“Fall Affair, Come As You Are” Comedy and Drag Show to Benefit Homeless

Jay London of Last Comic Standing and a drag show hosted by Pandora Boxx will headline the Lamp Community’s third annual Fall Affair, Come As You Are comedy and drag show to benefit the homeless on Thursday, Oct. 24, in the Downtown Arts District.

The event kicks-off with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, an auction with items from MAC Cosmetics, Alexander McQueen and Dermalogica.

The nonprofits’ clients are 64% male, 30% female, and 6% transgender; 11% identify as gay or lesbian. Lamp has a ‘‘housing first’’ philosophy, according to CEO Donna Gallup.

“Lamp’s approach centers on the idea that housing is a prerequisite for dealing with the debilitating challenges of mental illness, addiction, physical disability, chronic disease, and the trauma of long-term life on the streets,” says Gallup. “It is far more ethical and inexpensive to provide housing and services to this population, than it is to pay for the inevitable jail and hospital stays that otherwise ensue.”

Lamp’s stats show that on average it can cost 40-80% less to provide permanent housing and services than it does to allow women and men to remain homeless and at risk of dying on the streets.

Cocktail hour and comedy begins at 6:30 p.m., the drag show starts at 8 p.m. at Kesspro Studios, 435 S. Molino St., Los Angeles. Tickets are $100 each, or four for $300. Advanced tickets: www.lampcommunity.org