Unveiling a New ‘Golden Age’: Chrysalis pleased to be a part of the City of Anaheim’s focus on revitalizing local communities in 2019

Last November, Chrysalis was welcomed with open arms by the communities of Orange County as we officially cut the ribbon and opened the doors to our first new center in 17 years. We had challenged ourselves to expand our impact to help address an escalating homelessness crisis throughout Southern California – and in Orange County, Chrysalis found a community in need of employment-related solutions to homelessness, along with a network of stakeholders eager to partner and make change happen.

Within two weeks of opening our doors, Chrysalis Orange County was already celebrating our first bell-ringing with Jesse Nielsen, the center’s first official client. Since then, more than 150 individuals have come through our doors and over 25 clients have landed jobs! A network of service providers has supported us with client referrals and resource linkages. Dedicated volunteers have enhanced our service delivery. And employers throughout the area have contacted us about hiring from among our program graduates.

Today, we thank the City of Anaheim and Disneyland, who highlighted their partnerships with Chrysalis at yesterday’s State of the City address in Anaheim. Mayor Harry Sidhu also announced the city’s key policy initiative yesterday: Anaheim First. This initiative aims to invest $250 million in Anaheim neighborhoods over the next 10 years. With the city’s key focus on economic development this year, we know that we have found the perfect place to carry out our mission of strengthening communities through jobs. We are so excited to have been invited to be a part of the local solution to homelessness in Orange County. With the help of our government, corporate, and community partners, we know we can continue to provide individuals experiencing homelessness throughout Orange County with much-needed support as we help them along their path to self-sufficiency.

Learn more about Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu’s State of the City address here, and watch the city’s video presentation on addressing homelessness in partnership with organizations like Chrysalis here!