to combat homelessness and use our platform to advocate for marginalized and disenfranchised communities.
In 2018, we partnered with Good Seed CDC, a resource center for homeless youth and donated 90% of our event profit to the organization to support their amazing cause.
Most recently, we partnered with Covenant House of Hollywood, a homeless youth shelter and resource center that provides aid to over 4,700 teens and young adults yearly.
Many of the aspiring artists and those interested in the entertainment industry who lived at the shelter volunteered at the festival, which provided them an opportunity to network with filmmakers and industry guests, as they gained insight and education throughout the event weekend.
We have formed an alliance with Covenant House in an effort of continued partnership, as we support their mission and most importantly, service the community, in the following ways:
- Providing opportunities for the teens to learn and network at the festival.
- Hosting semi-annual instructional and informational sessions or classes at Covenant House.
- Advocating for filmmakers to get involved with their organization, and creating a pipeline of volunteers from the festival who can give back to the shelter on a quarterly basis.
GOATS VOTE
The 2020 election was deemed one of the most monumental moments in American history, with voter suppression serving as a rallying call for groups and industries to stand up and advocate for truth, change and progress.
In light of a polarizing election, we were impelled to create a civic initiative dedicated to educating, informing and reaching American voters on all sides of the political aisle to encourage their participation in state, federal, and local elections.
GOATs Vote is a bipartisan voting initiative designed to provide information and resources about candidates and polling stations, and educate underrepresented communities both on a local and national scale about the reality of voter suppression, how it can manifest and how to stand your ground at the polls. In 2020, 62% of the voting age population turned out to vote – the most in any election, and we want to ensure those numbers continue to climb by increasing voter education and awareness. We advocate to make your voice heard through your vote, and encourage all voters to get involved regardless of your political affiliation or views.
We are currently seeking a team to help build out and develop this initiative. If you’re interested in getting involved, please email us at connect@micheauxfilmfest.com.