Justice in Action

We're looking for a Communications Lead who believes the work for liberation deserves to be well-resourced and who can help us tell that story with clarity and care.

More than an event, Story of Us LA is a space where we recognize our collective power, see our role in systems change, and take meaningful action toward a more just and liberated future for our community. Through personal stories and authentic connection, we experienced what becomes possible when community shows up for one another.

Meeting this moment means investing in leaders who are already building tangible solutions across our city. Through our Systems Change Fellowship and upcoming Story of Us LA event, we support systems-impacted nonprofit leaders who are not only reimagining systems, but actively transforming them. Just as importantly, we create space for those leaders to share their stories and our greater community to take part in what comes next.

Community care is often described in aspirational visions which can feel painfully out of reach when you’re exhausted, underfunded, stretched thin, and trying to survive systems that were never designed to support you or the communities you care for. So the question becomes not whether community care is important, but what it actually looks like when resources are scarce and the work is relentless. Read on to learn more.

The recent traumatic events in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and across the country have brought collective grief, reflection, and difficult conversations. At the same time, communities are responding with care: showing up for one another, calling for accountability, and reaffirming the inherent worth of every life. These responses remind us of a deeper truth — that collective wellbeing is not separate from justice, but central to it.

Wellbeing, at its core, means feeling supported, connected, seen, and resourced physically, mentally, and emotionally. And when many people in a community hold that sense of care and connection for one another, wellbeing becomes a collective strength, a foundation for justice, resilience, and flourishing.

It started with a question: How might we transform the homeless response sector in Los Angeles by expanding the foundation of care and wellbeing to include frontline workers? What if our workplaces could be spaces of healing, creativity, and joy — not simply sites of service?

Leadership Exchange Fellowship pairs ten BIPOC professionals in LA’s homeless response system with executive mentors. The Fellowship includes hands-on shadowing, executive coaching, and monthly programming led by Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum.

The goal: build a more inclusive and equitable leadership pipeline by giving emerging leaders access to the experiences, relationships, and support they need to grow into executive roles.

“My parents and grandparents immigrated to Los Angeles with little more than their dreams, searching for a better life. I grew up with my feet planted on one continent and my heart growing on another, with storytelling serving as the thread that wove my present to my family’s past.”

Last year, we adopted an investment policy that limits organizational reserves to six months of operating expenses, with any surplus funds going to the board for redistribution decisions. The policy reflects the organization's commitment to not hoard wealth and power, even during times of economic uncertainty.

Being Well, our first wellbeing gathering for frontline workers in LA's homeless response sector, brought together 78 participants from 56 organizations for two days of healing-centered programming. Post-event surveys showed 93% of participants reported improved personal wellbeing, with 96% saying the experience shifted their thinking about rest and care in their work.

“As some of you already know, I'm taking a leap into a new career adventure next month which unfortunately means leaving the team here at SJPLA. Before I go, I wanted to take a moment to share what this place has meant to me.”

With gratitude and excitement, we’re announcing SJPLA’s 2025 board and board leadership.

We know that the work of justice expands far beyond election cycles - it lives in our daily actions, in our relationships, and in our commitment to building a just and loving Los Angeles.

We are thrilled to introduce the remarkable leaders joining our 2024-25 Systems Change Fellowship program.

“Being born and raised in South Central Los Angeles to Guatemala Maya migrants has been foundational to shaping who I am.“

How do we ensure that while enjoying the freedom of a liberatory environment, we still honor our commitments to each other and our communities?

As part of our commitment to a liberatory workplace and being a living lab for liberatory practices and policies, we quietly moved to a 32-hour work week in January of 2023. A year and a half into the experiment, we’re ready to share how we made the transition and what we’ve learned from the process.

We are seeking a full-time Events Coordinator to work closely with our Senior Manager of Communications to support our whole team to coordinate events, meetings, and trainings.