Neighbors Lifting Neighbors
 

We are a storytelling platform that elevates stories of lived homeless experience to raise awareness. We promote housing solutions that work and galvanize our neighbors to
get involved.

 

Let Mayor Bass and the City Planner know you support ED1 and building affordable housing in ALL areas of Los Angeles. Take a minute to send an email. Don’t forget to add your name and zip at the bottom.

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Because of Sunnyside 5, John and Marilyn Wells Family Foundation, Specialty Foundation, Monica and Phil Ronsenthal and Supervisor Holly Mitchell 14 TAY youth have a safe home, with food, community and health care. Because of Sunnyside 5 Interim Housing their chances for success increase 100 fold

Sunnyside 5

On-site services include: Food, Mental Health, Tutoring, Community, as well as a space to call their own.

Without the question of ‘where am I going to sleep and what am I going to eat,’ these 14 have a greater chance of college completion than ever. The gratitude we felt when meeting them was astounding.

 

WHY NOT IN OUR
NEIGHBORHOOD?

We know Supportive Housing has transformed the lives of countless people struggling with homelessness. During our storytelling events, formerly homeless people tell their story of resilience and recovery in supportive housing. We galvanize our neighbors to take action in their communities. Go as a group to a town hall or city council meeting, or volunteer with any of the organizations identified as working on the frontlines of homelessness.

Help us create a movement that understands and embraces Affordable and Supportive Housing as an effective solution to end homelessness.  Join a compassionate community of engaged citizens to advocate for Affordable and Supportive Housing in all neighborhoods across Los Angeles County.

 
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HOUSING SOLUTIONS

 

Interim HOUSING

These exciting images above are renderings of the Interim Home coming to Wilshire Center/Ktown. This project, along with 21 others are currently giving about 1500 participants a safe place to sleep and get connected to services while they await permanent housing.

The Bridge Home program puts Angelenos on a path out of homelessness and into supportive housing.

Los Angeles is uniting to end the greatest moral and humanitarian crisis of our time. Homelessness will not be solved overnight — but the City and County of L.A. are working more closely together than ever to bring unsheltered Angelenos back inside with homes, healing, and hope.

 

SUPPORTIVE HOUSING

Supportive Housing is what all experts say is the key factor in success for the chronically homeless. Some of the wrap around services offered are job training, counseling, and community support.

 

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

 Stagnant wages, and rising cost of living are the primary reasons people find themselves priced out of their homes. The key to keeping people in their homes is affordability. Experts agree that a household shouldn’t pay more than 1/3 of their income on rent. Affordable Housing helps give people breathing room to make ends meet, increasing their quality of life.

 
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OUR TEAM

Our team is a group of passionate, concerned citizens brought together by homeless advocates Marilyn Wells and Allison Schallert to better understand the solutions to homelessness in our local communities.  From attending neighborhood City Council meetings, to volunteering at local non-profits to advocating for development of Supportive Housing, our team of compassionate voices is growing. Inspired?  Join our team.

 
MARILYN WELLS, PSY. D.

MARILYN WELLS, PSY. D.

 

ALLISON SCHALLERT

 
JOY MCMANUS

JOY MCMANUS

Marilyn Wells, Psy.D. is a philanthropist and advocate for people who have experienced homelessness, foster care and family trauma.  Her work focuses on galvanizing neighborhoods to embrace affordable and supportive housing.

Marilyn and her husband, writer/director/producer John Wells, are co-chairs of the John and Marilyn Wells Family Foundation. Their philanthropic focus is ending homelessness, housing foster youth and helping women and children affected by violence. They are political activists and their foundation also supports educational initiatives and numerous entertainment industry charities..

Marilyn works as a consultant and a fundraiser for Public/Private organizations; United Way’s Home For Good and the Center For Strategic Partnerships (working to house youth transitioning out of foster care). She is a member of Southern California Grantmakers and Liberty Hill’s X Fund. 

She has served on numerous boards: the Rape Treatment Center in Santa Monica, Five Acres in Pasadena, and the Episcopal School Los Angeles. She served as Board Chair for Grace Center and for St. James' Episcopal School.

She has also served as Co-Executive Director at Grace Center in Pasadena where she developed a Clinical Program to serve women and children affected by family violence.

Marilyn holds a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University where her research and clinical work focused on the treatment of domestic violence victims and the victims of child abuse. 

Marilyn was born and raised in Denver, Colorado.  She and John have two children.


 

Allison Schallert has been a professional photographer for nearly 27 years. Among her clients are U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren; Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law; and the great advocacy organization Indivisible.  Allison and Marilyn have been friends for many years.  

Allison has spends much of her freetime volunteering, advocating and promoting the importance of workforce housing.   For the last five, she has turned her focus to creating change at a local level.  She remains dedicated for creating simple and straightward ways for everyone to take action.

Allison was born outside of Chicago, Il.  Her husband is a public high school english teacher of 27 years, and they have two children.  

Joy Mcmanus joined the SFTF team as a volunteer in early 2019 after retiring from a 26 year career as a corporate sales executive with Automatic Data Processing.  

A twenty-plus year member of  St. James Episcopal Church,  she also volunteers with St. Jame’s Soup Kitchen, and is expanding her activism as an advocate for the homeless in Los Angeles.   

Joy and Marilyn met through St. James’ Episcopal School where both served on the board and their daughters attended elementary school. 

Joy is originally from Memphis. She is married to Jeff McManus, a real estate developer, and former Art Director. They have one daughter, Kylie Ann

 
 

Marilyn and her husband, writer/director/producer John Wells, are co-chairs of the John and Marilyn Wells Family Foundation. Their philanthropic focus is housing, ending homelessness, housing youth aging out of foster care, domestic violence and arts education. They are political activists and have given to numerous charities, political organizations and schools. Stories From The Frontline is an initiative of John and Marilyn Wells Family Foundation.   

 
 
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GET CONNECTED

We are proud to be associated with non-profit leaders on the frontlines of homelessness.  Learn more by visiting their sites about opportunities to volunteer, get involved, or support their missions. 

 
 
 

TAKE ACTION

Get connected in countless ways to become a voice for change, an advocate for housing, an effective volunteer.  Learn even more by signing up for our email newsletters. And follow us on social media for meetings, gatherings, and opportunities to become more involved in creating RESILIENCE in our community.

 
 

STAY IN TOUCH

STORIES FROM THE FRONTLINE
137 N. Larchmont Blvd.,  #266, Los Angeles, CA 90004
323.333-8433

Allison.jandmwellsff@gmail.com

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