With the nonstop movement of daily life, it can be easy for a woman to forget how much she has to be grateful for — like having a job, a place to live and reasons to be optimistic about the future.
According to last year’s annual homeless census, there are 11,000 women living on the streets without shelter in Los Angeles County. Including those living in shelters or vehicles, women make up roughly a third of the county’s homeless population.
Mirroring those statistics, women account for about 30% of clients for Chrysalis, a nonprofit that provides self-sufficiency and job readiness training, transitional employment and job referrals to low-income and formerly homeless adults at offices in downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica. Last year, for example, more than 430 people who trained in Santa Monica secured employment, said Communications Director Mallory Powers Loring.
Chrysalis also offers women a safe space of their own through its recurring specialized Women’s Empowerment Program. The nine-week workshop not only imparts vital life skills for finding and keeping a job, but also fosters dialogue to rebuild self-esteem for those who’ve faced significant life challenges, which sometimes but not always includes homelessness. Topics include goal setting, time management, financial literacy, dealing with negative thinking, professionalism
in the workplace and mentorship discussions with past Chrysalis clients.
In late March, 36 women about to complete this year’s spring session gathered at Salon Tru in Santa Monica, which donated the time and talents of its stylists and aestheticians to provide free haircuts and job-interview makeovers.
These physical transformations reflected how participants’ lifted their spirits through sharing struggles, victories and personal growth, noted Chrysalis Vice President of Development Molly Moen.
“It’s the team of other women cheering them on, the restored self-confidence and the hope for the future that have a truly lasting impact on their success as they re-enter the workforce,” Moen said.