Downtown Women's Center

DWC's Aging in Place program-the first in the nation-combines a highly effective Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) model for women experiencing homelessness with services not typically offered in PSH (e.g., a Registered Nurse and Occupational Therapy) to ensure that older adults (60% of DWC's residents) can maintain supportive housing and address chronic health conditions that threaten their stability. With support from LA2050, DWC will deepen our Aging in Place program as we expand services to new PSH sites across Los Angeles County.

DWC is seeking $100,000 from the Goldhirsh Foundation to support the expansion of our transitional employment program. DWC will place 10 women into paid employment through our two retail stores in downtown LA, for a period of 12 months, gaining hands-on work experience in customer service, food handling, drink making, inventory management, and retail.

DWC leverages the power of for-profit/non-profit partnerships to work toward ending homelessness for women in Los Angeles.

Women experiencing homelessness face complex, intersecting barriers on their paths to personal stability. Since 1978, the Downtown Women’s Center (DWC) has been empowering women to break the cycles of homelessness and poverty by providing a wide array of services that can be tailored to each woman’s needs. The recent economic downturn has shown an increased demand for income and employment opportunities, and women on Los Angeles’ Skid Row are no exception. DWC, an agency that serves 4,300 homeless and extremely low-income women annually, is meeting that need by expanding our comprehensive Education and Job Readiness Program to serve the complex income and employment needs of homeless, formerly homeless, and extremely low-income women. With over three decades of experience, DWC is uniquely prepared to offer services for the hardest to employ women. Many of the women we serve may never be able to reenter the traditional workforce because of physical disabilities, mental health issues, ageing, or other barriers related to their experience of homelessness. Our programs allow these women to learn practical skills, gain a sense of purpose, and regain self-sustainability and earn income from alternative job opportunities. Our Education and Job Readiness Program is made possible through DWC’s on-site Learning Center, as well as our two MADE by DWC social enterprises, a café and gift shop opened in April 2011, and a resale boutique that opened in November 2012. Both businesses offer hands-on job training opportunities, as well as support the local economy in downtown Los Angeles while inviting community members to engage in ending homelessness through socially conscious shopping. SET to Create In 2013, we are building on the initial successes of our SET to Create product-development program allows participants to gain soft skills by participating in workshops, as they simultaneously gain practical skills in creating handcrafted products to industry standards. The MADE by DWC product line emphasizes sustainable goods and includes organic soaps and candles, jewelry, ornaments, and upcycled picture frames and bound journals. Women who complete an initial certification process are able to earn supplemental income, as DWC purchases their items for resale in our two stores. SET to Work With the recent opening of our second social enterprise, a resale boutique, we are able to offer even more hands-on job-training opportunities. This year, we are piloting an intensive 12-week job-readiness training program through both stores, which we will expand as we grow our businesses and community partners. SET to Work participants will develop marketable skills including inventory management, customer service, food handling, and administrative tasks. Each woman will receive one-on-one case management to set goals and address housing, sustenance, and health-related needs. Program graduates will then be connected to employment opportunities, including exclusive externships and entry-level positions designated by our growing network of corporate partners. 2013 Impact Our Education and Job Readiness Program will impact LA2050’s Income and Employment indicator by improving literacy, job readiness, employment, and employment retention among homeless and low-income women on downtown Los Angeles’ Skid Row. This year, DWC plans to engage 925 women in services through our Learning Center; launching SET to Work and scaling up our SET to Create workshops will allow us to provide paths out of homelessness and poverty for more women. Our Holistic Approach DWC’s services and programs have been developed with an understanding that the women we serve continue to experience the barriers, trauma, and daily hardships correlated with homelessness and poverty. DWC is committed to meeting each woman’s needs and to providing a safe haven where women can access the resources they need to remove these barriers. All program participants have access to DWC’s full spectrum of supportive services, offered through our Day Center on Skid Row. Along with basic needs such as showers, meals, and clothing, DWC provides individualized counseling and case management; a Learning Center offering a variety of courses and computer access; an on-site health clinic offering extensive medical and mental health services; and referrals to housing and local community resources. All programs are also open to residents who live in our 119 units of permanent supportive housing.