A strong ambition to help individuals navigating financial inequalities find stability is just one passion that Chrysalis volunteers Jacob, Jeffrey, and Sadhna have in common. What’s more, they all began volunteering at Chrysalis through their employer and long-time partner OneWest Bank, a Southern California based retail bank with over 60 locations.
Jacob, an Orange County native, toured our Downtown Los Angeles center with his colleagues and felt inspired by the positivity he experienced, both from the warmth of the staff and the pride that he saw in clients who rang the Success Bell after securing a job. Shortly after their tour, the pandemic required Chrysalis to switch the majority of our services to virtual, but Jacob, Jeffrey, and Sadhna were undeterred and quickly connected with our Volunteer & Program Coordinator to begin virtual volunteering.
Jacob now works with clients in many areas, ranging from resume and cover letter writing to conducting practice interviews. Ultimately, Jacob explains that he specializes in “building [clients’] confidence.” With no plans of slowing down, he shares, “So far it’s been an amazing journey and a positive experience.”
As a child, Jeffrey’s family experienced financial hardship, and watching his single mother work four jobs as he grew up inspired him to empower those in his community with similar circumstances. After visiting Chrysalis, he knew he had found the right opportunity to do just that. “I was empowered to share my experience with people looking for a way to get back on their feet,” he explained.
For now, Jeffrey helps clients with their resumes and conducts practice interviews, but he looks forward to the day when additional in-person services will be available to clients so that he can facilitate our job-readiness classes at Chrysalis.
Sadhna was drawn to Chrysalis by the effort she saw staff and volunteers devote to helping individuals facing income instability gain employment and, in her words, “become self-sustaining citizens.” During her volunteer onboarding sessions, she observed that “[clients] might have certain strengths and skills, but are not necessarily able to translate them into a resume,” which is exactly where her role as a virtual volunteer comes in.
Sadhna also reflects on the ripple effect an individual securing employment has in the community and shares, “Helping people get employed is fulfilling work. It not only helps them but helps their entire family and respective communities.”
With our evolving virtual service model, Jacob, Jeffrey, and Sadhna have adapted and continue to use their years of expertise in the financial sector to make an impact in the lives of many clients. “The recent pandemic has changed the way we live and created a new normal,” shares Jeffrey, “Virtual services are an integral part of this.”
We thank Sadhna, Jacob, Jeffrey, and the numerous other virtual volunteers for stepping up during this challenging time to empower Chrysalis clients to continue to prepare for, find, and retain employment. Volunteering with Chrysalis is a rewarding and fulfilling way to make lasting change in your community. Due to an increased response from individuals interested in becoming volunteers, please note that we are currently accepting applications for our wait list only. Click here to learn more.
Chrysalis is grateful to OneWest Bank for their continued partnership over the last three years. In addition to the tremendous volunteer support, the bank has contributed $200,000 in support of our program operations. Click here to learn more about our partners.