LA:RISE is an innovative partnership that unites the City and County of Los Angeles to help people with high employment barriers get jobs, stay employed, and build a better life.
It provides people with high employment barriers – including histories of homelessness, incarceration, and with specialized support in order to succeed. This groundbreaking partnership brings together change agents from many sectors who are dedicated to improving the lives of LA County residents.
LA:RISE Program (pdf)
Following is the story of Jaylin Robinson, participant at New Earth, an LA:RISE partner:
My name is Jaylin Robinson. I am 20-years-old and a participant at New Earth, an LA:RISE partner. Before joining the program, I was at-risk of being homeless and about to turn to crime to make ends meet. I had been going in and out of jail, which impacted my family in a big way. The struggles I faced made me feel down and at times made me want to give up. Now that I’m older, I had to learn to support myself so I wouldn’t be on the wrong path. New Earth’s program changed my life.
I wanted an opportunity to get closer to my dreams and to get a job that follows a career path I want to pursue. New Earth prepared me for a future career by allowing me to work with people, with music and with recording artists in a real studio. I have learned patience and how to work with people. I also learned how to manage a studio space for when I get a space of my own.
I am proud to say that I have moved forward in life and I’m now on the right path. Hopefully I will get to run my own studio one day and make music in a self-owned space. For me, a job is much more than a paycheck. A job has helped me grow as a person. It has helped me elevate my goals and see that there is something I’m working towards in life.
