Serving Our Community
Beautiful Pasadena is very much its own city. Part of the larger Los Angeles metropolitan area, and home to 145,000 residents, Pasadena plays host to the Rose Bowl and Rose Parade every New Year’s Day. Its diverse population includes large groups of African American and Latino residents, and a quickly growing Asian population. Thirty-three percent of residents were born outside the US, and 45% speak a language other than English at home.
Pasadena is also a city full of dichotomies. There is vast wealth and chronic poverty. Exclusive private schools exist alongside under-resourced public schools. The northwest sector of Pasadena is particularly troubled, with entrenched poverty and gangs.
According to GuideStar, Pasadena has 1700 nonprofit organizations which address the many and varied needs of community members, from the aging population, children and youth (including the underserved and at-risk), the homeless, and the unemployed. Nonprofits also support health care needs, the arts and culture, and the environment.
Pasadena Mayor’s Interfaith Prayer Breakfast
The Mayor of Pasadena hosts an annual breakfast to coincide with the National Day of Prayer on the first Thursday of May. This inspirational community event is open to not only people of multiple faiths, but also to business people, nonprofits and community residents. The keynote speaker provides a thought-provoking and inspirational message that speaks to our whole community, whether from a faith tradition or no faith background. Previous speakers have included Dr. Thomas F. Rosenbaum, President of Caltech and Professor of Physics, who spoke on Faith and Science, and Dr. Niki Elliott, Co-Director of the Center for Neurodiversity, Learning and Wellness at the University of La Verne who spoke on Mending the Hearts and Minds of our Youth.
Different nonprofits from around the community organize the breakfast and JRP is proud to be the 2020 organizer! Friends in Deed has organized the breakfast for several years and have done a wonderful job making it into an inspirational event that brings together our diverse community to promote peace and well-being in Pasadena. Thank you to Friends in Deed for passing such a wonderful event to JRP!
Save the date for Thursday, May 7. 2020 at Pasadena Convention Center. If you have ideas for speakers, please contact Melanie at MGoodyear@JRPasadena.org and like the Breakfast Facebook page!