West Hollywood Community Study Continues – Dates for Focus Groups Announced

West Hollywood, California - The City of West Hollywood continues to move forward with its Community Study process and has announced the dates for its focus groups. In early January, more than 5,000 Community Study surveys were mailed to approximately every fourth household in West Hollywood. The survey was mailed in English and Russian, with an option to request a Spanish-language survey. The Community Study will help update the City’s demographics and will also help determine funding priorities for social services and other City programs. Over the next four weeks, the City will host focus groups and a series of pop up workshops. All West Hollywood community members are invited to participate in one or more element of the Community Study.

“The Community Study is the opportunity for residents to let the City know what are the greatest social service needs for our community so that we can create funding priorities that meet the needs of our City residents,” said Ruth Cislowski, chair of the City’s Human Services Commission. “These focus groups provide our community members with another opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas, and we are looking forward to gathering even more insight and feedback through these groups,” continued Cislowski.

Below is the schedule for the Community Study focus groups:

Youth Focus Group

·       Youth focus group will take place on Friday, February 1, 2013 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the West Hollywood Teen Center in Plummer Park, 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard

Families with Children Focus Group

·       Families with Children focus group will take place on Saturday, February 2, 2013 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Skyroom of West Hollywood Park,  647 N. San Vicente Boulevard

Gay/Bisexual Men Focus Group

·       Gay/Bisexual men focus group will take place on Tuesday, February 5, 2013 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the EOC Conference Room at West Hollywood City Hall

Lesbians Focus Group

·       Lesbians focus group will take place on Tuesday, February 5, 2013 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the RSD Hearing Room at West Hollywood City Hall, 8300 Santa Monica Boulevard

People living with HIV Focus Group

·       People living with HIV focus group on Wednesday, February 6, 2013 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in
the RSD Hearing Room at West Hollywood City Hall, 8300 Santa Monica Boulevard

Transgender Individuals Focus Group

·       Transgender Individuals focus group on Wednesday, February 6, 2013 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the EOC Conference Room at West Hollywood City Hall, 8300 Santa Monica Boulevard

Social Services Provider Focus Group

·       Social Services Provider focus group on Thursday, February 7, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the EOC Conference Room at West Hollywood City Hall, 8300 Santa Monica Boulevard

People Living With Disabilities Focus Group

·       People Living With Disabilities focus group on Monday, February 11, 2013 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the RSD Hearing Room at West Hollywood City Hall, 8300 Santa Monica Boulevard

Women Focus Group

·       Women focus group on Tuesday, February 12, 2013 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the RSD Hearing Room at West Hollywood City Hall, 8300 Santa Monica Boulevard

Community-wide Focus Group

·       Community-wide focus group on Wednesday, February 13, 2013 from  6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the RSD Hearing Room at West Hollywood City Hall, 8300 Santa Monica Boulevard

Russian community Focus Group

·       Russian community focus group on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 from  7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the EOC Conference Room at West Hollywood City Hall, 8300 Santa Monica Boulevard

Pop up workshops are short meetings to provide attendees with an overview of the Community Study process. Below is the schedule for the community pop up workshops:

·       Saturday, February 2, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at West Hollywood Park, 647 N. San Vicente Boulevard (event will be held on Robertson Boulevard side of the park)

·       Saturday, February 2, 2013 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the West Hollywood Library, 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard

·       Monday, February 4, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Helen Alpert Farmer’s Market at Plummer Park, 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard

·       Monday, February 4, 2013 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Community Center at Plummer Park, 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard

·       Thursday, February 7, 2013 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard near San Vicente Boulevard

·       Saturday, February 9, 2013 from 10 a.m. to noon in the lobby of West Hollywood City, 8300 Santa Monica Boulevard

·       Saturday, February 9, 2013 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the eastside of Movietown Plaza, 7304 Santa Monica Boulevard

ASL interpretation is available at the pop up workshops with 72-hour notice, and there will also be activities for children. All of the pop up workshops will take place in areas that are wheelchair accessible.

For more information regarding the Community Study or if you are interested in participating in a focus group, please call (323) 848-6510 or e-mail communitystudy@weho.org or visit www.weho.org/communitystudy and www.facebook.com/WehoCares   Russian-speaking residents may call

(323) 848-6326. For the deaf and hard of hearing, please call (323) 848-6496.