Funds Raised by the Dolphin Change Program Will Help Provide Housing & Services to Those Affected by Mental Illness

SANTA MONICA (November 3, 2015) - "Give Where it Really Counts" are the words engraved on Third Street Promenade's Dolphin Change Program plaque, and each year, Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. makes good on this statement. This year,DTSM, Inc issued $10,945 to local nonprofit Step Up On Second during the Westside Shelter & Hunger Coalition's 20th annualCelebrating Success Breakfast at Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel on Oct. 29. The grant was raised by the Dolphin Change Program, which gives locals an opportunity to help the homeless without giving directly to panhandlers.

This year's recipient Step Up On Second will direct the grant into three strategic efforts supporting those affected by mental illness: member-driven supportive services, employment training and placement opportunities, and permanent supportive housing.

Since its inception in 1993, the Dolphin Change Program has raised $235,000 for social service agencies in the Westside community. Designed by internationally acclaimed naturalist sculptor Peter Erlich, the gentle oceanic swimmer was chosen as the program's key element for its giving and intuitive nature. Dolphin banks located at Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica Pier, Main Street, and the Canyon Charter Business School collect change from street-walking Samaritans year-round. In the past, the program has helped Chrysalis source jobs for the homeless, Turning Point get people off the streets, and CLARE Foundation provide alcoholism and substance abuse victims a compassionate pathway to recovery.

"The greatest part about the program is the support it offers to agencies that have made a real difference in people’s lives," says Kathleen Rawson, CEO of DTSM, Inc. "These agencies provide essential support to the most vulnerable in our community to stop the destructive patterns and address the issues that create homelessness."

Media Contact: Jeff Wagner Agency
Ryan Porter: Ryan@JeffWagnerAgency.com
323-461-1011


About Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM, Inc.)
Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. is a private non-profit 501c(3) that works with the City of Santa Monica to manage services and operations in Downtown Santa Monica that promote economic stability, growth and community life within Downtown Santa Monica. DTSM, Inc. manages the Property-based Business Assessment District (PBAD) that encompasses the area bounded by Ocean Avenue (W), Wilshire Boulevard (N), 7th Court (E) and the Santa Monica Freeway (S). For more info, please visit DowntownSM.com or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DowntownSantaMonica.