(E)mpowering (D)isadvantaged and (U)nderserved (C)ommunities (A)ll (T)hrough (E)ducation

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Faces & Stories

Meet The Community

These are the people behind the statistics. Real names, real stories, real lives. This is the community we serve.

Skid Row & Los Angeles County

The Community We Serve

Phylisha

South LA
Homeless

Ms Julie

South LA
Homeless

Mr Carlos

South LA
Homeless

Frantessa

South LA
Homeless

Kevin

Skid Row, Los Angeles
HOPE Program Graduate

Tanya

East Los Angeles
FED Program Participant

Robert

Hollywood, Los Angeles
Youth, Age 19

Maria

Skid Row, Los Angeles
SWAP Community Member
Video Stories

Hear Their Stories in Their Own Words

Project EDUCATE documents the stories of the community we serve on our YouTube channel. These are unfiltered, unscripted conversations that put a human face on the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles.

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South LA
Homeless
Phylisha has been experiencing homelessness for three years following a series of medical crises that depleted her savings and cost her her apartment. Living without stable housing has made it nearly impossible to maintain a healthy diet, and Tanya was struggling with the health consequences of food insecurity and poor nutrition.
Project EDUCATE’s FED program connected Phylisha with nutritional education, healthy food resources, and fitness workshops tailored to people in her situation. She has learned how to make the most of the food resources available to her and has seen real improvements in her energy and overall health. Phylisha says FED “gave me back something I didn’t even know I had lost — the ability to take care of myself.
Support people like Phylisha by donating to Project EDUCATE’s programs.
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Ms Julie

South LA
Homeless
Ms Juliea became homeless after losing her job during an economic downturn and being unable to keep up with rent in one of the most expensive cities in the country. She is one of the 54% of newly homeless individuals in 2024 who cited economic hardship as the primary cause of their homelessness. She arrived in Los Angeles with her two children, ages 6 and 9, with nowhere to go.
Project EDUCATE’s BLOOM program connected Ms Julie with women’s wellness resources, mental health support, and a network of women who understood her experience. She has also participated in FED nutrition workshops and is working with HOPE to explore job training programs. Diana’s determination to provide stability for her children is an inspiration to everyone at Project EDUCATE.
Help mothers like Ms Julie rebuild their lives with your support.
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Mr Carlos

South LA
Homeless
Mr Carlos is one of the 24% of unhoused individuals in LA County living with a mental health condition. For years, untreated bipolar disorder made it impossible for him to maintain employment or housing. The mental health care system failed him repeatedly, and he ended up on the streets of Skid Row, where he has lived for several years.
Through Project EDUCATE’s outreach events, James has found a consistent source of hygiene essentials through TAG, and has begun attending SWAP social events where he has built friendships and a sense of community. The human connection he has found through Project EDUCATE has been, in his own words, “the first time in years I felt like a person again.”
Your donation helps us reach people like Mr Carlos with compassion and care.
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Frantessa

Los Angeles
Homeless
Frantessa fled a domestic violence situation with nothing but the clothes on her back. She is part of the 33% of unhoused individuals in LA County who are women, and her story reflects the unique vulnerabilities that women experiencing homelessness face. Safety, healthcare access, and basic dignity are daily challenges.
Project EDUCATE’s BLOOM program was a turning point for Frantessa. At her first BLOOM event, she received health screenings, personal care items, and connected with other women who had been through similar experiences. The community she found at BLOOM gave her the strength to take the next steps toward stability. Frantessa is now in transitional housing and continues to attend BLOOM events as both a participant and a volunteer.
Support women like Frantessa through Project EDUCATE’s BLOOM program.
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Kevin

Skid Row, Los Angeles
HOPE Program Graduate
Kevin dropped out of high school at 16 and spent the next decade moving in and out of unstable housing situations. By the time he reached his late twenties, he was living on the streets of Skid Row with no diploma, no job history, and no clear path forward. He felt invisible to the world around him.
Kevin enrolled in Project EDUCATE’s HOPE program and completed his GED after 18 months of workshops and tutoring. He describes the experience as “the first time anyone believed I could do something.” He is now enrolled in a vocational training program and is working toward stable employment. Kevin’s story is a testament to what becomes possible when education is made accessible to everyone.
Help more people like Kevin access education through HOPE.
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Tanya

East Los Angeles
FED Program Participant
Tanya has been experiencing homelessness for three years following a series of medical crises that depleted her savings and cost her her apartment. Living without stable housing has made it nearly impossible to maintain a healthy diet, and Tanya was struggling with the health consequences of food insecurity and poor nutrition.
Project EDUCATE’s FED program connected Tanya with nutritional education, healthy food resources, and fitness workshops tailored to people in her situation. She has learned how to make the most of the food resources available to her and has seen real improvements in her energy and overall health. Tanya says FED “gave me back something I didn’t even know I had lost — the ability to take care of myself.”
Support health and nutrition access for people like Tanya.
Donate Now

Robert

Hollywood, Los Angeles
Youth, Age 19
Robert aged out of the foster care system at 18 with no family support network and no housing. He is part of the over 6,000 individuals under 18 — and the thousands more young adults just above that threshold — who experience homelessness in LA County. He arrived in Hollywood with a backpack and no plan.
Project EDUCATE connected with Robert at a SWAP community event, where he found not just food and hygiene supplies, but people who took the time to talk with him and learn his story. Through HOPE, he is now working toward his GED and has connected with a youth housing program. Robert’s future is still being written, and Project EDUCATE is committed to being part of his story.
Help young people like Robert find their path forward.
Donate Now

Maria

Skid Row, Los Angeles
SWAP Community Member
Robert aged out of the foster care system at 18 with no family support network and no housing. He is part of the over 6,000 individuals under 18 — and the thousands more young adults just above that threshold — who experience homelessness in LA County. He arrived in Hollywood with a backpack and no plan.
Project EDUCATE connected with Robert at a SWAP community event, where he found not just food and hygiene supplies, but people who took the time to talk with him and learn his story. Through HOPE, he is now working toward his GED and has connected with a youth housing program. Robert’s future is still being written, and Project EDUCATE is committed to being part of his story.
Help young people like Robert find their path forward.
Donate Now