Recently, a series of articles in the Los Angeles Times focused on the homelessness crisis in our city, detailing the problem of the steadily rising homelessness population. But there is a solution too. Join community leaders and the Ebell for a very special night of story telling on Tuesday, February 27, 2018 and learn how you can help be part of the solution.
It all started last August when Hancock Park philanthropist Marilyn Wells, Psy. D. attended a luncheon where the Hilton Foundation presented a grant to the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) for $6 million to support the Los Angeles initiative to prevent and end chronic homelessness. Wells heard a formerly homeless woman named Emily speak about her struggle and ultimate path to her own home aided by supportive housing programs.
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 photographer Allison 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.
CSH (Corporation for Supportive Housing) was founded over 20 years ago with the revolutionary idea: give the most needy men and women on our streets a home and surround them with the care they need. Trainees and graduates from CSH Speak Up! (the program’s official name) have shared their personal stories with state representatives, local community leaders, Representatives and Senators in D.C., the press and at conferences across the country.
Wells and Schallert were inspired to bring the voices of these people to the community following a program on ending homelessness presented by Imagine LA and the Ebell last October. They joined forces with Imagine LA, founded by Windsor Village resident Jill Bauman and A Sense of Home, a program for former foster youth who will sing and perform spoken word poetry as part of the evening, plus a host of other community leaders and organizations, including the Larchmont Buzz, to present the evening.
“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
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