Father Joe’s Receives $25,000 Grant for Playwriting Residencies Project

 Homelessness-focused nonprofit Father Joe’s Villages was awarded a $25,000 grant Thursday from the Humanities For All grant awards for a playwriting project called “Stories of CREED in Action.”

The project will offer two playwriting residencies to Father Joe’s Villages’ clients in partnership with the San Diego-based nonprofit organization Playwrights Project. Frank Kensaku Saragosa will be leading the playwriting workshops.

“It is Father Joe’s Villages’ mission to prevent and end homelessness one life at a time in the spirit of Compassion, Respect, Empathy, Empowerment and Dignity (CREED),” said Aleta Barthell, project director. “By sharing these stories with the community in “Stories of CREED in Action,” the hope is to recognize and acknowledge the humanity that is at stake in our current homelessness crisis.

The Humanities For All Project Grant is a competitive grant program of California Humanities — which “supports locally developed projects that respond to the needs, interests and concerns of Californians, provide accessible learning experiences for the public and promote understanding among our state’s diverse population,” a statement from the organization read.

“These projects will push the boundaries for not only how we understand and engage with our diverse array of California histories and cultures, but also provide a unique humanities lens for discussing pressing and important community issues,” said Rick Noguchi, president and CEO of California Humanities.

Public performances of the plays will be held at the Morgan Auditorium — in partnership with San Diego Central Library — on June 14 through June 16, 2024.

Joining the project is Doug Jack, an Emmy-award-winning director of choreography for the Salt Lake City Olympic ceremonies.

–City News Service