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Volunteer Spotlight: Janice

Volunteer Spotlight: Janice

After over a year of navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteering at Chrysalis looks vastly different than it has in years past. In March of 2020, our staff confronted the uncertainty brought on by the dual economic and health crisis and revamped our program to a virtual model. When the call for virtual volunteers was made, […]

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 […]

The Future is Working

Chrysalis Partnered with Orange County Community Foundation to raise $31,565 During “The Future is Working” Giving Day

PRESS RELEASE 24-Hour Fundraiser helps Chrysalis provide resources to overcome homelessness and poverty through jobs in Orange County Anaheim, CA, March 31, 2021 — On March 25, Chrysalis partnered with the Orange County Community Foundation (OCCF) and ten colleague nonprofits for The Future is Working Giving Day, a 24-hour online effort to bolster stronger workforce […]

The Future is Working

Chrysalis Partners with Orange County Community Foundation for “The Future is Working” Giving Day to Support a Thriving OC Workforce

PRESS RELEASE 24-Hour Fundraiser Seeks to Raise $90k For Nonprofits Committed to Developing a Stronger Workforce in Orange County ORANGE COUNTY, CA, March 10, 2021 — Chrysalis will partner with the Orange County Community Foundation (OCCF) and ten aligned nonprofits for The Future is Working Giving Day on March 25. The 24-hour online effort to […]

Stop AAPI Hate

Chrysalis stands in solidarity with the AAPI communities against the increasing incidents of hate crimes over the past year. According to data from Stop AAPI Hate, nearly 3,000 reports of anti-AAPI discrimination were filed between March and December of 2020. Research from Cal State San Bernardino showed a 149% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes last […]

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 […]

How an Employment Social Enterprise Can Help Address Homelessness

Addressing homelessness is more important than ever, as millions of people are unemployed because of COVID-19 By Mark Loranger / February 9, 2021 Originally published on CSQ COVID-19 has been a crisis within a crisis for our neighbors who are experiencing homelessness. Homelessness is, in large part, a health crisis. COVID-19 is another comorbidity that requires immediate triage […]

Kaleidoscope Spotlight: Jakson

Established in 2019, the Kaleidoscope Giving Circle was born after emerging leaders and young professionals in our community expressed an interest in becoming more meaningfully involved with Chrysalis. Kaleidoscope members have a shared goal of raising $10,000 annually, through donations and/or fundraising, in support of Chrysalis’ mission to help individuals find and retain employment. In […]

Thank you, Tim Dubois

After 27 impactful years on Chrysalis’ Board of Directors, Tim Dubois retired from the Board at the end of 2020. We asked Tim to reflect on his time at Chrysalis and are so pleased to share his thoughts with you. Thank you, Tim, for your service and support. While you are no longer on the […]

While Others Cut Back, National Health Foundation Partners with Chrysalis to Increase Job Opportunities

PRESS RELEASE While Others Cut Back, National Health Foundation Partners with Chrysalis to Increase Job Opportunities Despite global pandemic pressures, small nonprofit hires 13 locals who previously struggled with homelessness or other employment barriers LOS ANGELES, January 25, 2021 – For many, the pandemic has resulted in devastating life events ranging from unemployment, loss of […]

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 […]

Before the Bell: James

Before the Bell: James

Established in 1991, Chrysalis Enterprises provides a transitional jobs program to clients who face the greatest barriers to employment. Working with our employment social enterprise offers our clients the opportunity to gain real-world skills, build confidence, earn a paycheck, and develop the experience needed to find and retain long-term employment. Clients working a transitional job […]

Volunteer Spotlight Maria

Volunteer Spotlight: Maria

Prior to offering her time at Chrysalis’ San Fernando Valley center as a volunteer, Maria had a career in the entertainment industry followed by years of volunteering with many nonprofit organizations, typically those that worked with children. She realized how much she enjoyed teaching, which led her to search the popular internet database Volunteer Match […]

2020 Ballot Propositions & Measure Endorsed by Chrysalis

The November 2020 election includes a number of propositions and measures at the State of California and local levels that will impact the lives of the individuals and families we serve. Chrysalis staff and Board have reviewed the ballot initiatives up for a vote, and based on alignment with our mission and values, as well […]

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, […]

Volunteer Spotlight: Bob

With an eight-year tenure as a Chrysalis volunteer, Bob is an avid supporter of assisting clients throughout the job search. Although he had been volunteering in person at our Santa Monica center, he was quick to sign up to administer virtual services after we modified our in-person services in mid-March for the safety of clients, […]

Project Roomkey: Jon

Fall 2020 Newsletter

Project Roomkey Protecting Our Most At-risk Neighbors and Providing Employment Opportunities As many across the nation eagerly await a time when we can shake a new acquaintance’s hand or even hug our own friends and family members, the last few months indicate that a return to any resemblance of “normal” may still be out of […]

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 […]

OneWest Bank Volunteers

Volunteer Spotlight: OneWest Bank – Jacob, Jeffrey, and Sadhna

A strong ambition to help individuals navigating financial inequalities find stability is just one passion that Chrysalis volunteers Jacob, Jeffrey, and Sadhna have in common. What’s more, they all began volunteering at Chrysalis through their employer and long-time partner OneWest Bank, a Southern California based retail bank with over 60 locations. Jacob, an Orange […]

Los Angeles Times News Alert: Project Roomkey Employs Chrysalis Clients

In a recent Los Angeles Times article, reporter Doug Smith meets with four Chrysalis clients employed in transitional jobs with Project Roomkey. The program – with sites in Los Angeles and Orange counties and developed at the State, County, and local levels – is aimed at supporting unhoused, at-risk individuals age 65 and older, without […]

Volunteer Spotlight: Kelsey

Volunteer Spotlight: Kelsey

Kelsey’s interest in social services began while she was studying entertainment law at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law and got involved in a program that assisted individuals from Downtown Los Angeles nonprofits and shelters to launch micro-businesses. She enjoyed the opportunity to work with others to achieve financial independence and, upon graduating, began to look […]

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 […]

Unemployment Benefits are a Lifeline, not Something that Discourages the Search for Employment

Chrysalis President & CEO Mark Loranger submitted a letter to the editor upon reading a recent Los Angeles Times article by reporter Jennifer Haberkorn about policymakers and their proposals for unemployment benefits. In an effort to examine assumptions that extending a $600 federal unemployment benefit would decrease an individual’s interest in seeking employment, Mark surveyed […]

Lyft Provides Access to Ride Credits to Chrysalis Clients for Essential Travel During the Pandemic

While temporarily suspending in-person services in mid-March in response to the COVID-19 safer-at-home orders, Chrysalis continued to offer our employment program virtually and innovated the way we operated our social enterprise to ensure safe and ongoing transitional employment opportunities for clients. Staff worked closely with clients to navigate many barriers that had become augmented in […]

Before the Bell: Mureithi

Established in 1991, Chrysalis Enterprises provides a transitional jobs program to clients who face the greatest barriers to employment. Transitional employment offers our clients the opportunity to gain real-world skills, build confidence, earn a paycheck, and develop the experience needed to find and retain long-term employment. Clients working a transitional job are in an important […]

Volunteer Spotlight: Stephen

Volunteer Spotlight: Stephen

A little over a year ago, Los Angeles local Stephen was looking for ways to give back and get involved in his community. As a hiring manager for his company, he thought Chrysalis had a variety of fitting opportunities for him. He believed his experience helped him “see the best of both worlds when it […]