Would Works hosts over 200 woodworking workshops annually–providing paid employment, healing community, and hands-on training for people experiencing housing insecurity and/or facing heightened barriers to employment in LA County. At WW we believe in a compassionate, equity-driven, and trauma-informed approach to program design and leadership development. To date WW cohort programs run twice a year with 6-8 Artisans, but moving forward, there will be 3 cohorts annually with 10 people each, for a 4 month duration. WW then cultivates opportunities for artisans to continue training in the craft, pursue education, do an internship or apprenticeship or secure employment through their growing professional network.

Cohort programs include: Beginning Builders Program (BBP) and Community Builders Program (CBP); Young Makers Program is a branch of BBP designed for transition-aged youth. WW’s newest enterprise is People Builders Program (PBP) which hosts free, introductory workshops for justice-impacted folks, people who face extreme poverty and housing-insecure persons. PBP workshops are held at supportive housing sites, events and opportunity fairs, or at our shop in DTLA.

WW is a job, but it is also a community–we strive to create a safe place for people to re-engage with employment within a structured, yet flexible, supportive model. WW is committed to establishing a pipeline of post-cohort opportunities that together with our human service provider partners can address entrenched social issues through creative work. WW employment workshops foster a collaborative work environment, where each Artisan is given a role that fits their specific capabilities and strengths. Many Artisans are also food insecure, so we serve hot communal lunches and have healthy snacks available throughout the day. The creative environment is a safe, family-oriented environment, one that encourages autonomy and teamwork, building a culture of reciprocity where Artisans are invested in what they help build.