Raft, Inc.: Resources Advancing Family Transitions

Raft, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that is in Inglewood which provides job training and placement coupled with stable housing and supportive services. They target low-income single mothers and emancipated youth.

They partner with attorneys from the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles’ Community Economic Development. They have been a tax exempt charity since 2002.

The Raft “New Wave Program”

Since 2004, the New Wave Program placed students who have graduated into programs. They have been recognized by the California Bar Foundation, and have financial independence. They now support the Legal Support Institute which is an employment training school that is also registered with California.

Give Back to Raft, Inc.

It’s easy to “launch a RAFT” with donations. With budget cuts at an all time high, Raft needs your support.

Donate today online. Donations are tax deductible with a tax id of 95-4819417.

Mail donations to:

Raft, Inc.
PO Box 83328
Los Angeles, CA 90083

You can call them at 310.670.4617.

Homeboy Industries: Nothing Stops a Bullet Like a Job

Targeting youth involved in gangs, Homeboy Industries’ services enable young people to “redirect their lives and provide them with hope for their futures.” From job training to support and counseling, each person has a personal Case Manager while they take classes that teach them valuable skills to apply to their jobs.

Homeboy provides jobs for people who want to move beyond life on the streets in a gang. They offer case management, education, training for jobs, counseling, mental health services, legal services, and tattoo removal.

Jobs Are the Key to Change

The Employment Counselors help at-risk youth find jobs by:

1. Searching for available jobs
2. Developing Resumes
3. Developing personal presentation and interview skills
4. Finding good employment matches

Their goal is to find good matches for people who need jobs. They train them at Homeboy and then train them to take positions outside of the charity. This teaches them to be strong candidates for many positions.

Laser Removal Courtesy of Homeboy Industries

Donate Now to Homeboy Industries

You can donate through mail, online, or by PayPal. For more information on how to donate visit the Homeboy Industries website.  Call Homeboy Industries at 323.526.1254. You can send all checks to:

Homeboy Industries
130 W. Bruno St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Women’s Empowerment: Giving Homeless Women the Tools for Employment

Women’s Empowerment is a non profit organization who gives homeless women the skills and confidence they need to get a job and live a healthy lifestyle. This way they can get a home for themselves and their children back.

Homeless women created the Women’s Empowerment charity that brought together people as a community in order for women to express what they need. They work with focus groups to give women who are stuck in the cycle of poverty the tools they need in order to get jobs and become self sufficient people.

Noted Accomplishments

Women’s Empowerment officially became an independent nonprofit in 2004. Since then, they have grown to a board and staff with a great overview of what the community actually needs which includes a lot of volunteers and mentors who help homeless women rise out of poverty.

They have served over 771 women and 800 children since the start of their program. May 2009 market a great accomplishment – Women’s Empowerment was named Nonprofit of the Year by the Nonprofit Resource Center.

Giving Back to Women’s Empowerment

People living in Los Angeles can donate to Women’s Empowerment because it is up at our state’s capital of Sacramento. Only 19% of all donations go to administrative costs, which means you can “donate with confidence.” Donate today to Women’s Empowerment.

You can contact Women’s Empowerment at 1400 North C Street, Sacramento, CA 95811. Call them at 916-669-2307 or email them at support@womens-empowerment.org.

Food on Foot: 787 Consecutive Weeks of Service and Counting

Food on Foot focuses on giving the Los Angeles poor and homeless meals, clothing, and job assistance in order to transition them from life on the streets to an independent life.

Starting off as a weekly meal program in Hollywood, Food on Foot graduates people from their program as self-sufficient people who do not need government assistance. They are able to support themselves and pay for their own apartment.

Foundation for a Better Life

Neil Patrick Harris won money for Food on Foot at the Jeopardy! Celebrity Invitational.

Food on Foot provides the foundation for a better life. By providing warm meals and a place to stay, people have the confidence to go find a job, and a place to go to and from the interview.

Here is a list of some of the Food on Foot graduates straight from the Food on Foot website:

October 2006 – Sonia joined the maintenance crew at Whole Foods in Beverly Hills.
January 2007 – Kim D. joined the CPA firm Singer Lewak Greenbaum & Goldstein, LLP as a bookkeeper.
March 2007 – Haggit R. was hired at Ralphs as a grocery bagger and now runs the deli.
July 2007 – Ken D. began work as a Property Manager at an apartment complex in Glendale.
February 2008 – Danny G. joined the maintenance crew at an aircraft parts company in Inglewood.
March 2008 – Deborah S. began work as a cashier at Food 4 Less in Hollywood.
July 2008 – Paul M. was hired at Martin Motors in Los Angeles washing cars.
November 2008 – Paul D. was hired at the Law Offices of Jeffrey Sax in Downtown LA as a clerk.
December 2008 – Walter P., after 10 years of homelessness, was promoted to Head of Client Relations for Food on Foot.
April 2009 – Gina L. was hired as a caregiver for an elderly man in Hollywood.
May 2009 – Peter R. was hired at a Jamba Juice in Hollywood.
June 2009 – Robin L. was hired at Martin Motors as a security guard.
February 2010 – Rebel S. was hired at Tender Greens in Hollywood as a food prep.
October 2010 – Jennifer M. was hired at IHop in Hollywood as a hostess.
December 2010 – Joliff S. was hired at Martin Motors as a lot attendant.

Give Back to Food on Foot

You can volunteer with Food on Foot by signing up at one of their locations. Volunteers distribute food and clothing – you sign up and you show up. You can show up just for an hour on Sunday.

You can donate to Food on Foot as well. If you don’t want to donate online, you can donate to Food on Foot at 9663 Santa Monica Blvd #743, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

You can also donate clothing at 1625 N. Shrader Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90068 between 10:30 am and 2:30 pm every Sunday.

Chrysalis: Changing Lives Through Jobs

One obstacle that the homeless and underprivileged population faces is joblessness. Chrysalis is dedicated to giving homeless and impoverished people the tools, resources, and support they need in order to not only get hired, but to keep their jobs.

To meet the increasing demand for jobs, Chrysalis is constantly expanding. They provide staff, volunteers, and an environment that gives many the opportunity for personal growth. Their Transitional Jobs Program has offered over 220,000 hours of employment with $2.5 million in wages.

Unemployment in Los Angeles

Currently, Los Angeles’ unemployment rate is at 12.3 %.  There are 82,000 people homeless on any given night and 38,375,819 people without jobs. The percent of people living under the poverty level is around 20% of the population.

Charities like Chrysalis offer great opportunities for people who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunities for more.

Giving Back to Chrysalis

Volunteer with Chrysalis or donate to Chrysalis in order to give back. Volunteers are asked to help prepare resumes, practice interviews, facilitate workshops, help in computer labs, and provide administrative assistance.

You can also contact Chrysalis for more information.