Hollywood Boys and Girls Club Director Honored

The following honor comes from the office of Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank and was read at his 'Women of the Year' luncheon on Monday.

I rise today in honor of Women’s History Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation’s women. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional District.

I would like to recognize an exceptional woman, Mel Culpepper of Los Angeles, who for many years has worked with non-profit organizations and has made a profound impact on the families in our community.

Ms. Culpepper has served as the Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Hollywood (BGCH) since 2007, where she manages the Club’s annual budget, spearheads fundraising efforts, and serves as the liaison to government and community agencies. During her time as Executive Director, Mel has introduced development strategies and cost-saving concepts that have greatly contributed to the success of the organization.

Prior to Ms. Culpepper’s work for the BGCH, she worked as Director of Residential Treatment Services for Stanford Home for Children in Sacramento, where she managed the budget and developed new programs for children with mental illnesses. Prior to that, she served as the Executive Director of the Central YMCA of San Francisco.

Mel has contributed to our community by creating partnerships and relationships with other Hollywood businesses, non-profit organizations and individuals, which benefit the Club and its members and the community. For example, she created a partnership with the Hollywood Community Housing Corporation (HCHC), and collaborated on a successful plan to shuttle HCHC children from their housing units to the BGCH for after-school programming.

Today, the BGCH provides free annual BGCH membership, free year-round shuttling to and from HCHC facilities, and free hot lunches and snacks. In addition, these at-risk children receive tutoring, computer training, and homework assistance. Another partnership Mel created involved Ross Dress for Less, which provided clothes, shoes, and supplies to members of the Club for the 2010-2011 school year.

Additionally, Mel partnered with Toyota of Hollywood for an annual holiday Toy Drive, and as a result of this partnership, Toyota donated a portion of their December sales to the BGCH.

I ask all Members to join me today in honoring an outstanding woman of California’s 28th Congressional District, Mel Culpepper, for her exceptional service to the community.