BUSINESS
Cause
COLLECTING FOR A
UNION STATION’S GRANTS WRITER WANTS TO END HOMELESSNESS BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
Photo courtesy Union Station Homeless Services
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n Dana Bean’s 15 years with Union Station Homeless Services, she has seen the homeless outreach program grow exponentially. She, too, has grown. Bean has been with the development and communications department during her entire tenure with the company. Now she’s the chief development and communications officer. In this new role, she will continue to expand the work of her eightperson DevCom team in leading the organization’s diverse fundraising and communications efforts, including foundation and government grants, major gifts, corporate partnerships, direct mail, special events, public relations and brand management. “I’m thrilled,” she says. “When I joined the agency, we were just 41 people and a budget of $3 million. We have grown exponentially year over year. As the agency has grown, my scope of responsibility has grown.” The Pasadena-based nonprofit Union Station Homeless Services provides permanent solutions to end homelessness and rebuild lives. Union Station is the San Gabriel Valley’s largest social service agency assisting homeless and very low-income adults and families. Founded 50 years ago, Union Station Homelessness Services is the lead county agency for SPA 3, coordinating homeless services in 32 communities, with a combined population of over 1.5 million across the San Gabriel Valley. “Pasadena has a significant homeless problem,” Bean says. “Just over 500 people on any given night are unhoused. We’ve expanded our services beyond the borders (of Pasadena). We reach the whole San Gabriel Valley.” Besides overseeing the department, she will have executive functions like guiding the agency and helping with its strategic plan. “I absolutely love my job,” Bean says. “I didn’t expect to still be with the agency almost 15 years later. We keep launching new projects and programs that I’m proud of.” One of those programs is “Changing the Narrative,” which was launched in mid-2020. It is a series of quarterly webinars with a pandel of experts. “Just being able to meet people who have really shaped homeless sector policy is amazing,” she says. Bean’s story began in Denver, where she was born. From South Africa, her mom moved to Denver when she was seven months pregnant with Bean. After giving birth to Bean and her brother, their mom and the rest of the family returned to South Africa. Bean has been in Southern California since she was 10. “South Africa is wonderful,” she says. “I love it. I have a sister there and dozens of cousins.” Bean earned a bachelor’s from UCLA and a Master of Public Administration with a certificate in nonprofit sector management from California State University Northridge. She is a credentialed grant professional with a certificate from Grant Professionals Certification Institute and is completing a certification in strategic public relations and brand management at UCLA.
Born in Colorado, Dana Bean spent her formative years in South Africa. She applied to Union Station and landed a job as a full-time grant writer. She doubled the grant dollars in her first year. “Dana Bean has been with Union Station for over 14 years, and during that time she has been instrumental in helping sustain our organization by building our resources and advancing our mission-driven strategy and communications,” says CEO Anne Miskey. “She is an integral part of our senior executive team and brings not only her skills but great passion and heart to the job.” With that, Bean hopes to help Union Station continue to grow. “I think my hard work has definitely contributed to the growth of the agency,” she says. “It has a budget of $24 million. I have definitely seen a lot of growth in the 15 years I’ve been there. “I want to continue to help people in who are in the homeless sector. We’ve expanded our focus in the community to help people understand their role in helping people stop homelessness and the inflow of people losing their housing.” Union Station Homeless Services unionstationhs.org 02.21 | ARROYO | 31
