• AB 1816 (Bryan): A continuation of last year’s AB 328 (Chiu), which Chrysalis also supported. Would seek to create housing and workforce training programs specifically for the reentry community, including permanent supportive housing, grants and rental assistance, and other forms of direct support.
  Resource Link: AB 1816 Fact Sheet / Los Angeles Times Op-Ed
• SB 914 (Rubio): Seeks to reduce gender bias and disparities in outcomes in California’s response to homelessness by embedding a focus on domestic violence survivors and other vulnerable populations into local homelessness plans. Set for hearing March 29.
• AB 2670 (McCarty): Will create CA RISE (Regional Initiative for Social Enterprise) which would provide funding and technical assistance to employment social enterprises and connect them with local public partners, training providers, and private sector employers.
  Resource Link: AB 2670 Fact Sheet
• AB 1720 (Holden): Will remove the candor trap (requiring people to self-report their conviction history) from California Department of Social Services applications and implement a simplified criminal record exemption process. This will increase access to CDSS regulated careers for individuals with a background in the justice system.
• Care First Community Investment: Chrysalis also sent a letter to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors urging them to fully fund Care First Community Investment (CFCI, formerly Measure J) which seeks to invest in youth and small business development, job training, housing services, and alternatives to incarceration.
  Resource Link: Los Angeles Times Op-Ed

• AB 1597 (Waldron), AB 1599 (Kiley), and AB 1603 (Salas): All three of these bills sought to roll back the reforms of Proposition 47. All still in Committee.
  Proposition 47 was a referendum passed by voters in November 2014, which converted nonviolent offenses, such as drug and property offenses, from felonies to misdemeanors. The measure also required that money saved as a result of the measure would be spent on prevention and treatment programs designed to keep individuals out of prisons and jails. The measure affected both future convictions and allowed for those incarcerated at the time to petition for resentencing. In addition to saving hundreds of millions of dollars and reducing our overall prison population, reducing nonviolent offenses to a misdemeanor rather than a felony increases the likelihood that individuals can secure housing and employment, which are key to reducing recidivism. Proposition 47 also helps to fund opportunities such as Chrysalis’ SECTOR program. Rolling back the provisions of Proposition 47 would be expensive, overly punitive, and would reduce the ability of individuals to rebuild their lives.
  Resource Link: LAC DHS Prop 47 Two-Year Report

The post Systems Change Advocacy Work – 2022 Quarter 1 Update first appeared on Chrysalis.

Over the years, Chrysalis has steadily provided our organization’s knowledge and support to advocacy efforts. We are looking forward to finding new ways to share information with our community about what we are following and the conversations in which we are including our voice and expertise. For this post in our newsroom, we have compiled a brief list of local, state, and federal policies and bills on which we have been working during the first half of the year.

Over the past several months, in partnership with a range of organizations and collaboratives working to address employment, homelessness, and reentry, Chrysalis has signed on in support of legislative and budget initiatives at the local, state, and federal levels. Here is a list of some of the efforts we are watching:

County of Los Angeles

• LA:RISE & Measure H: Chrysalis encourages the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to fully fund LA:RISE via Measure H; now is the time to invest in workforce development and employment programs, which are both essential to our community’s pandemic recover and vital to the County’s goal to end homelessness.
  Resource Link: LA:RISE Flyer

State of California

• AB 71 (L. Rivas)-Bring California Home Act: establishes a dedicated ongoing state investment in long-term solutions to homelessness
  Resource Link: Follow @BringCAHome on Twitter
• AB 333 (Kamlager)-The Step Forward Act: amends the state penal code relating to criminal gangs and thus, begins to address the harm caused by the widespread and indiscriminate use of gang enhancements in sentencing – a primary driver of the mass incarceration of BIPOC
  Resource Link: AB 333 Fact Sheet
• AB 717 (Stone)-Prisoners: Identification Cards: ensures provision of an ID or driver’s license for eligible individuals upon release from a state or federal correctional facility or a county jail
• SB 424 (Durazo) & AB 675 (Bloom)-California Homeless Hiring Tax Credit: creates access to meaningful employment and pathways to careers for individuals experiencing homelessness by offering tax credits to employers of eligible individuals
• SB 678 (Rubio)-Unaccompanied Women Experiencing Homelessness Act: makes California the first state in the nation to recognize unaccompanied women as a distinct population in order to improve the state’s ability to design programs and strategies to address their specific needs
  Resource Link: SB 678 Press Release from the Downtown Women’s Center
• SB 679 (Kamlager)-Our Future Coalition: creates a single affordable housing solutions agency for Los Angeles County modeled after the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority
  Resource Link: Our Future LA website
• SB 731 (Durazo)-Sunsetting Criminal Records Act: implements a comprehensive system to seal criminal and arrest records
• SB 779 (Becker)-California Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act: adds “Employment Social Enterprise” and worker coop language to the California WIOA to encourage Local Workforce Development Boards to partner with innovative work models that support those with barriers to employment
• Chrysalis has also signed on in support of the creation of a Statewide Reentry Workforce Services Fund as part of the Governor’s budgeted proposal to fund workforce development. An inclusive and equitable recovery must include targeted workforce investments for people returning home from incarceration.

Federal

• COVID Relief and Recovery Funding: Chrysalis encourages the inclusion of targeted relief funding that includes homelessness and housing investments ($32 billion was allocated for homelessness assistance, emergency rental assistance, and emergency housing vouchers in the COVID Relief Bill passed by Congress in March), as well as workforce development investments in subsidized and transitional employment programs and employment services for the reentry population.
• RESET for America’s Future Act: provides new resources for state and local governments through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) program, including increased federal reimbursements for job training programs
• Social Innovation Fund: Chrysalis strongly supports the re-establishment of the federal Social Innovation Fund, a project that ran from 2009-2016 and provided vital investments in nonprofits nationwide to foster economic opportunity, healthy futures, and youth development.

The post Systems Change Advocacy Work – 2021 Quarter 2 Update first appeared on Chrysalis.

Rashad Frett explained that the film was shaped by years of observing how people in his own community struggled after returning home and the difficulty of navigating systems not designed for second chances.

“Just because somebody did time, that doesn’t mean they’re damaged goods,” said Rashad. “We’re all human beings. My hope is that audiences empathize more with people trying to rebuild their lives.”

In Ricky, viewers watch the main character take meaningful steps forward, including securing employment and reconnecting with family, only to face setbacks when opportunities are taken away. These moments reflect the collateral consequences many individuals experience long after incarceration. Barriers like employment restrictions, lack of stable housing, and limited access to driver licensing can make rebuilding incredibly difficult.

These realities mirror the experiences of many individuals working to rebuild their lives. 66 percent of Chrysalis clients are justice impacted, with 44 percent having felony convictions. 72 percent are experiencing homelessness or housing instability. For many, reentry is not just about finding a job, but about navigating multiple systems at once while trying to establish stability.

Rashad emphasized that these layered challenges were intentional in the storytelling.

“He’s trying to reacclimate, but he’s struggling. He has good intentions, but due to systemic restraints, things become harder. He’s a human being just like everybody else.”

One of the central themes of the film is the critical gap that exists immediately after incarceration. While some individuals may receive support while incarcerated, the transition back into the community often leaves people navigating employment, housing, and daily life without consistent guidance.

“There’s a gap right when people come back into society. There needs to be more support there. Some programs exist inside, but once people return home, they’re trying to figure everything out on their own.”

This gap is where Chrysalis comes in. Access to employment, transitional opportunities, and hands-on training becomes essential. Many individuals returning home struggle to secure a driver’s license, build a work history, or gain the experience needed to compete in today’s job market. Transitional employment provides structure, income, and the opportunity to rebuild confidence while navigating reentry.

Through paid, short-term opportunities, individuals gain job experience, learn workplace expectations, and begin building a path forward. These experiences create stability while helping people overcome barriers that might otherwise prevent them from entering the workforce.

The importance of support systems is also reflected in Ricky. While the main character has a family encouraging him to succeed, the film acknowledges that many individuals do not have that foundation when they return home.

“I’ve known people who didn’t have that support. Some try to find that love somewhere else, and others struggle just meeting basic needs. It’s an unfortunate reality, but it’s real.”

Despite the challenges, Ricky ultimately centers resilience and the belief that change is possible. By focusing on humanity, accountability, and opportunity, the film invites viewers to reconsider what reentry truly looks like and what it takes to rebuild.

“When people gain perspective, it gives them a more open lens to look at things from both sides. That’s the goal of this film… to create understanding and make things better. Ricky is more than a film. It’s a conversation about reentry, the barriers that persist after incarceration, and the importance of creating pathways that support individuals as they rebuild their lives. The film is currently in limited theaters and available on Video on Demand starting June 2nd.

The post After Release: How ‘Ricky’ Reflects the Reality of Starting Over  first appeared on Chrysalis.

Let’s Get to Work

Californians are most likely to name homelessness as the top issue facing our state. This is followed by jobs and the economy, according to a recent statewide poll conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California. Juxtapose this with the previous year, when the poll recorded the biggest concerns as immigration, followed by education.

The reason this has taken center stage is the majority of those polled reported that they have seen homelessness increase in the past year – neighbors are experiencing it on our shared sidewalks, and it is no longer limited to isolated areas. These observations by Los Angeles County respondents are backed up by data from LAHSA, which found a 12% increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness in 2019. Data in the County of Orange also confirmed an increase.

To further galvanize homelessness as a key issue, another poll stated 95% of respondents called homelessness a serious or very serious problem. The Los Angeles Times poll, developed with the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and the Los Angeles Business Council Institute, revealed a group of voters who displayed a gamut of personal feelings from compassion to frustration.

Is homelessness or jobs your top issue in 2020? Chrysalis is working toward solutions. Let’s connect and work together. Look inside this newsletter for upcoming events, highlights from 2019, and previews of exciting happenings in the year ahead.

In 2019, more than 2,500 individuals found employment while participating in Chrysalis’ program, and more than 1,500 individuals worked a transitional job with one of our social enterprises.

At Chrysalis, we strive to assist individuals in empowering themselves, setting employment goals, navigating barriers, connecting to additional services, and advancing their skills – all aimed at preparing for, obtaining, and retaining a job. Whether a client comes in with specific ambitions in mind or has never considered what their professional journey might look like, staff and volunteers provide them with individualized support during every phase of their job search. We provide numerous resources, including case management, a job-readiness curriculum, resume preparation, practice interviews, and access to computers, professional attire, transitional employment, and job-retention support.

In the last few years, we have continually worked at doing more and doing better for our community, because we know that we are a part of the greater solution to homelessness. A few of the initiatives that we have taken on included keeping our job-readiness curriculum up-to-date and opening new centers and locations (Chrysalis Orange County and Chrysalis at DOORS).

We thank all of the donors and advocates who are reading this newsletter! Our opportunity to keep moving the needle on ending homelessness is thanks to you. Please keep in touch with us during this election year – where the issue of homelessness is projected to be at the forefront. Chrysalis is working toward and hoping for another year full of success stories and #SuccessBells.

On the Job: Working Solutions

Caltrans and Garcetti Continue Support of the Roads Program

Transitional jobs deliver marketable experience and occupational skills while providing a closely supervised, supportive working environment that allows clients to demonstrate and practice their hard and soft skills. At Chrysalis, one of the divisions of our social enterprise is known as Roads – a nod to the City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Reentry name for the program: New Roads to Second Chances.

In January, a conference was hosted at Chrysalis to announce the extension of this program. When asked about the program, Chrysalis President & CEO, Mark Loranger stated, “The job outcomes for this program are impressive. But one of the most amazing things that I’ve seen happen over the first several years of this program is how crew members work and grow together. The experience of working on a team and with supervisors who are invested in their success is clearly a part of why this program has had such great outcomes.”

Since launching in late 2016, this partnership with the Mayor’s Office, Caltrans, and Chrysalis has served more than 1,200 individuals. Chrysalis has been able to grow this division of our social enterprise and offer more transitional jobs by also partnering with the Butte County Office of Education and Caltrans. In 2019, 10 Chrysalis Roads crews deployed from Caltrans yards in Long Beach, Malibu, Tarzana, Torrance, Silver Lake, San Fernando, and Westdale. Read the full press release here.

One Client’s Journey with Our Social Enterprise

Before the Bell: Gerardo

For nearly 30 years, our social enterprise has provided transitional employment opportunities to clients as a stepping stone in their journeys to self-sufficiency. This vital resource employed more than 1,500 clients last year, including Gerardo, who had been disconnected from the workforce for some time when he came to Chrysalis.

Initially hired to work a street maintenance position with Chrysalis Works, he has since been promoted twice and celebrates being right on track with his goals. “My transitional job is very open with my schedule and it helps me prepare for outside jobs. It’s perfect for me,” he shares. In fact, Gerardo recently shared that he is working as a Drug & Alcohol Technician on the weekends at the treatment facility that referred him to our program. “There are a lot of people who look up to me now. It feels good and it keeps me motivated to move forward.”

While Gerardo shares that access to Chrysalis’ resources and additional support he receives as an LA:RISE participant are enabling him to move forward, he does not make light of the role his actions play in his future success, “I took the steps to go to treatment, look for something like Chrysalis, and give myself another chance when it comes to work. I’m taking the necessary steps to live a better life. If it wasn’t for me putting the footwork in, none of this would be happening.” 

Chrysalis Orange County

One Year and Hundreds of Bells

Last November, we celebrated our Orange County center’s one-year anniversary – and over 190 jobs secured at that point in time. During the festivities, we were joined by volunteers, clients, supporters, and community members and presented with a series of awards from local government officials in honor of our clients’ successes and our program’s impact.

We also heard from Graham, a Chrysalis client whose transformation is a testament to what individuals can achieve with access to the right resources and support. At 21 years old, Graham received a 15-year prison sentence. He knew that he needed to make a change, so during the last few years of his sentence, he participated in rehabilitative groups where he could find healing.

When he came to Chrysalis, Graham was excited to take advantage of resources that would help him get up to speed and navigate a job search in a world that, over the last decade and a half, had changed considerably. He was also referred to work a transitional job with our social enterprise.

He then started taking steps toward attaining his dream job – working in the California State prison system as a Transformational Coach. Because of his background, his application was immediately rejected. But after requesting an in-person meeting to explain exactly why his past made him the perfect candidate, they were sold.

Today – employed, housed, and reunited with his family – Graham is helping people who, like him, want to find healing and build a future that is not defined by their past. He also represents one of over 200 Orange County clients who secured employment in 2019 with the support of our program. That’s right, by year-end, the number of OC jobs secured was more than double our initial first-year goal!

Young Professionals are Changing Lives

The Kaleidoscope Giving Circle

Last year, the Kaleidoscope Giving Circle was launched – bringing with it the next generation of Chrysalis donors and advocates. Comprised of young professionals with diverse backgrounds in consulting, entertainment, finance, government, healthcare, law, and real estate – to name a few – this giving circle provides members with networking opportunities and exclusive access to behind-the-scenes events with Chrysalis leadership.

Founding members raised awareness, garnered in-kind donations, and fundraised toward a collective goal at a variety of Chrysalis and member-hosted events last year – including coffee with our President & CEO, happy hour with our VP of Chrysalis Enterprises, dinner hosted by two Chrysalis Board Members, a pants party, multiple trivia nights, pottery paint night, spin event, and holiday mixer.

Thank you to our 2019 Kaleidoscope Founding Members:

Join Kaleidoscope

Top Three Ways to Take Action in 2020

Donate

Your donation ensures that the more than 5,000 clients who will turn to Chrysalis for access to vital resources and support this year will be empowered in their journeys to find and retain employment.

Volunteer

Caring, motivated people are needed at all of our centers to facilitate classes and provide one-on-one services to Chrysalis clients. Read some of our volunteer spotlights and consider giving your time to someone today!

Hire

Chrysalis has focused on employment for more than three decades, and we can tell you that employers have the opportunity to be great catalysts of change in our communities.

Upcoming Events

March 12

The Future is Working

Mark your calendar for Orange County Community Foundation’s The Future Is Working Collaborative Giving Day! Thursday, March 12 will be an online giving day with the goal of raising $70,000 for seven workforce development organizations, including Chrysalis. On this day only, all donations made to Chrysalis via the Orange County Community Foundation’s fundraising platform will be matched by our generous hiring partner Thermal-Vac Technology up to $5k!

Mark your calendar, set an alert, just don’t miss your opportunity to change lives on March 12!

May 6

Rock & Brews Fundraiser

Join us at Rock & Brews’ Tustin location for a night of great bites and music. Proceeds to benefit Chrysalis.

May 21

8 to 9:30 a.m.

Downtown Center Tour & Skid Row Walk

Join us at this quarterly event for a look inside the work we do and the community we serve. RSVP here. 

Fall 2020

19th Annual Butterfly Ball  

Since 2002, the Chrysalis Butterfly Ball has raised over $18 million to support our programs, bringing together over 700 attendees from every sector of entertainment, business, and philanthropy.

View our Upcoming Events

Download our full eNewsletter by clicking the link below!

Download our Spring 2020 eNewsletter

The post Spring 2020 Newsletter first appeared on Chrysalis.