Family Services
Family Services Program
WLCAC not only helps others, but they help their own. That’s why when former employee Michael Bailey walked through our Family Source Center, he knew he wouldn’t be turned away. Despite being houseless and spending time in prison, our staff helped him get his life back by finding him an apartment, furnishing it and getting him rental assistance. “Now that I have been blessed with this gift, I am ready to pay it forward,” the 60-year-old says. Bailey’s story isn’t unique. He’s one out of 3,000 people WLCAC’s Family Services Program helps each year, with childcare, financial planning, home assistance and more. Find out how you could benefit from these services, by calling (323) 357-6262.
We Offer
Housing
Our FamilySource Center’s goal is to empower our clients to be self-sufficient. We help them achieve that independence by assisting them in paying their bills on time, avoid eviction, and, eventually, become homeowners.
Employment + Financial Literacy
WLCAC envisions having educated community members who make savvy financial decisions for themselves and their families…
Vaccination Assistance
Our FamilySource staff provided important COVID19 information to over 214,000 community members and enrolled 290 individuals to get vaccinated.
Food
As the needs of the community evolve, so does our program. In 2017, our Family Service Program saw the lack of access to healthy food in the surrounding area, and, in alliance with key partners, established its MudTown Farmer’s Market…
Immigration Services
WLCAC is proud to be an ally to the undocumented community, a group who is unqualified to be served by existing food safety net programs, despite contributing to the local, state and national economy…
Food Immigration Services Emergency Assistance
We offer emergency assistance to clients through rental help, securing security deposits, utility assistance, providing grocery and gas cards, furniture donation and relocation assistance.
Emergency Assistance
We offer emergency assistance to clients through rental help, securing security deposits, utility assistance, providing grocery and gas cards, furniture donation and relocation assistance.
Tax Preparation Services
The average cost to file a federal and state tax return could range between $220 to over $320. At WLCAC, our clients pay nothing. In 2021, 389 individuals had their taxes prepared at our FamilySource Center. We expect to assist over 800 clients this tax year.
Mental Health Services
In 2022, our FamilySource Center provided 160 individuals with mental health services.
Expungement
In 2022, our FamilySource Center helped 21 individuals seal their criminal records through a process known as expungement.
Post-Secondary Education
In 2022, our FamilySource Center enrolled 49 individuals in post-secondary education.
Family Source Center
WLCAC’s city-funded Family Source Center (part of our Family Services Program) is one of the highest-performing programs in the City of Los Angeles and we continuously exceed our goals through serving over 4,000 unduplicated clients each year. It serves local Watts residents, the majority being Latino and black – providing free wrap-around services to those most in need, from individuals living paycheck to paycheck, to families struggling to pay their rent and put food on the table. Each year, we assist 3,800 clients with obtaining housing, employment, financial literacy, youth enrichment and tutoring, free tax preparation services, vaccination assistance, food, immigration services, legal assistance, mental health services, expungement, post-secondary education, emergency assistance and case management services.
Re-Entry Program
WLCAC’s Re-Entry Program is the largest in Los Angeles County, where we consistently case-manage over 300 clients per month. Over the past five years, our FamilySource Center has provided re-entry intensive case management to over 2,500 justice-involved individuals. This involves creating customized care plans for each client and spending a substantial amount of time with them to fully understand their life history and the road they took that resulted in their incarceration.
Director’s Message
Welcome to the WLCAC Family Services Program!
For the last 22 years, WLCAC has provided coordinated human services for low-income residents living in Watts and surrounding communities.
The WLCAC FamilySource Center takes pride in delivering only the highest level of quality service by providing personal attention, patience, a strong work ethic, and a people-first attitude. WLCAC-FSC has always been the organization you can count on when times are tough. That will not change. Thanks to my dedicated and passionately talented staff and entrusted community partners, WLCAC-FSC will continue to find the best ways of bringing people and resources together to meet immediate needs and find long-term solutions to challenges facing the residents who live in our community.
The efforts of our team, who are passionate about the quality of service they provide to the community, is astonishing. We take time to listen, confirm, recommend, and follow through with everyone who walks through our doors. We treat our customers like we want to be treated if we were in the same situation. Our staff are empathetic and hold the client’s best interest at heart.
When you have a team of like-minded people working toward the same goal, we all win.
-Sheila Thomas, Family Services Program Director
Our Team
Janay Brooks
Deputy Director of Family Services
Khaila Harris
Program Manager
Thomas Dorsey
Crisis Intervention Specialist
Keefe Williams
Youth Crisis Intervention Specialist
Azucena Diaz
Reentry Deputy Director
Claudia Palacios
Reentry Lead Case Manager
Gena Gaston
Reentry Case Manager
Kenneth Johnson
Reentry Case Manager
Maria Gonzalez
Reentry Case Manager
Irma Mesa
Reentry Case Manager
Stephanie Ayala
Reentry Case Manager
Sharon Hancox
Reentry Case Manager
Natalie Gallo
Reentry Case Manager
Marsela Barocio
Reentry Case Manager
Luz Palacios
Reentry Service Specialist
Mayra Espindola
VITA Case Manager
LaKierra Jenkins
Youth Case Manager
Ariel Gonzalez
Youth Case Manager
Amber Evelyn
Housing Stability Advisor
Noemi Louveno
LAUSD PSA
Frannisha Beasley
Community Health Worker
Mario Vanegas
Community Health Worker
Lena Ortega
Financial Coach
Alicia Gomez
College Corner Specialist
Cari Lopez
College Corner Specialist
Janice Shorts
Lead Data Entry Specialist
Dajon Hancox
Data Entry Specialist
Makayla Mills
Intake Service Specialist
Esthela Quinones
Intake Service Specialist
Annabell Desergant
Intake Service Specialist
Michael McClelland
Social Media Coordinator
Thomas Graham
Building Maintenance
Randy Juarez
Angeleno Corps Intern
Jeremiah Childers
Angeleno Corps Intern
Staff Stories
FSC is an amazing program because everyone here works together to find solutions for anyone who walks through the door.
It’s crazy to think where I was before and where I am now. I’ve learned a lot in the months I’ve been working with WLCAC.
We all fall on hard times, we all struggle, but everyone needs a helping hand.
I lived in Watts, growing up in housing projects that didn't have many positive outlets for youth my age. Since that first day, I would go to the WLCAC-Bridges program daily.
Client Stories
Noteworthy Accomplishments
2019-2020
Angeleno Card: We distributed 2,800 cards worth $2,979,700
Mayors Grocery Card: We distributed 167 cards worth $64,900
Change Reaction Grocery Cards: We distributed 150 $100 cards
Angel Fund: We provided $106,454 to people who lost income
WLCAC Grocery Cards: $100,000 (not city funded)
FSC Regular contracted services: enrolled 5,306 clients (2,500 annual goal), increased
client income $4,815,859 ($500,000 annual goal)
2020-2021
FSC Regular contracted services: enrolled 3,871 clients (2,500 annual goal) and
increased client income $2,690,291($500,000 annual goal)
Mayors GIVEN Cards: Provided $350,700
2021-2022
FSC regular contracted services: enrolled 4,793 clients (2,500 annual goal) and
increased client income $1,747,503 ($500,000 annual goal)