Our Team

A Youth-Centered,
Community-Based
Approach

Community is at the heart of our work. When young people walk through our doors, they’re welcomed into a caring community that accepts them for who they are. It’s a space where they can connect with peers, look beyond the moment-to-moment challenges of homelessness, and take steps to pursue their goals and dreams.

Our ultimate goal is to end youth homelessness, one young person at a time — and in the process — create a Los Angeles community that effectively ensures the physical, mental, social, and economic well-being of all young people.

Our Commitment

We recognize homelessness as a complex social and economic issue. Through this lens, we are committed to uplifting all young people impacted by housing instability, while ensuring our programs and services are guided by principles of dignity, inclusion, and compassion.

Respect & Affirmation: We value every young person for who they are and strive to provide services that are safe, supportive, and welcoming.

Address Barriers: We acknowledge that many young people face systemic challenges and work to reduce barriers that prevent them from thriving.

Equitable Opportunities: We continually adapt and strengthen our programs so that all youth can access the tools, resources, and care they deserve.

Accountability: We commit to ongoing reflection and improvement, making sure our organization lives up to the values we hold in service of the young people we serve.

Our Values

We create community and change through our core values:

• My Friend's Place is a community that centers young people impacted by homelessness. 
• My Friend's Place honors shared humanity to foster a sense of safety and belonging.
• My Friend's Place is a space for connection and transformation. 
• My Friend's Place commits to advancing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

OUR SERVICE PRINCIPLES

We build trust with young people based on seven principles central to our service model:

1. Judgment Free: 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.
2. Human Worth: We see the young people that we serve as people who have inherent value to society.
3. Trust: We build trust over time between our staff and the people we serve.
4. Individualized Response: We welcome each person who walks through our doors as an individual with specific needs and goals.
5. Safety First Response: We follow a set of strategies and approaches aimed at minimizing the harm and negative consequences of high-risk behaviors and activities.
6. Strength-based: We focus on the inherent strengths, abilities, assets, capabilities, and potential of the young people we serve.
7. Low-barrier: We minimize obstacles for young people to access our facility and services. Everyone is welcome, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or background.