Bright and early, Symphony starts her workday stationed behind the front desk at the Chrysalis Downtown Los Angeles center. When the doors open at 8 a.m., Symphony and her fellow Client Services colleagues spring into action, warmly welcoming clients with a cup of coffee and guiding them toward essential job-readiness resources and support – such as new client orientation, a check-in with their Employment Specialist, or access to professional attire and hygiene items from our Resource Room.
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In her role as a Client Service Coordinator, Symphony handles the flow of people who enter the center, getting them to where they need to go. |
One of Symphony’s greatest strengths is her ability to cultivate trust with every individual who comes through Chrysalis’ doors – despite what they are personally and professionally navigating. She understands the responsibility of being the first person from the organization with whom current and potential clients interact, and greets everybody with respect. Her relationship and rapport with those we serve set a valuable foundation of confidence between our clients and Chrysalis as an organization. When the need arises, she also adeptly handles escalated situations, a skill she honed from many years in customer service.
Symphony understands the responsibility of being the first person from the organization with whom current and potential clients interact, and greets everybody with respect. |
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“Clients like to be heard. They have a situation they’re going through, and it’s traumatic. They need to express themselves because no one is listening. I always give them a few minutes – to listen to them – and I don’t take it personally. There’s trust that I will take care of them.”
Symphony typically drives through Skid Row on the way to work. One day, she recognized someone from her daily commute at Chrysalis. After greeting the individual multiple times, she later observed him providing street sweeping, trash removal, and beautification services as a transitional employee with Chrysalis Works within our Employment Social Enterprise.
For Symphony, the most gratifying part of her job is the heartwarming moments when clients secure employment or find stable housing.
In 2021, Symphony was referred to her current position by a former Chrysalis staff member. In April of this year, she went on a six-month maternity leave. Returning in mid-September, she hit the ground running, seamlessly picking up where she had left off. She feels immensely grateful for the opportunities she was given and wants to return the favor to her peers and her community.
As Symphony reflects on her experience living and working in Los Angeles, she shares, “I’m always grateful when someone points me in the right direction. I don’t gatekeep. I love sharing opportunities and there are a lot of opportunities to share. I’m always thankful, so I like doing it for other people.”
Outside of work, Symphony likes to bake, where she has perfected the cupcake. This year, Symphony and her husband welcomed two additional members of the family, their puppy and their daughter Lenise.