FALL 2018 NEWS DOING MORE, DOING BETTER
INVESTING IN GROWTH A Chrysalis client experiences growth – both personal and professional – during every phase of their search for employment – and we are committed to being there every step of the way. Yet while we celebrate the achievements of each individual we serve, we do not rest on our laurels or assume that our work is done. Continuous enhancements to our core program are being made to ensure that we are staying up-to-speed with an ever-changing job market. Last year, we implemented a new service in which a client completes an online job application with assistance from a volunteer. Earlier this year, clients received job leads and practiced networking at mock job fairs hosted at our three centers. And not long ago, we held our first-ever industry job fairs in which clients engaged with employers from fields that align with their career goals.
Now, it’s my turn to help.”
”
ERNIE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELOR
Ernie left behind years of substance abuse and a history of incarceration to dedicate his life to those in recovery – and Chrysalis was there with the resources he needed to map out his pathway to success. ChangeLives.org/Ernie
Investments like these yield tangible results for our clients and in our program – for instance, the number of jobs secured by clients thus far in 2018 is 34 percent higher than at this same time last year. And if the numbers aren’t enough to keep us going, then it’s the sound of the bells in the lobbies of our centers that sing songs of success, while also sending a reminder that our work has only just begun.
WHAT IS THE REASON FOR YOUR VISIT? CHECK ALL THAT APPLY. Over 400 clients access Chrysalis’ services each day. Many sign in to meet with their Employment Specialist, indicating the reason for their visit by checking one or more boxes. In the piece below, a Chrysalis case manager shares how her sign-up sheet tells stories of challenge and triumph. When her immigration paperwork got backed up, Mayte’s Employment Specialist, Denise, helped her obtain a scholarship from Chrysalis to cover her work permit expenses. With that barrier out of the way. Mayte went on to land a housekeeping position!
If my board could talk...
by Denise Ocana Chrysalis Employment Specialist If my board could talk, it’d tell you that one of my clients was temporarily suspended from his transitional job.
If my board could talk, it would tell you that two other clients got security jobs.
If my board could talk, it would say that a client came in because they got kicked out of where they were staying.
If my board could talk, it’d say that someone else passed their driver’s license test.
If my board could talk, it’d say that it didn’t go so well for my other client in his latest interview.
If my board could talk, it’d tell you how excited my other client was to tell me he was finally moving into housing that day.
But, if my board could talk, it would also tell you that my immigrant client who was so desperately waiting for her work permit finally got it mailed in – and got a job.
At the end of the day, my hand is cramped from writing so many case notes. My eyes are tired of staring at the computer. The weariness of the day starts to ease in.
But when I look at my board, the greatest of satisfactions settles me. My board speaks to me and reflects the achievements of my clients and lets me know of the successes of those yet to come. What an exciting time we are living in Chrysalis history.
CREATIVE & CLEAN, VENICE BEACH BID LAUNCHED Hired by the newly-formed BID, the Chrysalis clean team provides street and sidewalk maintenance, graffiti removal, and weed abatement in the boardwalk, Windward Circle, and Main Street areas.
Above, Chrysalis Works Supervisor, Paul Williams (left) and Works Program Coordinator, Perry Williams (right) debrief before diving into the Venice Beach BID cleaning blitz.
In May, Chrysalis welcomed the Venice Beach Business Improvement District (BID) to our social enterprise family!
This partnership with the Venice Beach BID allows Chrysalis to create more Westside-based transitional job opportunities for our clients and makes us an official part of a special community. “Venice is a jewel,” shared Chrysalis Senior Operations Manager, Laurie Niesen, who helped get the project off the ground earlier this year.
Niesen’s close ties to the location made assisting with the launch of the BID’s clean team particularly significant. She met her husband in Venice some years ago, and, at the time of the launch, she had recently returned from maternity leave. Her care for the area’s urban campers is also rooted in a personal connection, which helped Neisen and the Chrysalis team as they prepared to provide services in a new community. Be sure to say hello to our workers the next time you visit Muscle Beach, and don’t forget to refer prospective clients to our Santa Monica center!
“
The first time I came to Chrysalis, I had just gotten out of prison. It has been helping me tremendously.”
WE HAVE A
HOME!
DONALD, STREET MAINTENANCE WORKER, CHRYSALIS ENTERPRISES
For more than 25 years, Chrysalis Enterprises has offered time-limited, transitional employment to individuals who face the biggest barriers to reconnecting with the workforce. After being released from prison, Donald paid a visit to our Downtown center ready to get back to work so that he could support his young daughter.
In a recent behind-the-scenes interview, he shares what inspires him to go above and beyond on the job each day. Chrysalis: What makes you a great employee? Donald: I don’t focus on the obstacles, I just work through them. Chin up, chest out. Sometimes I’ll be the last one on the shift because I want to make sure I’m doing it right. You have to do the right thing when no one’s looking because that makes you be a better person.
Earlier this year, we shared the exciting news that Chrysalis will be opening a new center in Orange County in the fall of 2018. Thanks to unanimous – and enthusiastic – approval from the Anaheim City Council, Chrysalis can now announce that we will have access to a city-owned building where we will be setting up shop!
Chrysalis: What do you like about your transitional job? Donald: Every night I go to bed with my Chrysalis Works uniform laid out and ready to go for the next day. I like responsibilities, and Chrysalis has given me that. One of Downtown L.A.’s favorite pups, @DTLABrutus, visits Donald on the job. See the post on Instagram!
U P DAT E
Orange County
#BEFORETHEBELL: DONALD
The dignity “ of a day’s work
has the power to transform lives.” Mayor Tom Tait, City of Anaheim
Keep reading: ChangeLives.org/Donald-CE
Will your employer
match your gift? Use our new search tool, and learn how you can maximize your donation! ChangeLives.org/Match
DONATE Support Chrysalis’ commitment to meeting the ever-increasing demand for our services.
VOLUNTEER Build a resume – and someone’s confidence and marketability.
HIRE Bring dedicated and hardworking team members like Donald to your business.
n o s t e Tick
! w o n sale
UPCOMING EVENTS SKID ROW FROM STREET LEVEL
Join us for a walking tour of Skid Row and our Downtown center.
CHRYSALIS POKER NIGHT The chips will be stacked for change at our third annual poker tournament!
NOV 15
8 to 9:15 a.m.
Chrysalis Downtown 522 S. Main St. Los Angeles, CA 90013 RSVP@ChangeLives.org
TURKEY TROT
Strut your stuff this Thanksgiving, and fundraise for Chrysalis.
NOV 22
8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
♣ ♥ GO ALL-IN ♠ A Texas Hold’em Poker Night
Thursday, October, 25, 2018 6 to 10:30 p.m. Museum of Flying, Santa Monica Secure your tickets today!
Grand Park Downtown Los Angeles ChangeLives.org/Turkey
TICKETS
Player: $300 Gallery: $200
18TH ANNUAL BUTTERFLY BALL
Save the date! Since 2002, this annual fundraising event has raised over $16 million to help individuals out of poverty and homelessness by providing the tools necessary to find and retain employment.
Purchase online at ChangeLives.org/Poker, or contact Lori Simpson at (310) 401-9393.
Corporate and Sponsorship packages available
Take flight, and enjoy:
JUNE 1, 2019
#ChangeLives
SILENT AUCTION & RAFFLE
MUSEUM TOURS
ChangeLives.org
LIVE DJ