The family of the late Jacqueline Avant has announced a memorial fund in her name. Donations can be made to the Jacqueline Avant Memorial Fund, benefitting the new MLK Children and Family Well-Being Center in the Watts/Willowbrook neighborhood of South Los Angeles. The Center is part of the MLK Health and Wellness Community Development Corporation (MLK-CDC), and gifts will help the continued growth of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital and the MLK Behavioral Health Center.
Avant was “a stalwart supporter of children and the Watts-Willowbrook community,” previously even serving as President of Neighbors of Watts, a support group centered around childcare in South Los Angeles communities.
“As many have inquired, we have arranged the Jacqueline Avant Memorial Fund for the new MLK Children’s Center in Watts, as per Jacque’s wishes,” a statement released by the Avant family said. “More information and a donation section can be found on the MLK Health and Wellness Development Corporation website: mlk-cdc.org.”
Avant, the wife of producer Clarence Avant and Los Angeles philanthropist, was shot and killed in her Beverly Hills home on Dec. 1 at age 81. The family also announced that a special memorial will be held for Avant after the holiday season, with details forthcoming.
MLK-CDEC has raised funds for renovations to trailers that currently house the MLK Pediatric Clinic HUB, which, according to the organization, serves approximately 5,000 Los Angeles children and teens in foster care each year. In 2022, the pediatric clinic will move into the first floor of the new three-story, 55,000 square foot MLK Child and Family Wellbeing Center. The Center will provide at-risk pediatric and adolescent patients and their families with improved outpatient clinical services, hoping to serve as a model for community-based programs addressing the needs of those struggling with care for mental illness, substance abuse and homelessness. The Autism Wellness Center will be located on the second floor.
The MLK-CDC has also raised additional funds for new furniture, equipment, and personal needs such as clothing, hygiene products, school supplies, emergency food vouchers, and MTA cards.
Donations can be made to the MLK Health and Wellness Development Corporation (a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization) for the Jacqueline Avant Memorial Fund for the new MLK Children’s Center in Watts, California. To learn more or donate online, visit https://www.mlk-cdc.org/jacquie.
