The 8th Annual Raising Hope, the annual fundraising gala benefiting Union Mission, takes place on Tuesday, June 6, at the Savannah Convention Center, 1 International Dr., Savannah, Ga. 31421. The event is co-sponsored by Oliver Maner LLP, one of Savannah’s most prominent law firms, and Nine Line Apparel, a veteran-owned and operated apparel company,

The evening kicks off at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception featuring Jeremy Davis and The Equinox Jazz Trio, as well as a silent auction of domestic and international travel items provided by AmFund.

Dinner and programming begin at 7 p.m. with emcees Rabbi Robert Haas of Congregation Mickve Israel and WSAV Savannah News 3 anchor Tina Tyus-Shaw, a recent inductee into the Georgia Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Raising Hope 2023 will feature keynote speaker David Ambroz, a national poverty and child welfare expert and advocate, an Emmy nominee, and the best-selling author of “A Place Called Home.” Ambroz was recognized by President Obama as an American Champion of Change and currently serves as the Head of Community Engagement (West) for Amazon. He previously led Corporate Social Responsibility for Walt Disney Television and served as the President of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission, where he led efforts to pass groundbreaking policy, including the Mobility 2035 Plan and several ordinances regarding home sharing, permanent supportive housing and hotel/motel conversion for homeless housing. After growing up homeless and then in foster care, Ambroz graduated from Vassar College and later from UCLA School of Law. He is a member of the Television Academy and a board member of Equality California and lives in Los Angeles.

“Oliver Maner is proud to once again join with Union Mission and Nine Line Apparel to help people leave homelessness behind,” said Bill Hunter, Executive Board Member of Union Mission and Partner at Oliver Maner LLP. “The Raising Hope event showcases our community's generosity and spirit. Together, we can help those experiencing homelessness find hope in a brighter future.”

Additional corporate and personal platinum-level sponsors of Raising Hope 2023 include Amazon, Bank of America, Colonial Group, Georgia Ports Authority, Georgia Power, Gulfstream, Hancock Askew, Innomed, J.C. Lewis Ford, K Machine Industrial Services, Mr. & Mrs. Curtis Anderson, Mr. & Mrs. William Daniel, Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Rainey, Mr. & Mrs. Philip Solomons, Mr. & Mrs. Mark Toth, Mr. & Mrs. Scott Warden, Mr. & Mrs. Don L. Waters, Ms. Brenda Gaines, Paul & Lori Keith Robinson, and the Kole Family.

Tickets, tables and sponsorship opportunities for Raising Hope are available at unionmission.org/RaisingHope.

For more information, contact Mark Toth, Union Mission’s Director of Major Gifts and Organizational Strategy, at (248) 770-3933 or via email at [email protected].