Woodbury University Graphic Design Students Embark on Branding Campaign for Midnight Mission's Family Housing Program

LOS ANGELES, CA, April 13, 2014 (Press-News.org) It's one thing to brand a widget; it's another to employ the tools of branding to address the issue of homelessness.

That indeed is the charge for third year graphic design students at Woodbury University. Working with The Midnight Mission in downtown Los Angeles, students are tapping their creativity to brand The Mission's Family Housing Program. Overseen by Associate Professor Cate Roman, M.F.A., the required course provides students with an opportunity to work directly with a non-profit client from the Los Angeles community.

The Midnight Mission offers a path to self-sufficiency to men, women and children who have lost everything. The organization's emergency services, 12-step recovery program, job training, education and work programs offer a compassionate bridge to productive lives. The Midnight Mission removes obstacles to self-sufficiency and provides the accountability and structure that people who are experiencing homelessness need to rejoin their communities.

Located in a safe residential area in West Los Angeles, The Midnight's Family Housing complex consists of 11 renovated, fully furnished apartments, community space, parking areas, a laundry room with two washers and dryers and a large outdoor playground, featuring a jungle gym, a basketball court and a picnic area. Initiated in 1994, the program provides transitional housing and a safe environment for 11 families, many of whom are victims of domestic violence and/or have become homeless.

Each student initially developed and presented three names and corresponding logos to The Midnight Mission CEO and executive staff. With a design direction selected for each student, the class will devote the remainder of the semester to developing stationary systems, media kit folders, brochures, newsletters and promotional items. On May 1, each student will present his or her branding system to The Midnight Mission team -- President and CEO Larry L. Adamson, Director of Family Housing Ricardo Rosales, Director of Public Affairs Mai Lee, Director of Programs Brandon Beckman, Communications Coordinator Candace Schultz and Chief Development Officer Tami A Philips -- in the Saffel Boardroom at Woodbury University. The winning student will work closely with the Midnight Mission team to finalize the materials for printing.

"This is a highly meaningful collaboration between Woodbury and the Los Angeles community," said Cate Roman, Associate Professor, Graphic Design. "The branding campaign embodies two of the four pillars that support a Woodbury education - design thinking and civic engagement. As they refine their skills as designers, students are making a real-world contribution and augmenting their classroom experience by putting principles into practice."

"Our objective is to remove the financial and housing obstacles these families face and to assist them in rebuilding their lives," The Mission's Rosales said. "As part of that process, it's vital that participants understand what's available to them and how they can benefit. That's where the branding campaign comes in. The creative concepts that the Woodbury design students are developing will help our staff reach out, as they address the issues that attribute to homelessness and addiction while focusing on parenting skills, codependency, addiction-related lifestyle disorders and legal, social, financial, educational and vocational deficiencies."

The Family Housing Program highlights structure, accountability and opportunity for homeless families. The program places a strong emphasis on achieving self-sufficiency. Many graduates have established successful careers and have even become homeowners, using income saved at The Midnight for a down payment. With the available tools and resources, participating families are given the opportunity to live well, stay connected, and help others in the community.

About Woodbury University
Founded in 1884, Woodbury University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Southern California. Woodbury offers bachelor's degrees from the School of Architecture, School of Business, School of Media, Culture & Design, and Institute of Transdisciplinary Studies, along with an MBA program, Master of Architecture (MArch), Master of Science in Architecture (MSArch), and Master of Organizational Leadership. A San Diego campus offers Bachelor of Architecture, Master of Real Estate Development for Architects (MRED), and Master of Science in Architecture, Landscape, and Urbanism degrees. Visit http://www.woodbury.edu for more information, and Reflections on Excellence, the new twice-monthly blog written by Woodbury University President Luis Maria R. Calingo, Ph.D.

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Edge Communications, Inc.
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