How Four Formerly Homeless Individuals Rebuilt Their Lives With Support, Work, and Determination

Breaking the Cycle: Stories of Transformation

Two years ago, Michael Mata waited before dawn outside a Los Angeles shelter, determined to change a life marked by homelessness and dead-end jobs. Guided by a shelter mate, he sought assistance from Chrysalis, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people find employment and rebuild their lives. Arriving early was essential, as only a limited number of clients are assisted each day.

Michael Mata: From Unstable Jobs to Team Leader

Mata, 43, quickly immersed himself in Chrysalis's orientation classes and ultimately became a road crew supervisor managing a team cleaning highways in the Glendale area. Today, he lives in his own studio apartment after years of instability, paying $520 a month in Skid Row. Far from ideal, the space nevertheless provides him with peace and security—a welcome change from his earlier experiences.

Mata's journey was fueled in part by his desire to provide for his daughter and his belief that employment is key to escaping homelessness. He worked hard in Chrysalis's homeless employment program, which offers job placement and connects participants with social services. According to Chrysalis CEO Mark Loranger, about 2,200 clients are expected to find jobs through the organization this year in fields such as hospitality, security, and roadwork. Of those, roughly 600 participate in job-focused programs like street cleaning, addressing city needs and providing income at the same time.

Marshall May: Recovery, Responsibility, and Service

Marshall May’s story is a testament to perseverance. The son of a military father and a psychiatrist mother, May struggled with addiction for decades and spent time both incarcerated and homeless. In 2016, following another prison sentence, May embraced a 12-step recovery program. Seeking greater purpose, he joined a Chrysalis cleanup crew after seeing them on the streets of Skid Row—doing the often-unpleasant work of cleaning up public spaces.

May eventually became supervisor of the Chrysalis Safekeeping division, a storage facility for unhoused individuals. Sober for 10 years, he now lives with and cares for family members. His advice for others overcoming homelessness is simple: seize every opportunity, and find a purpose to focus on.

Elyse Moya: Using Hardship to Help Others

Elyse Moya’s struggle with breaking homelessness began as a teenager. After fleeing abuse at 14, she endured years of intermittent homelessness, addiction, and loss. The birth of her daughter while unhoused was a wake-up call. When her child was taken by county authorities, Moya sought drug rehabilitation, attending a seven-month program that treated both her addiction and diagnosed bipolar disorder.

Through Chrysalis, Moya found her first job helping evacuate people from encampments at the height of the pandemic. Her personal experience helped her relate to young people facing similar challenges. Having progressed through multiple promotions, she now serves as a case manager for newly housed clients in the Santa Clarita area, helping others gain housing stability. Moya credits hard work and the motivation to reunite with her children as the biggest drivers of her recovery.

Nicole Bastiany: Giving Back Through Support Programs

Nicole Bastiany, an employment specialist at Chrysalis, has faced her own share of adversity: homelessness, addiction, gender transition, and mental health challenges. Despite these obstacles, she held various jobs while homeless and eventually secured stable work. Early in 2024, she joined Chrysalis, channeling the support she once received into her work with clients. Her approach draws from a mentor’s unwavering belief in her, aiming to never give up on those seeking homelessness help and nonprofit assistance.

Bastiany’s office is lined with resources for job training, housing, and rehabilitation. She acknowledges not everyone is ready for change, but strives to guide those who are toward opportunity and stability.

A Pathway Forward

The experiences of Mata, May, Moya, and Bastiany highlight the complexity of homeless recovery and the many factors that can drive someone into and out of homelessness: job loss, abuse, mental illness, addiction, financial instability, or a criminal past. Programs like Chrysalis provide critical support programs for those prepared to take the next step, offering job placement, social services, and a sense of purpose. While recovery is seldom linear or easy, their stories offer hope—and evidence that, with the right support, individuals can rebuild their lives.

Source: latimes.com.