Latest news with #HIF
Perth Now
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Central Park to host NAIDOC art exhibition
The lobby at Perth's Central Park will transform into a cultural space this NAIDOC Week for a second year when Wangening Bardip (Healing Stories) hits St Georges Terrace. The free event focuses on this year's NAIDOC week theme to empower 'strength, vision and legacy in the next generation', with the Waalitj Foundation's Deadly Sista Girlz set to steal the show. Their artworks will be featured alongside established First Nations artists including Carol Martin, Jacinta Anderson, Sara Riches and former Deadly Sista Girlz program participant Erika Fernandez. More than 30 artworks were submitted from the Deadly Sista Girlz program, with 12 selected to feature in this year's exhibition. Since its inception in 2007, The Deadly Sista Girlz program has helped more than 6000 young First Nations women by nurturing leadership, resilience and community connection with a focus on vital topics such as women's health, drug and alcohol awareness, road safety, financial literacy and healthy relationship. Fernandez said the work from the Deadly Sista Girlz program brought a meaningful new dimension. 'It means a lot to see the next generation of young Aboriginal women given this kind of platform right in the centre of the city, where their stories can be seen and heard,' she said. 'It's not just about the art — it's about showing these girls that their voices belong in spaces like this.' HIF Representative Hannah Swainston, Erika Fernandez, Jaime Silva and Imogen Buckley. Credit: Supplied All artwork is on sale, with 100 per cent of the proceeds going directly to the artists. More than 20 artworks at last year's exhibition were sold, generating more than $70,000 for the First Nations artists, and organisers hope this year's event will build on that success. Waalijt Foundation business coach Jaime Silva said the exhibition was a continuation of its commitment to healing through art. 'It showcases resilience, cultural pride, and the transformative power of creativity,' he said. Visitors will be invited to vote for their favourite Deadly Sista Girlz artwork through a QR code, with the winner to be announced after the exhibition. The event will run from July 4 to 11.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Unlikely Heroes Former Anti-Trafficking CEO Files Federal Motion to Stop "Hostile Takeover" of Victim Charity by Billionaire-Linked Foundation
LOS ANGELES, June 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a federal court filing that is raising concerns among nonprofit and survivor advocacy experts, Erica Greve, founder and former CEO of Unlikely Heroes, has filed an emergency motion to halt the proposed sale of estate assets—including confidential survivor records, donor files, and the organization's name, likeness, and mission—to a private foundation connected to a billionaire whose previous lawsuit allegedly resulted in the nonprofit's bankruptcy petition. The motion alleges that Human Investment Foundation (HIF), a Texas-based foundation founded by philanthropist Janet Jensen, former Unlikely Heroes donor and member of Women Moving Millions, is now poised to acquire the very nonprofit it spent years litigating against. HIF has no record of trauma-informed services, yet seeks to take over the nonprofit's identity and gain access to private records of children who experienced severe trauma and received services through Unlikely Heroes' programs. "These are not just documents," said Greve. "They are the medical, psychological, educational, and legal records of children who endured significant trauma. You don't sell that. You protect it with everything you have." Now, HIF could cause the unredacted files of those girls, including their asylum records, safe house addresses, photos and therapy documentation, to be transferred without consent, redaction, or oversight. "This is not just a nonprofit being sold," Greve said. "It risks undermining the trust placed in us by survivors. The very foundation whose lawsuit led to our closure is now trying to wear our name, use our channels, and access our children's deepest traumas while presenting itself as a philanthropic initiative." The motion further alleges that Trustee Sandra McBeth, who is overseeing the Chapter 7 liquidation, failed to provide legally required notice to the California Attorney General's Charitable Trusts Section, in violation of Government Code § 12598 and federal fiduciary obligations. Greve contends this has enabled a rushed and opaque foundation sale to an entity with alleged competing interests and no demonstrated qualifications to handle survivor care. In a further breach, the motion states that formal legal objections submitted by Hon. F. Whitten Peters, former U.S. Secretary of the Air Force and legal counsel for five survivors, were never filed with the Court by the Trustee or her Counsel, prompting concerns about proper court procedure and oversight of due process and legal ethics. Granting the motion would authorize HIF to operate under the Unlikely Heroes brand, initiate direct engagement with survivors, and potentially collect confidential information from trafficking victims under a false nonprofit identity. "This isn't about me," Greve said. "This is about the safety, dignity, and identities of survivors. These children trusted us with their stories, and I will not stand by while that trust is auctioned off." Greve requests that the Court stay the sale, appoint an independent examiner, and refer the matter to the California Attorney General for investigation. She also seeks a court-supervised accounting of donor-restricted funds, which may have been deposited after the nonprofit filed for bankruptcy, in potential violation of standard post-petition procedures. To date, Greve has personally incurred over $500,000 in legal fees defending the nonprofit, its survivors, and the principle that a child's trauma should never be treated as a transferable asset. "This case draws a hard line between protecting survivors and permitting the exploitation of their pain. No court should allow a child's story to be treated as commodities within an organizational transaction." About Unlikely HeroesFounded in 2011, Unlikely Heroes is a nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing and restoring child survivors of sex trafficking. The organization has provided long-term housing, trauma-informed therapy, education, and medical care to more than 400 children across the United States, Mexico, the Philippines, Thailand and Nigeria. Among those served were five Nigerian girls who escaped the 2014 Boko Haram kidnapping in Chibok, Nigeria – an event that sparked the global #BringBackOurGirls movement. These survivors were brought to safety in the United States under the legal guardianship of Unlikely Heroes' founder Erica Greve, with the full consent of their families and the U.S. government. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Unlikely Heroes Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Journals
24-04-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Takoma Park apartment building sells under city's TOPA law
The deal stands out for the speed with which the buyer and the county cooperated on financing. An apartment building in Takoma Park has sold for $11 million, after the tenants organized to exercise their first right of refusal under the city's Tenant Opportunity to Purchase law. An affiliate of Orlo, a multifamily investor based in Laurel, acquired the 101-unit Deauville Apartments at 7520 Maple Ave., about half a mile west of Washington Adventist University, on March 5, the building's tenant association having transferred its purchase rights to that firm. The deal will result in the long-term preservation of affordable rents there. To make the acquisition, Orlo got a $13 million loan through Montgomery County's Housing Initiative Fund. Orlo didn't return a request for comment. But people with knowledge of the deal told me the HIF funding is temporary, giving Orlo time to apply for more permanent Low-Income Housing Tax Credit financing, a federal subsidy to investors administered competitively by the state. Both HIF and LIHTC financing come with requirements to cap unit rents at certain affordability thresholds for specified periods. The Deauville has six stories and was constructed in 1960. The seller was Deauville Associates LLC, which owned the building for decades, and from public records appears to represent a private family trust. The tenant association originally assigned its priority acquisition right to a different party, which backed out. It then assigned its right to Orlo, instead, which was able to close the deal on a short timeline. The deal stands out for the speed with both Orlo and the county cooperated, Rick Eisen from Eisen & Rome PC, who represented the Deauville tenants, told me in an interview. LIHTC is widely employed for affordable housing, but it takes time to nail down, making it hard to use for seizing acquisition opportunities when they pop up in a fast-moving market. Orlo's ability to close the deal quickly, matched by the county's ability to deploy HIF dollars quickly, made the deal possible. The deal also stands out because of the size of the building. It's not easy to organize that many households, Devin McNally, Takoma Park's deputy director housing and community development, told me. McNally estimated that perhaps one in 10 apartment transactions in the city involve TOPA, usually for smaller apartment buildings. He's seen two TOPA deals since taking a job with the city government in 2022, he said. When a building owner strikes a deal to sell, TOPA gives a tenant association priority to match the offer and pay the same market price; or assign that right to another party, like a company with more resources to bring to the table. In assigning its right, tenants can negotiate favorable terms with the assignee, such as affordability covenants or required renovations. When you hear about TOPA, the District probably comes to mind first. Similar but separate programs exist in Montgomery County and the city of Takoma Park, an independent municipality within the county's borders. The county's is rarely used, since it gives tenants the first crack at buying their building, but doesn't allow them to transfer their priority rights, Eisen said. Without the ability to assign their rights, it can be hard for tenants to come up with the necessary cash.
West Australian
23-04-2025
- Business
- West Australian
West Perth sign three-year deal for home ground to be known as HIF Health Insurance Oval
West Perth have signed a new sponsorship deal at its Joondalup venue. The Falcons' home ground will be known as HIF Health Insurance Oval in a three-year deal, which will include HIF-sponsored games and fan days. HIF chief executive Glenn Oellermann said West Perth was quintessentially West Australian as the oldest WA Football League club. 'As a proud not-for-profit West Australian-based health fund serving the community for over 70 years, we see a strong alignment in partnering with the club,' he said. 'Our shared values on health, wellness and the importance of community in WA are further highlighted by the importance of supporting grassroots football in our home state. 'It's exciting to see the Falcons perform on the field this 2025 season.' West Perth chief executive Joe McCarthy said as proud advocates around the importance of sport in the community, 'our values align perfectly with those that are displayed at HIF'. 'This three-year partnership not only gives our club financial sustainability, it also allows us to grow additional areas within health and wellbeing. 'Our unique game day proposals of both night and twilight football will showcase HIF Health Insurance Oval to all and we encourage all Falcons fans to come down and enjoy the atmosphere.'
Perth Now
23-04-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Falcons in new naming rights deal for Joondalup home ground
West Perth have signed a new sponsorship deal at its Joondalup venue. The Falcons' home ground will be known as HIF Health Insurance Oval in a three-year deal, which will include HIF-sponsored games and fan days. HIF chief executive Glenn Oellermann said West Perth was quintessentially West Australian as the oldest WA Football League club. Your local paper, whenever you want it. 'As a proud not-for-profit West Australian-based health fund serving the community for over 70 years, we see a strong alignment in partnering with the club,' he said. 'Our shared values on health, wellness and the importance of community in WA are further highlighted by the importance of supporting grassroots football in our home state. 'It's exciting to see the Falcons perform on the field this 2025 season.' West Perth chief executive Joe McCarthy said as proud advocates around the importance of sport in the community, 'our values align perfectly with those that are displayed at HIF'. 'This three-year partnership not only gives our club financial sustainability, it also allows us to grow additional areas within health and wellbeing. 'Our unique game day proposals of both night and twilight football will showcase HIF Health Insurance Oval to all and we encourage all Falcons fans to come down and enjoy the atmosphere.'
