2026 Compassion Campaign | The Sweetest Investment

Fundraising Record Achieved at Seventh Annual Compassion Campaign

Our 7th Annual Compassion Campaign event brought together more than 200 community members, business leaders, and elected officials in support of, “The Sweetest Investment,” a reflection of the lasting returns that local commitment to affordable housing generates for the entire region.

The evening’s most powerful moment came when Rosay and Jimmy Mooney, residents of Ventura Springs, took the stage to share how they went from owning a home in Maryland to living in their car with a newborn to finding a stable home in Ventura County. Three months after giving birth, Rosay and Jimmy faced eviction from their home in Woodland Hills after an economic downturn in both of their professions. Without reliable transportation and with limited options, the family eventually relocated to the Camarillo area.

In Camarillo, Sr. Deputy Jason Havelka of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and social worker Lauren Prater Mex of the County of Ventura’s Whole Person Care Program connected with the family through Project HOPE, a collaborative outreach initiative pairing law enforcement and social services to assist individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Project HOPE worked with Rosay and Jimmi to navigate housing barriers, access resources, and secure placement at Ventura Springs, an affordable housing development funded in part by Housing Trust Fund VC. Deputy Havelka and Prater Mex joined the family and Housing Trust Fund VC CEO Linda Braunschweiger on stage at this year’s Compassion Campaign to share that story together. “One of the biggest challenges our clients face is locating and securing available affordable housing,” Havelka said. “Developments like the one this organization helped fund are key in creating real options for families like theirs”

Why support affordable housing?

Their story grounded a broader conversation about the widening gap between wages and housing costs in Ventura County. Braunschweiger led guests through an interactive Price Is Right-style segment comparing the cost of common goods and services in 2016 versus today. According to HUD Fair Market Rent data, the average rent for a two-bedroom home in California has climbed more than 40 to 50 percent over the past decade, surpassing $3,000 per month in many markets. Annual childcare costs have nearly doubled, rising from $10,000 to $15,000 in 2016 to $20,000 to $29,000 today, according to the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network. And according to the UC Berkeley Terner Center, the cost to build a single affordable housing unit in California, which stood at roughly $265,000 to $425,000 in 2016, has since climbed to $450,000 to $700,000 or more. “Ventura County’s future depends on whether working families can afford to live where they work,” said Braunschweiger. “When teachers, nurses, first responders, agricultural workers, and service employees cannot find housing they can afford, the consequences ripple across our entire economy.”

The Sweetest Investment

In keeping with the evening’s theme, the event featured a dessert auction in which each item was tied to the story of a current resident living in a community funded in part by Housing Trust Fund VC. Pecan pie, chosen in honor of Rosay’s late grandmother Rosa who made it for family and community gatherings, opened the bidding. Proceeds contributed to the evening’s record-breaking total.

Painting It Forward

Guests also participated in the second annual “Paint It Forward” lending library competition. Five lending libraries were built by students in the Architecture and Product Innovation and Design Pathways program at Adolfo Camarillo High School, under the guidance of teacher and former Teacher of the Year Peter Wachtel, with support from the Rotary Clubs of Moorpark and Santa Paula. McCarthy Companies, the inaugural Paint It Forward winner in 2025, took home the award for the second consecutive year. Each library will be placed at a development supported by Housing Trust Fund VC.