Professional Documents
Culture Documents
As many as 7,500 homeless children sleep on the streets The house was completely renovated with a primary
of Los Angeles every night. They often come from focus on usability and safety. The kitchen and baths were
alcoholic and drug addicted families where they were reconfigured to improve circulation and outfitted with new
physically and sexually abused. Many kids have been appliances, plumbing fixtures, millwork and flooring.
abandoned or thrown out on the street and others simply Rusted plumbing was replaced with new pipes; new lighting
choose to leave on their own accord — rarely will the and outlets were installed and the electric circuits rewired.
parents report their children missing. Doors, carpeting and lighting were replaced throughout and
the walls were refinished and repainted. Finally, two teams of
LAYN’s mission is to empower abused, neglected, and designers were given modest budgets and two weekends to
homeless adolescents to become self-sufficient. They outfit the house with new furniture, window treatments,
accomplish this by providing street outreach, food, bedding, artwork, dinnerware and decorative accessories.
emergency shelter, transitional living apartments, and
educational enrichment programs in a safe and nurturing Twelve months later, in August of 2010, the dilapidated
environment. shelter had been transformed into a comfortable house
that the kids are now proud to call home. In every space,
The Los Angeles Youth Network came under new the design and construction tell them loud and clear that
leadership in August 2009. The new director inherited they are loved and far from forgotten.
payroll expenses of $60,000 that were due at the end of
the week, with only a $1,500 bank balance. In addition, Gensler received the LAYN Legacy Award in June of 2010
LAYN’s main shelter, a 100-year-old house, had fallen into and was recognized by the Los Angeles Youth Network
such disrepair that it had been cited by city inspectors. (LAYN) at its 25th Anniversary Gala on June 10th for
Gensler organized a series of small local fundraisers to help helping the organization stay open during desperate times.
address the youth network’s emergency financial needs,
then solicited product and monetary donations and
recruited labor to renovate the Hollywood shelter. With
the help of a huge slate of generous partners, Gensler LA
raised $15,000 and secured all product and in-kind service
donations for the renovation project.