Thank you for being a valued part of the Chrysalis community and supporting our mission to change lives through jobs. Like all of you, we are keeping a constant watch on official recommendations regarding COVID-19. This is a rapidly changing environment, but our top priority remains the well-being of our clients, staff, volunteers, and community. Please keep reading below for information about how we are responding to COVID-19.
- We are temporarily suspending in-office client services at our Chrysalis-operated centers in Downtown Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley, Santa Monica, and Orange County until further notice.** Chrysalis is dedicated to continuing to support our clients during this challenging time. Through the creative use of technology, our Client Services and Direct Hire teams are providing virtual services to clients via phone, text, and email. Keep reading for an update on how our transitional jobs program is adapting to official recommendations. Our teams continue to meet and discuss how we can provide ongoing support to clients.*
- Our new client registration process was formally launched on Monday, April 13. New and current clients may gain direct access to our virtual program and services by calling (213) 394-2390 or via email at CS@ChangeLives.org.*****
- On Tuesday, April 14, our President & CEO Mark Loranger and fellow staff aired a second live video announcement with updates around our virtual program and social enterprise. Watch it here.
- On Tuesday, March 31, our President & CEO Mark Loranger and fellow staff aired a live video announcement with the latest updates on our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch it here.
- Effective Monday, March 23, Chrysalis Enterprises will be taking the following additional actions:****
- Effective Tuesday, March 31, a modified version of the Chrysalis Roads program – with the support of Caltrans, the City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, and the Butte County Office of Education – was launched, which allows more than 120 program participants to engage in remote, paid training opportunities from home. Previously this program had been paused, as the working environments of this program do not allow for adequate spatial distancing.*****
- Chrysalis Works crew deployments are being decreased. Our team is working closely with customers to determine what an appropriate service level looks like, focusing on essential services. Our free self-storage and janitorial programs will continue to operate at full capacity, while observing extreme spatial distancing and other risk mitigation measures.
- We will continue to support local businesses operating “essential services” through Chrysalis Staffing. Positions with affordable housing providers and others in the homeless services sector are being prioritized.
- We are working with City, County, and State officials to identify other areas of our community’s COVID-19 response where the expertise of Chrysalis Enterprises and the talent of our transitional workforce can be utilized.
- The need for employment-focused services and transitional jobs will only increase in the coming months. We are seeking supporters to donate and pledge to the COVID-19 Relief Fund during the current “safer-at-home” order by the City of Los Angeles (through May 31, 2020). Click here to help us keep the Success Bell ringing.***
- Chrysalis truly appreciates the dedicated support of our network of amazing volunteers! We are assessing how to engage our volunteers in virtual client services, and our Volunteer & Program Coordinators have been in touch with each of our volunteers with these updates and opportunities. We are also seeking new volunteer applications so our Volunteer & Program team may reach out to volunteers who could be ready to provide client services when centers reopen. Please fill out our online application at ChangeLives.org/Volunteer.
- Due to limited staff presence across our locations, and in the best interest of everyone’s health and well-being, we are not able to accept drop-off, in-kind donations at this time. We encourage individuals interested in making in-kind donations to visit Chrysalis’ Amazon Wish List: http://a.co/ezych80. Thank you for supporting Chrysalis and our clients during this challenging time.*
- In keeping with guidance from the State of California, we will not be hosting any large in-person events through early May. Butterfly Ball has been postponed until Fall 2020.
- Our leadership will continue to monitor the news about COVID-19 and will respond to the recommendations of our government officials and health experts. We recognize that things are changing quickly, and we may need to alter our plans pending official guidance and conditions.
We will continue sending updates to our entire community via email, on this page of our website, and on social media with news about our programming and actions you can take to help our clients through this challenging time.
Originally posted on 3/13/2020 at 2:39 p.m.
******Update made on 10/1/2021: Chrysalis has begun to offer additional in-person services at our Downtown Los Angeles, Orange County, San Fernando Valley, and Santa Monica locations. Click here to learn more.
*****Update made on 4/17/2020: Chrysalis launched a hotline for new and current clients with an aim to keep clients connected and more specifically register new clients virtually. The Chrysalis Roads program also launched virtual training opportunities for participants, creating paid work shifts.
****Update made on 3/23/2020: Chrysalis Enterprises announced additional actions to be carried out in our three businesses in observance of ongoing updates around COVID-19. Clients whose transitional employment status is affected by these changes will be connected with their Employment Specialists for additional support.
***Update made on 3/19/2020: In response to a rapidly-changing situation as a result of COVID-19, Chrysalis launched a 30-day relief fund to minimize any disruption in our services and in anticipation of an increase in new program participants.
**Update made on 3/18/2020: We announced that in-person services at our centers and locations are temporarily suspended until further notice.
*Updates made on 3/17/2020: Chrysalis announced that ongoing, innovative ways of providing services to clients has resulted in the use of more virtual tools and that an Amazon Wishlist is available to those interested in supporting via in-kind donations.