Empowerment Express: Hope on Wheels

Affordable housing and homelessness

South LA South Bay County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit) City of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a citywide benefit) Other

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Los Angeles County’s homelessness crisis is heartbreaking, especially in areas along the 105 Freeway, where encampments have become a stark representation of inequity and survival. The individuals living here often lack access to basic necessities like clean clothing, laundry facilities, or connections to vital services—things essential to dignity and hope. Barriers such as transportation, limited outreach, and stigma make it even harder for these individuals to break the cycle. We recognize that solving homelessness doesn’t only mean offering housing but addressing systemic gaps in services with empathy, accessibility, and trust at the core.

We’re calling this project Empowerment Express: Hope on Wheels because that’s exactly what it will be—a mobile outreach program bringing essential resources and services directly to unhoused individuals in encampments along the 105 Freeway. Imagine a dedicated mobile unit equipped with laundry facilities, clothing distribution stations, and access to workforce readiness and housing referrals—all delivered right to the people who need them.
This program isn’t just about clean clothes; it’s about building trust, dignity, and connection. Outreach staff will work together with local partners who provide healthcare referrals, counseling, and housing navigation services. With your support, this grant will help us launch the initiative, including purchasing and equipping the mobile unit and providing outreach workers with the tools they need to make meaningful changes.

If Empowerment Express succeeds, people experiencing homelessness along the 105 Freeway will gain access to clean clothing, laundry services, and hope for a brighter future. Encampments in these areas will transform as individuals take steps toward housing, employment, and improved well-being. The ripple effect will extend to communities at large, with families, local businesses, and neighborhoods benefiting from cleaner, safer spaces and stronger support for our most vulnerable members. Ultimately, this program could serve as a scalable model for using mobile outreach to address systemic barriers and create lasting change throughout Los Angeles County.