For 25 years, Chrysalis has helped over 30,000 people out of homelessness and poverty and on to the path toward self-sufficiency a t three centers located throughout Los Angeles County where poverty is most pervasive: downtown Los Angeles (Skid Row), Santa Monica, and in the San Fernando Valley (Pacoima).
It is no secret that the current economic landscape is disheartening and challenging, but Chrysalis has weathered many downturns in the economy over the past quarter of a century. These current conditions highlight the importance of Chrysalis' services in the Los Angeles community and emphasize the need to address poverty and joblessness.
More than ever, getting and retaining a job is a crucial step out of poverty. We are drawing upon our past experiences and developing new methods to serve all the many men and women who are seeking our services in record numbers in 2009, our 25th anniversary year.
> > LEARN about our 25 years of fighting poverty & homelessness through our digital timeline.
In 1984, at 22-years old, John Dillon arrived in Los Angeles to work on Skid Row assisting the area's homeless population. What he saw was an emerging crisis and an urgent need to help the homeless help themselves out of poverty out of unemployment out of homelessness and into new lives.
Chrysalis was founded then as a food and clothing distribution center serving homeless men and women living on the streets of Los Angeles' Skid Row. As the agency grew it became clear that longer-term solutions were needed in order to eradicate poverty and homelessness. Chrysalis developed an effective and nationally recognized program to help homeless people become job ready and ultimately find and retain employment.
Chrysalis' philosophy remains the same - a steady job is the single most important step in a person's transition to long-term self-sufficiency. 
Over the years, communities throughout Los Angeles County demonstrated the need for our program. In 1994, in partnership with the City of Santa Monica, California, Chrysalis opened the Santa Monica center. In 2001 we opened a facility in the San Fernando Valley and most recently an additional downtown facility.
Chrysalis has served as a local and national model of success and has received many commendations, including praise from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. In addition to our program and resources, Chrysalis Enterprises is there for our clients who need it the most. Under the guidance of supervisors who overcame similar challenges, the nearly 1,000 clients employed annually through Chrysalis Enterprises undergo a profound transformation. Chrysalis Enterprises employs individuals in transitional jobs in maintenance, staffing and recycling. After only a few short months, individuals with decades of unemployment and multiple barriers to work become reliable and enthusiastic employees with a recent work history and supervisor's reference. |
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Chrysalis 2009