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Before the Bell: Alan

In the early morning hours, Alan gets ready for work and tends to his garden – accompanied by the gentle clucking of his family’s two hens. Life under an open sky alongside his loved ones and coworkers looks vastly different than it did 28 years ago, when he was sentenced to nearly three decades in […]

Success Bells: Rene

Faced with exorbitant business taxes, increasing violence in their community, and threats to their safety, Rene, his wife, and their three-year-old son applied for asylum in the U.S. in 2016. Despite years of working as a doctor in El Salvador, Rene knew that the best next step was to leave everything behind and start over […]

Success Bells Patrik

Success Bells: Patrik

It was a dark night as Patrik biked through Venice Beach. When the officer flagged him down, he breathed a sigh of relief. Although he was initially detained for not having lights on his bike, he was grateful for the opportunity to ask for help. After six years of homelessness and substance use, Patrik was […]

Success Bells: Graham

When Graham was faced with a life sentence in prison at 21 years old, he thought he would never go home. His grandmother – whom he called his guiding light – had passed away while he was fighting his case. He remembers thinking, I’m done. I don’t have anything to go home to. When Graham […]

Success Bells: Stephanie

In 2019, we had the privilege of introducing you to Stephanie. Now, four years later, we are honored to provide an update on her remarkable journey, which showcases her continued personal and professional growth and the profound impact she is making in our community. “Life on the streets was definitely crazy,” she shares. “Going from […]

Success Bells: Gilbert

For three decades, Gilbert viewed the world through a small window. From his cell, he could see a desert field, a fence, and a car patrolling the surrounding area. He also envisioned what life would be like while not incarcerated… a colorful life that involved time with loved ones and embracing meaningful employment. He […]

Client Monet with her daughter

Success Bells: Monet

When asked what a steady job means to her, Monet smiles and looks at her daughter, “It feels good. It feels really good to be back on track. Everything I’m doing is to make a better life for her.” As a Security Guard with Southern California Edison, Monet helps to ensure public safety and the […]

Success Bells: Maria

It’s game day. Maria spots a Dodger blue sports car in the line of vehicles she is processing for parking. As they pull up, she compliments their ride and the driver, beaming, heads into the lot at Chavez Ravine. As an SP+ cashier and ambassador at Dodger Stadium, Maria cherishes the opportunity to greet fans […]

Success Bells: Robert

Robert greets his freeway maintenance crew at 7 a.m. sharp. As the group clocks in and reviews safety protocols, he sees that one of the individuals appears discouraged and learns that they almost skipped their shift. After a brief chat, Robert convinces him to stick it out. Chrysalis Roads is a division of our employment […]

Success Bells: Maurice

At 19 years old, Maurice was sentenced to 40 years in prison. He had been present at the scene of a murder and did not intervene. Making amends for the loss of someone’s life while determining the future of his own would become a key focus of the majority of Maurice’s existence. While incarcerated, Maurice […]

Success Bells: Tom

From an early age, Tom had a drive to work, especially on jobs that he could take a step back from at the end of the day and see what he helped make. “[My dad] set me up with some roofers, thinking that they were going to wear me out. Turns out, I liked pushing […]

Success Bells: Anival

As a Detox Support Technician at CRI-Help, Inc., Anival is part of a team that maintains a safe, comforting environment and recovery process for the organization’s clients who are rehabilitating from substance use. While the prospect of entering the healthcare industry was daunting at first, Anival’s personal experience with navigating recovery and maintaining sobriety affirmed […]

Success Bells: Mia

 The smell of eggs and turkey bacon infuses the air of a dining area already brimming with noisy chitchat. Mia smiles as she says, “I crack eggs every morning. I want everyone to smell what’s cooking!” In a more serious tone, she shares, “Some of [our guests] have not had a hot meal in […]

Success Bells: Damien

Damien steps into each work day with a sense of resolve and purpose. While every shift is different, the goal remains the same: to show up for himself and his team. As a supervisor with the Chrysalis Roads program, each morning he ensures that his highway maintenance crew is equipped to safely and effectively provide […]

Success Bells: Laura

May is mental health awareness month! Join us in celebrating one client who is helping to #EndTheStigma by connecting our community members to vital basic needs resources.   Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Laura came to Chrysalis ready to take the next step in her career. She brought with her 15 years of […]

Success Bells: Daniel

After six years of unemployment, Daniel came to Chrysalis with the drive to secure work so that he could provide for his family. As he reflects on his first visit to our center, he shares, “I was immediately impressed. It was a different atmosphere than most work source centers that I have been to.” […]

Success Bells: Dave

“I’m more of a family man kind of guy,” says Dave, who first connected with Chrysalis two years ago. He spends as much time as he can with his children who can’t seem to get enough of him. “Now, they always want to hang out with me. I look at them and see that glow […]

Los Angeles County Fall 2021 Newsletter

Chrysalis Launches Safekeeping Chrysalis has expanded by reorganizing and adding a new division of our Employment Social Enterprise. Chrysalis Safekeeping is supporting more transitional workers through partnerships with other organizations and very important safe storage projects such as The Bin. This story and others are featured in our newsletter. GROWING OUR EMPLOYMENT SOCIAL ENTERPRISE For […]

Orange County Fall 2021 Newsletter

Pathways Forward in OC Chrysalis launched another Roads crew in Orange County this summer. With three crews now serving Caltrans District 12, we are expanding our partnership with the Butte County Office of Education and creating more transitional jobs in the region. This story, and others, are featured in our newsletter. OUR GROWING EMPLOYMENT SOCIAL […]

Success Bells: Kariana

Success Bells: Kariana

When the phone rings, Kariana seamlessly shifts to business mode – she is ready to assist her tenants at a moment’s notice. As a property manager for Hollywood View Towers, completing her responsibilities is a balancing act. While one morning she may be leasing out a newly available unit, by noon, she could be calling […]

Success Bells: Michael

Sweat drips off his brow as Michael puts the next batch of material into the mold press. He can feel the muscles in his arms and legs working as he transports the weighty substances to and fro in the warehouse and in and out of the hot machines. The work is physically demanding, yet gratifying. […]

Success Bells: Stephanie

Stephanie’s smile and positivity are infectious as she introduces herself. In addition to detailing a list of qualities that describe a great employee or even a good friend, she shares, “I’m a grandma,” and her face beams. She also celebrates being employed after struggling to land a job since she came to California eight years […]

Success Bells: Paul

After years of working laborious odd-jobs and nearly four years of experiencing homelessness, Paul was tired. Unsure of how to connect to job opportunities that aligned with his interests, he decided to pay a visit to Chrysalis’ Downtown Los Angeles center at the recommendation of a few community members in the Skid Row neighborhood. A […]

Spring 2021 Newsletter

LOOKING BACK AND CHARTING STEPS FORWARD 2020 YEAR IN REVIEW & 2021 GOALS Last February, our spring newsletter highlighted a study noting that homelessness and jobs were projected to be a top concern for Californians during the 2020 election. Less than a month later, the world’s collective attention shifted to the pandemic and the subsequent […]

Success Bells: Eddie

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, LAHSA reported that two-thirds of adults cited economic hardship or loss of a job as what caused them to experience homelessness. Our work at Chrysalis centers around meeting people where they are, and this includes times when quickly reconnecting to the workforce could prevent someone from losing their home or […]

Success Bells: TJ

TJ observed as an individual working on the Venice Beach Boardwalk collected trash and maintained the area. He felt a sense of pride seeing this. With an over 100-year family history in the Venice community – and in between jobs at the time – TJ wanted to know how he could secure a similar position, […]

Success Bells: Geoffrey

Geoffrey looks forward to waking up before the sun, getting in his work truck, and heading to the job site each morning. As he reflects on a lifetime of work history and over ten years of combined service in the army and navy, he can’t recall enjoying and thriving in a job as much as […]

Success Bells: Aaron

When Aaron describes life growing up as a young boy and teenager, he illustrates a poignant picture of frequently searching for sustenance in dumpsters and navigating living in vehicles and on the street with his mother in the Venice community. “We were always struggling,” he shares, “I had no real foundation for feeling like I […]

Success Bells: La Donna

Nearly a hundred Thermal-Vac Technology staff members come together almost weekly to share updates and celebrate wins across the company. For La Donna, moments of togetherness and building team morale like this were things she had always heard about but had never before experienced. She describes the supportive and encouraging culture at her job fondly, […]

Success Bells: Antonio

Some time ago, Antonio stood at a crossroads: get sober or lose his three daughters. Faced with the possibility of losing what mattered most, his resolve to change his life was stronger than ever. When Antonio was ready to reconnect with the workforce, Chrysalis was there with the professional support he needed to get on a pathway to self-sufficiency.