LA First Lady Amy Elaine Wakeland to Speak at Stories from the Frontline Event

Los Angeles’ First Lady, Amy Elaine Wakeland, will be an honorary speaker at “Stories From the Frontline,” a storytelling event featuring formerly homeless people sharing their experience. It will be held at the Ebell of Los Angeles on the evening of Tuesday, February 27, 2018.

First Lady Wakeland has a long record of advocacy for children and families. She is active with organizations and campaigns focused on combating sexual and domestic violence, empowering women and girls, and serving LA’s most vulnerable residents by solving the homelessness crisis.

The event was organized by Hancock Park philanthropist Marilyn Wells, Psy. D.  and Allison Schallert, photographer and Larchmont Village resident, to educate the community and build public support for supportive housing programs as an essential part of the solution to solving homelessness.

Wells was inspired by hearing a formerly homeless woman named Emily speak about her struggle and ultimate path to her own home, aided by the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH)  Supportive housing programs are recognized as one of the must successful ways to help people become housing stable, but unfortunately, one of the obstacles to building more supportive housing developments in Los Angeles comes from local residents opposing projects in their neighborhoods.

After hearing Emily speak, Wells explained to the Buzz, “I thought to myself, I would welcome her into my neighborhood;  maybe others would feel the same way too if they could hear these stories.”

That thought started Wells on a journey to help catalyze community support for supportive housing by helping CSH and others share the stories of formerly homeless people. Wells invited her friend and Schallert, a Larchmont Village resident, to help document the nine-month long training program operated by CSH in Los Angeles were formerly homeless people gain confidence and practice preparing to meet with legislators and community leaders to tell their stories, humanizing and personalizing homelessness and advocating for supportive housing. Schallert’s work was presented at the graduation ceremony from the program.

Wells and Schallert have joined forces with Imagine LA, founded by Windsor Village resident Jill Bauman, and a host of other community leaders and organizations, including the Larchmont Buzz,  to present the evening. Former foster youth will sing and perform spoken word poetry as part of the program.

“Stories from the Frontline: Ending Homelessness through Supportive Housing” will be an evening that gives voice to the people everyone is trying to help.

“The goal of this evening,” said Schallert, “is to introduce our community to supportive housing and their successful residents through a thoroughly engaging evening of storytelling.”

Stories from the Frontline: Ending Homelessness through Supportive Housing
The Ebell of Los Angeles
741 South Lucerne Blvd.
Reception at 6:30 p.m., Program at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets $20, $10 with student I.D.,
Food and drinks (no host bar) will be served.
ebelleventtickets.com, (323) 931-1277, x 131