Chrysalis Schedules Almost Open House:

Chrysalis is throwing an almost open house party at its new building at 1853 Lincoln Boulevard on Friday March 4, from 7 to 10 p.m. Music will be provided by DJ Earl and six guests. Beer, wine, and hors d’oeuvres will be served, and local artists and Chrysalis clients will exhibit their artworks.  Sponsors include Bob Weatherford of Sotheby International Realty, the Shout! Factory, the Kitchen for Exploring Food and Chef Robert Catering. Tickets are $35 in advance, and $45 after 3/2 or at the bar. They are tax deductible. For tickets, call 310 392 4117, ext. 309.  The only independent nonprofit organization in Los Angeles County exclusively dedicated to helping economically disadvantaged and homeless individuals become self-sufficient through employment opportunities, Chrysalis currently assists  more than 2,200 individuals a year to reclaim their  lives. Its three principal service centers are located where homelessness and pockets of poverty are most pervasive – on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles, in Santa Monica, and in the Pacoima area of the San Fernando Valley. Founded in 1984 as a food and clothing distribution center serving homeless men and women living on Skid Row, the agency soon  realized that longer-term solutions were needed in order to help people overcome poverty and homelessness. That was the genesis of its current program and its operating premise: a steady job is the single most important step in a person’s transition to long-term self-sufficiency. The proof of the program’s effectiveness is in Chrysalis’ job readiness curriculum secure  employment;                  1,730 individuals find employment through Chrysalis’ services throughout the year; 82% of employed clients participating in the retention program retained their jobs for six months or more; The average cost of the program is $2,300 per client/year — reduced by 12 percent in costs from 2003, and a fraction of the cost of similar government sponsored employment programs which can cost $4,000 to $13,000 per client/year;91 perent of all funds raised go directly to client services. Chrysalis presented its model at a White House conference exploring “Innovative Solutions to Hunger and Poverty” for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1999. Its 2005 budget is $7.2 million.  Labor Connection and StreetWorks, its two revenue producing on-the-job training programs, provide approximately 60% of the budget.  It solicits support from individuals, corporations and foundations to fund approximately 30% of the budget.  The remaining 10% is raised through government contracts and grants.