CREATEHope on Wheels: Mobile Opportunity Hub for Disconnected Youth
Hope on Wheels is a mobile opportunity hub that brings transformative resources directly to youth and young adults in underserved Los Angeles neighborhoods. Equipped with technology, staffed by trained peer navigators, and guided by Sanctuary of Hope’s mission, this roving initiative delivers access to housing support, economic mobility tools, mental wellness, and civic engagement—restoring hope and opportunity on the streets of LA.
What is the primary issue area that your application will impact?
Youth economic advancement
In which areas of Los Angeles will you be directly working?
South LA South Bay Antelope Valley
In what stage of innovation is this project, program, or initiative?
Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)
What is your understanding of the issue that you are seeking to address?
In Los Angeles, thousands of youth ages 16–26—especially Black and Brown youth, systems-impacted individuals, Opportunity Youth (NEET), immigrants, and foster alumni—face a daily struggle to access basic resources like housing, employment, healthcare, and emotional support. Structural barriers such as transit gaps, economic segregation, and digital inequity only deepen their disconnection from services. Sanctuary of Hope (SOH) has witnessed firsthand how these gaps perpetuate cycles of housing instability, unemployment, and poor health outcomes
Describe the project, program, or initiative this grant will support to address the issue.
Hope on Wheels is a community-centered mobile initiative that travels to neighborhoods with limited access to youth services. The retrofitted vehicle functions as a roving drop-in center, offering:
Resource Navigation: Onboard support for housing, benefits, legal aid, and basic needs
Digital Access: Wi-Fi, job boards, tablets, resume clinics, and career coaching
Wellness Corner: Peer mental health screening, referrals, and trauma-informed care kits
Mobile Learning Labs: Workshops on financial literacy, renter rights, civic engagement
Transit Equity: TAP cards, route planning, and transportation advocacy
Led by a team of trained peer navigators with lived experience, the program uplifts youth voice, trust, and accountability.
Describe how Los Angeles County will be different if your work is successful.
Hope on Wheels will eliminate access barriers for 600+ disconnected youth, delivering mobile support in housing, jobs, and mental wellness. By embedding trust through peer navigators and meeting youth where they are, we aim to improve access, self-sufficiency, and civic connection. Our vision of success is a youth-powered mobile model that restores dignity and opportunity street by street. If successful, we plan to expand the fleet, deepen partnerships with local governments and transit agencies, and replicate the hub in new SPAs to scale impact across Los Angeles County.
Approximately how many people will be impacted by this project, program, or initiative?
Direct Impact: 600
Indirect Impact: 2,000