Chrysalis stands in solidarity with all those who are fighting to address systemic racial inequities. The purpose of a chrysalis is to facilitate transformation, and we are committed to supporting change at the individual, organizational, community, and systems levels.

We have long been committed to social justice and to challenging the inequities that have blocked access to employment opportunities for those we serve. Amidst the systematic racism that has been and is killing our fellow citizens, loved ones, coworkers, and neighbors, we wanted to share with you the following updates and resources:

Chrysalis Updates & Response

  • Read this message from Chrysalis President & CEO Mark Loranger.
  • We are reimagining the role of our Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Steering Committee as leaders within the organization in helping shape our internal and external response during this movement as well as revisiting our DEI Action Plan published in September 2019. Additional investments are being made in DEI-focused training for staff and Board members.
  • As an organization with fundraising, operations, and programs needs and expenses, we will make an intentional effort to support local Black Businesses in procurement of goods and services.
  • During this time, additional spaces are being created where staff can come together and have honest conversations about how we are doing and how we can best support each other. A Justice Work Free Day was also provided for all staff to utilize as they wish.
  • Hundreds of our transitional jobs employees are essential frontline workers, providing cleaning and support services throughout our Southern California communities. As curfews have been put into place, we have modified work hours and provided letters with written details about work schedules and have been extremely flexible as clients juggle schedules, to support our hundreds of workers providing essential frontline services.
  • Unfortunately, there have been multiple incidents where transitional employees were stopped by the police when they were on their way to or from work. Most were permitted to continue without incident once they provided the requested documentation that they were travelling for essential work; however, others were held longer and forced out of their cars. This gets to the heart of what Black individuals face every day.

Anti Racist Resources & Action

At Chrysalis, we want to support organizations and movements that are working to address racial disparities in our community and across the US. Thus, on our internal communications network, we put out a call to our staff organization-wide for key resources and ways all of us can support the Black Lives Matter movement below:

While Chrysalis has been a champion for our clients and has been working to address systemic inequities for years, we also recognize that there is always more to learn. We are committed to being open to that learning and to continuing to share with our larger community. We encourage you to connect with us if you have ideas and feedback. We will update this post with additional resources and information periodically.

Originally posted on 6/3/2020 at 4:30 p.m.