Comparisons….

For many years, I was a member of an international women’s service organization called Soroptimist International (SI). As a member of SI Truckee Meadows (SITM) in Reno, NV, I helped establish Women of Achievement (originally Women Moving Forward). In 2008, SITM paired with a local hotel-casino which underwrote most of the expenses of the daylong seminar. Women of Achievement offered a ‘closet’ with professional clothing to use for job interviews, resume writing & mock interview workshops, and assistance from local non-profit agencies for housing & secondary education. The guests were referred to SITM from social service agencies and the local homeless shelter. The afternoon culminated with a luncheon where the guests were able to practice formal dining skills while talking with SITM members and enjoying a fashion show that highlighted what to wear and what not to wear at job interviews.

Today in LA, my classmates and I were hosted by Chrysalis –a non-profit agency that offers similar services to motivated people on or near Skid Row. The downtown office is one of three that offers men and women with stable housing resources the opportunity to not only acquire a job, but retain employment once hired. Located in neighborhoods with pervasive homelessness and poverty, Chrysalis is staffed by people who truly care about the population which they serve. Like SITM, it supported by locals who ‘celebrate the journey’ faced by its clients. Its founder, John Dillard, saw a deficit in the community almost 31 years ago  and opened Chrysalis as a food & clothing distribution center. Today, it serves approximately 400 people daily.