Salvation Army Pasadena honors Lena Kennedy at Others Award luncheon

The Salvation Army Pasadena Tabernacle Corps honored Lena Kennedy for her lifetime of community work at their 56th annual Others Awards Luncheon Thursday, June 8, in the Noor Events Center.

The award, dating back to 1912, celebrates civic leaders and institutions who through their work have become shining examples of devoted service to the community. The event, which was not held last year, drew out scores of city officials and community leaders Pasadena's civic center.

"It was a lovely event but more importantly, it highlights the great work that the Salvation Army is doing in the community and how it's having an impact on the lives of different segments of our community," Kennedy said.

"When all of us are mindful that there's a need and we work with institutions that are out there addressing those needs, it creates a community that's healthier and we become ‘One Pasadena,’ as my brother would always say."

Kennedy, whose late brother and City Council member John Kennedy died nearly one year ago, has long been a fixture in Pasadena cultural, political, health and business life. For generations now the Kennedy family has helped shaped the course of Pasadena, beginning with her late mother Leola Kennedy, who was seen as a community pillar in the city's northwest.

Kennedy is CEO and president of L.L. Kennedy & Associates — a consulting firm focused on providing consensus-building strategies for political candidates, philanthropic organizations, corporations and individuals – that for nearly four decades has collaborated and connected with corporate executives, city governments, and elected officials from across the region.

"When I participate in an organization, for me, it's a partnership and I want to work with organizations that are in alignment with what I believe in, and how I interact with the community," she said. "The Salvation Army is clearly reflective of that, making a difference in the lives of the people that sometimes are voiceless, and sometimes don't have the influence to get some things done."

Kennedy founded and is the CEO of Community Women Vital Voices, a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve women's health and wellness, which organizes the So. Calif. Women's Conference and Expo each year since 2000. The day-long event — scheduled for Dec. 1 this year at the Pasadena Hilton — brings together more than 50 nonprofit organization to offer information, available services, and resources from renowned physicians and healthcare professionals.

"We have people from all walks of life at the conference, we have people that are homeless, and the whole gamut of the community participates," she said. "That's what makes that conference, its a community experience that's reflective of how communities work together."

Locally, Kennedy has served in leadership for organizations across the spectrum, including the Pasadena NAACP, the Pasadena Arts Council, and Pasadena Playhouse Diversity Project, The Kennedy Center for the Arts, National Vice Chair of the DNC, the Advisory Board of the Pasadena Symphony, and Neighborhood Arts Representative for District 1.

She praised the Salvation Army board leadership, noting that for all her passion for community-building institutions, the people are what makes a community.

"When you have organizations, they’re only as good as the people that are involved in running them," Kennedy said. "Institutions can do so much good work in the community, but people respond to people."

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