As a long-time advocate for causes that combat homelessness, Chrysalis has been in Kristin’s purview for over a decade. She had been volunteering for organizations adjacent to Chrysalis for a while, distributing clothes and hygiene kits to those experiencing homelessness. Following the peak of the pandemic, Kristin felt compelled to make an even greater change in her community and signed up to become a Chrysalis volunteer.
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“I was interested in the long-term, in people who want to make a life-change. I wanted to support clients not just getting through the day but wanting to change the larger course of their life, like supporting a client reentering the workforce.” |
Kristin describes her volunteer experience at Chrysalis as uniquely fulfilling because of the ripples of change she can make. “Resume work is going to go beyond that day. It feels different because it’s more permanent or lasting. I feel like I’m making an impact.”
Two times a week, Kristin helps Orange County clients over the phone, each call ranging anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes. During these sessions, Kristin explains to clients that their resumes are not set in stone and that they should feel encouraged to customize them based on their experience. Leveraging her public relations and communications background, she adeptly wordsmiths a resume to the client’s strengths. By keeping her sessions conversational and asking thoughtful questions, she gets a sense of what the client wants to do for work and tailors their resume around their skills and goals.
A practice interview session with Kristin is always a safe space. She reassures clients that messing up or feeling shy at times is normal and acceptable. Her favorite moments in these sessions with clients are when she meets with someone who is more reserved at the beginning but opens up and is confident presenting themselves and describing their skills by the end of her time with them.
“It’s important to get the client talking,” Kristin explains. She emphasizes that all clients, including those who are justice-involved, have valuable experience they can contribute to the workforce. And she enjoys finding the nuances of their stories.
“They can be great communicators. Maybe they like helping people or making things better,” Kristin says, “I show clients what they have done and how powerful their experience has been.”
Thank you to Kristin and our many volunteers across Southern California helping Chrysalis clients find, prepare for, and retain jobs!
Kristin is originally from Orange County and now lives a few blocks away from the Chrysalis Downtown center. She loves spending her free time serving Chrysalis clients across Southern California, volunteering with the Echo Park Trash Club, spending time with her boyfriend and pets, and discussing literature with her book club.