As the center begins to wind down and clients slowly filter out of the building, Roberta is wrapping up a meeting with her fifth and final client of the day. When they’re finished, she walks him to the lobby and hands him his brand new resume, signaling the end of her weekly routine.
Every Wednesday morning, Roberta travels to Downtown Los Angeles to spend the day composing resumes, facilitating practice interviews, and filling out online job applications with Chrysalis clients. “I loved Chrysalis from the moment I learned about it. It’s a great place to be,” she begins. “This is one of my favorite days of the week.”
When Roberta first heard about Chrysalis in the 1990s, she never could have anticipated how her relationship with the organization would evolve in the years to come. While she made a career for herself as a legal secretary at a law firm, her husband worked at a nonprofit focused on low-income housing. Though community outreach was not unfamiliar to her, it was her husband’s connections that brought a Chrysalis employee to a party at their home one evening. A simple conversation about his work in Skid Row quickly sparked Roberta’s interest, leading to a relationship with Chrysalis that has since spanned nearly two decades.
“[The day after the party] I went to work and I sent out an email to the entire office telling them about Chrysalis. I said, ‘If you have work-appropriate clothing that you’re giving away, please bring them to me, for Chrysalis clients!’”
For the next ten years, Roberta continued to collect in-kind donations for the organization. “Everyone loved it so much,” she reminisces. Friends and coworkers reached out constantly, asking when they could bring her more items to donate. But after she retired, Roberta was interested in finding new ways to get involved with the organization. Shortly after inquiring about other volunteer opportunities, Roberta was at the head of the classroom facilitating Convictions and the Job Search – a supplemental course offered at Chrysalis which helps prepare clients with a background to conduct a successful job search.
Later, when the program’s curriculum was restructured, Roberta decided to try working with clients individually instead. Now, on the days she isn’t attending tap dance classes, hiking, or creating mosaic art, Roberta can be found at Chrysalis. “I love working with the clients, going back and forth with them [on resumes, practice interviews, and online applications]. It’s such a good feeling to see when they suddenly get it.”
When she first began providing one-on-one services, Roberta thought writing resumes would be nothing more than typing up what the clients told her. It didn’t take long for her to realize it was a far more collaborative process than that. Recognizing that each client has a unique set of talents, background, and individual barriers, Roberta has a personalized approach to working with each person she serves. She explains that she has observed that some clients, for example, don’t perceive their skills or experiences as relevant to their current job search, ranging from individuals who once fed thousands of inmates three times a day to those who have helped friends paint their house or mowed lawns. When she hears, “I don’t have much to give,” she focuses on highlighting their perseverance and the accomplishments that led them to this point in the hopes of improving their self-confidence and awareness of their skills. In doing this, she helps clients shift their perspective of themselves and their work which may help them when it comes time to update their resumes or talk about themselves in an interview.
Volunteering at Chrysalis has been an eye-opening experience for Roberta. While donating professional attire and hygiene products was helpful and worthwhile, her direct involvement with clients has allowed her to gain a new understanding of homelessness and the individuals experiencing it. Things many people take for granted, such as having a familial support system like Roberta’s during difficult times, can be the deciding factor in whether or not someone finds themselves facing homelessness.
“You don’t know what people have been through,” she explains. “I have been so fortunate in my life without even trying, and I work with people who have to work so hard just to get to a place where they can get a job. And I want them to be able to go and be the very best candidate who’s interviewed for a job. Not just as good as the other candidates, but way better.”
Thank you for your long-time commitment and dedication to Chrysalis, Roberta!