Omara fled to the streets at a young age, because being on her own seemed a better alternative to living in an unstable and abusive home. Drugs eventually became another escape. On a downward path spurred by her addiction, Omara eventually landed in jail and lost custody of her five children. She realized she needed to create a better future for her family.
“Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?” For an addict with a record like Raymond, this question became, “Where do you see yourself in the next five minutes?”
In one of the country’s richest cities, thousands have no place to stay this Thanksgiving. John Blackstone of CBS News reports on the effort to make life a little bit more manageable for Los Angeles’ homeless population.
It started with an idea – to remember a son, who had lost his life to addiction. Michael Shenkman came to Chrysalis with a plan to bring together his community for a memorial ride.
Chrysalis’ inaugural GO ALL-IN: A Texas Hold ‘em Poker Night was a great success. Over $85,000 was raised in support of our mission to help homeless and low-income individuals find and retain employment.
For over the course of 10 years, Ron was living on the streets, struggling to find work due to a previous offense. It was after he started a family that Ron realized the urgency of his situation. He needed to find work and a safe place to live for his wife and three children.
Enrique grew up thinking that people with jobs were different than he was. And going to an office or having a 9-to-5 was never something that he would have the opportunity to do. However, upon his most recent release from jail, he decided that he was ready for something else.
GOOD reports: “Dinner guests at Gwen, the Los Angeles restaurant and butchery helmed by celebrity TV chef Curtis Stone—who you may know from “The Celebrity Apprentice 3” and “Top Chef Masters”—may not see what goes on behind the scenes.”
Chrysalis is now part of two different rapid re-housing initiatives, Breaking Barriers and the Housing and Jobs Collaborative (HJC), in an effort to end the vicious cycle of homelessness, unemployment, and incarceration by helping men and women gain access to housing and employment.
Growing up in Beverly Hills and Hollywood with a famous father probably sounds like the type of circumstance that would set someone up for success. But for Darrell, a life a partying, drug use, and too much extra time on his hands landed him in and out of jail for over the course of nearly 20 years.
Chrysalis is excited to celebrate a huge milestone for Breaking Barriers. This August, the program hit the 100+ clients housed mark!
As John makes his rounds in Downtown Los Angeles, he greets individuals —some all too familiar faces— all struggling with homelessness. Maybe today will be the day they are ready to come to him for help. After experiencing homelessness, incarceration, and a 24-year off-and-on battle with addiction, John knows what a challenge it is to admit when it’s time to get help.
“I am inspired by the determination and hope the clients have. These people are here and they want to change their lives. They don’t want to be outcasts.” -Barry
Despite having a diverse work history, a positive attitude, and the drive to find employment, Robert was being turned down for jobs time and time again. Though he was focused on moving forward, every rejection from potential employers reminded him of his past.
After more than two decades of running on empty and serving time in jail, Kellie came to Chrysalis with the determination to change her life and learn how to navigate a new pathway to self-sufficiency.
NBC Reports: “Trinidad Ramirez is about as unlikely a hero as you can imagine. Born to a single mother in the Santa Clarita Valley, she ran away from home at 14 years old and had her own children, who were taken away from her.”
REDF has more than 18 years of experience providing funding and capacity building to employment-focused social enterprises in California. Chrysalis is proud to be included in the new portfolio of the venture philanthropy organization REDF, backed by the federal government’s Social Innovation Fund.
The Los Angeles Business Journal reports: “The Downtown Center Business Improvement District, a coalition of nearly 1,700 property owners in the Downtown area, has partnered with the non-profit organization People Assisting the Homeless to increase outreach to homeless individuals…”
GOOD reports: “In 1984, John Dillon was 22 years old and a year out of college, volunteering with Catholic Charities in the Jesuit Volunteer Core. After a year of service on Skid Row in Los Angeles, he decided he wanted to start his own nonprofit to serve the homeless…”
The Los Angeles Sentinel reports: “Mayor Eric Garcetti recently announced the first steps of a comprehensive strategy to address the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles…”
The Santa Monica Mirror reports: “What can be done to help the homeless? What are the factors that contribute to someone being out on the streets, and what are the best ways to get them working and a productive member of society?”
Ben Feldman and Duff Goldman tapped the kitchen talents of Bryan and Michael Voltaggio for the third annual Crab Cake L.A., held Aug. 2, at No Vacancy in Hollywood.
NPR reports: “A program called The Bin allows homeless people like Chris Rodriguez, 43, to use the storage bins for free. ‘Anywhere else, you have to pay 60, 70 dollars for storage,’ says Rodriguez.”
Zocalo reports: What Chrysalis CEO Mark Loranger and others have to say about homelessness, jobs, and affordable housing.