About Us
Since 1988, we've been welcoming, affirming and standing in partnership with young people impacted by homelessness in Hollywood and across LA. Our cofounders started by distributing brown bag meals out of the trunks of their cars. Today, our professional staff serves over 1,150 young people annually — providing what young people need to move toward wellness, stability, and a permanent exit from homelessness — all on their own terms.
Mission &
Vision
OUR MISSION
My Friend’s Place is a community that cultivates growth and opportunity for young people impacted by homelessness.
OUR VISION
We envision a Los Angeles community that effectively prevents and responds to youth and young adult homelessness and ensures the physical, mental, social, and economic well-being of all young people.
Our Values
We create change and build community through our core values:
My Friend's Place is a community that centers young people impacted by homelessness.
Our Service
Principles
We build trust with young people based on seven principles central to our service model:
We believe in creating a haven for young people where they can be themselves and choose the services most important to them at the moment.
THE Challenge
A Reality
Check
On any given day, nearly 4,000 young people are impacted by homelessness across LA County — living a life where trust has been shattered and the struggle to survive and find safety is all consuming.
Every young person who steps through our doors has their own journey. Some have aged out of the foster system without support. Others grew up in families experiencing chronic homelessness. Many lacked a consistent community of caring adults to help guide them through young adulthood. And some faced unsafe or unstable home environments.
Whatever their path, every young person deserves respect and opportunities to take steps toward building the life they dream of.
OUR COMMUNITY-Based APPROACH
We embrace a community-based, partnership-driven approach to ending youth homelessness — one young person at a time.
From our partner organizations across LA County to local businesses, individuals, foundations, and grassroots groups, our extended community comes together to accompany, support, and uplift young people on their journeys toward a brighter future. This collective effort is rooted in compassion, collaboration, and the belief that every young person deserves an opportunity to heal and thrive.
Together, we help create the conditions for young people to achieve wellness, stability, and securing and retaining housing — on their own terms, but never alone.
Service Rooted in
Care & Respect
Community is at the heart of everything we do. From the moment a young person walks through our doors, they are met with acceptance, dignity, and the understanding that their experiences are unique and they are worthy of care and respect. We create a space where they feel seen, valued, and supported — not only by our staff, but by peers and the broader community. We honor their autonomy, strengths, and right to make decisions about their life.
Before we can support a young person in taking steps toward stability and exiting homelessness, we must build a foundation of trust. They must feel safe, connected, and cared for. That’s why our approach is rooted in trauma-informed care that prioritizes an individualized approach, relational connection, and consistent, compassionate support.
Because ending youth homelessness takes more than daily support, we advocate for policies that prioritize young people and reduce youth homelessness. We partner with universities and other research organizations to study youth homelessness, publish research, share it with aligned organizations, and collaborate on finding innovative solutions.
We continue to focus on young people because we know that when they break the cycle of homelessness, that’s one less person entering the adult homeless population. Instead, it’s one more person on a path to reaching their potential.
Our History
We began with humble roots, and that spirit still guides us today. Take a look at how we've grown to meet the evolving needs of young people in our community.
Originally called The Lighthouse, My Friend’s Place began on the streets of Hollywood.
More InfoCo-founded by Steve LePore and Craig Scholz in 1988 as a volunteer-led organization serving meals from the trunks of cars, My Friend’s Place formally incorporated in 1990.
In April 1992, we opened our first facility at 1641 Las Palmas Avenue in Hollywood.
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