Bridge to Home, SCV homeless service provider, gave a Humanitarian Award to Yaniv Rokah, Director of the internationally acclaimed documentary movie Queen Mimi at the Cowboy Breakfast Fundraiser in Newhall on Saturday, April 20. Marie Haist or Queen Mimi now 91 years old and living in an apartment, is the homeless woman featured in the 2015 documentary. Rokah found her living in a Santa Monica Laundromat, befriended her and chronicled her life story, gently extracting the circumstances that put the then 88 year old woman on the streets for 35 years. The upbeat Mimi attended the fundraiser with Rokah and told the audience her motto is “Never give up!”
Bridge to Home executive director Sylvia Gutierrez, explained when giving the award, that Rokah had helped the world see people experiencing homelessness as valuable human beings with interesting life stories and that any of us could experience homelessness. Queen Mimi is available for viewing on Netflix.
Approximately 250 guests attended the private fund raiser at the Honest Lawyer on Walnut Street and were served a “Cowboy breakfast” by a team of some 20 volunteer cooks led by Frank Schiro, who has been serving breakfast to homeless SCV residents for the last 19 years. Music and raffle prizes at the breakfast were provided by a bevy of volunteers and over $5000.00 was raised for Bridge to Home.
