The Annual Spirit of Healing Gala in L.A. | April 23rd, 2016

Los Angeles Christian Health Center Hosts Gala With Performance by Honorees Tuck & Patti Among Others Who Support Medical Care for the Homeless 

Los Angeles, April 20, 2016 — The Los Angeles Christian Health Center will hold its annual Spirit of Healing gala on Saturday, April 23, at the historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles.  The event, which begins at 5:30 pm., will be an evening of music, inspiration and fundraising.  Honorees include jazz and vocal musicians, Tuck & Patti who will perform a number of their musical hits; Dr. John Perkins, author, biblical scholar and activist, author of Let Justice Roll Down; and Drs. Phil and Channing Frykman, physicians and longtime volunteers and leaders for the cause of healthcare for the homeless and underserved in the greater Los Angeles area.  There will be a silent and live auction.

“In their own unique way, each of the Spirit of Healing honorees has used their gifts, whether that is music, ministry or medicine, to enrich the lives of others and to share God’s love with people who feel isolated or marginalized,” said Lisa Abdishoo, M.D., Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles Christian Health Center.

Tuck and Patti, who have been long time supporters of the Los Angeles Christian Health Center, “dedicate every aspect of their music and business to God.”  This genre-crossing jazz vocal dual have been enchanting music lovers worldwide for 36 years.  In addition to being honored at the Spirit of Healing, Tuck & Patti also will perform some of their best loved hits.

The son of a sharecropper, John M. Perkins fled to California when he was 17 after his brother was murdered by a town marshal.  Not letting this experience define him, Dr. Perkins has become one of the leading evangelical voices to come out of the American civil rights movement.  The keynoter for the evening, Dr. Perkins boldly embraces Christ’s message to care for the underserved and implores audiences to not shy away from racial reconciliation.

Also being honored will be Drs. Phil and Channing Frykman who have “drawn on their faith” while ministering to the homeless and sharing their medical and dental expertise with the Los Angeles Christian Health Centers and the UCLA Christian Medical and Dental Associations. No stranger to economic disparity, Dr. Channing Frykman followed the guidance of a mentor to discover the “potential (to serve) that exists in medicine.”

Master of Ceremonies for the Spirit of Healing will be Suzanne Whang, television host, actor, comedienne, political activist and breast cancer survivor. Whang is most recognized for being the host of HGTV’s (Home and Garden TV) House Hunters for almost ten years, and also hosted the hit spinoff House Hunters International. She is called the “Irreverent Suzanne Whang” for the way she uses humor in her sermons.

The Los Angeles Christian Health Center, founded in 1955, is a non-profit Federally Qualified Health Center that provides low-cost and no-cost health care services throughout Skid Row, Boyle Heights and South Los Angeles.  Funds raised from the evening will help support the Center’s provision of comprehensive medical, mental health, dental and optometry to thousands of people who are homeless, living in public housing or shelters. In past three years, there has been a 16 percent increase in the number of people who are homeless in Los Angeles County. Of these, close to 10 percent live in the Skid Row area. Thus, there is an urgent need for health care that addresses the complex needs of the chronically homeless, as well as those for whom health care has been historically unattainable.

Join Los Angeles Christian Health Center as they dramatically improve the health and well-being of people who are homeless and build a new health care center.

Tickets for the evening start at $150 with sponsorships available. Tickets may be purchased by visiting www.lachc.com or for more information,  213 542-5467.