Even after his death, Alex Trebek still manages to change lives. The sizable donation the late host made is aiding in the construction of a homeless shelter.
Alex Trebek and his wife Jean once donated $500,000 to make an impact on the Los Angeles homeless crisis.
Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission
According to a TMZ article from today, the money from the generous donation went toward Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission. In return, the homeless shelter has named the 23,000 square foot building in Alex Trebek’s honor.
While the Trebek family didn’t single-handedly foot the bill for the $8 million project, it got the ball rolling for others to donate. Furthermore, the Hope of the Valley project raised $2 million from private donors like Beach Body and Shepherd Church. Another $6 million came from the city of Los Angeles after City Councilman John Lee pushed for more emphasis on aiding the facility.
The Trebek Center is being refurbished from the San Fernando Valley roller rink to the home for the less fortunate.
Construction on the building will break ground on May 15. Upon completion, the facility will contain 107-beds for residents in “bridge housing.”
Bridge housing is for individuals that are between the streets and a permanent residence.
If everything happens on schedule, the Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission will be open to the public by December. In addition, the center will have various onsite social services, which include mental health services, job training, and placement and substance abuse counseling.
According to the news source, “Alex and Jean originally made the $500k donation for a facility dubbed Hope Center. That project still needs more funding, so Hope of the Valley got the Trebeks’ permission, before Alex passed away, to redirect the half of a million dollars to the new shelter bearing his name.”
Alex Trebek and Family Give Back
This isn’t the first time the Trebek family has given back in such a way. They also donated $100,000 to Hope of the Valley Rescue in North Hollywood to help them build a bridge shelter as well. Prior to his death, Alex Trebek and his family would often visit the construction site.
In November of 2020, longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek lost a nearly twenty-month battle with stage IV pancreatic cancer. He was 80 years old.
Both the game show and its plethora of hosts continue to honor his legacy, and now the people of Los Angeles will as well.
