HomePublicationPasadenaLocal Businessman Assists Single Parents During Pandemic

Local Businessman Assists Single Parents During Pandemic

Mark Holdsworth

When the COVID-19 crisis hit and the “Safer at Home” order was delivered, a local businessman immediately recognized a need. Not for himself, mind you, but for those whom he predicted would be most challenged given the circumstances.
“In our view, single parents truly represent the most vulnerable,” said Mark Holdsworth, founder of the Holdsworth Group, a provider of capital and advisory services to family offices and high net-worth individuals, public and private companies, and boards of directors located in Pasadena. “We are also determined to assist those in the food and beverage and hospitality industries, because these were the first and hardest hit. Many of these people might not get their jobs back as some of their employers have shut down for good.”
The Holdsworth Group established a nonprofit program called the Los Angeles County COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund as a project of GVNG.org. Its mission is to provide financial support to single-parent households where the parent has lost her or his job in the food and beverage and hospitality industries due to state-mandated business closures to slow the spread of COVID-19. Help is provided to residents of Los Angeles County who can demonstrate that they are a single-parent household and have been laid off or furloughed since Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a “Safer at Home” order on March 19. Recipients are given a $250 gift card for any Kroger store, including Ralphs and Food 4 Less.
“We plan to distribute 100% of the funds raised, exclusive of any fees associated with purchasing the gift cards,” said Holdsworth. “All of our employees have donated and the website is still open to collect more donations. A few of our investing partners have already pledged substantial additional funds to support this effort as well. We are very grateful for the support this effort has received from others.”
The relief campaign has already collected $50,000; donors can visit the website Lacovid19ERF.gvng.org to make a donation. A check can be made out to GVNG.org, with “In Support of LA County Covid-19 ERF” written in the memo line and mailed to: GVNG.org, 907 Westwood Blvd., Suite 414, Los Angeles, 90024.
A native of San Marino, Holdsworth graduated from Polytechnic and spent time on the East Coast and Westside of Los Angeles before returning to San Marino in 2008, along with his wife, Amanda, and their three daughters.
“In these most extraordinary of times, where so many people who live paycheck to paycheck have lost their jobs, we feel it is our duty to help those who are most vulnerable,” Holdsworth said.

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