MAKE IT WORK
Designed to make a difference.
OUR MISSION:
At Make It Work, we are designed to make a difference! We believe in the power of connection to transform our city into a healthy, safe, equitable, thriving model of how cities across the US can organize to change the homeless emergency. We bring together neighboring sectors including Skid Row, the Garment District, DTLA businesses, and the broader community to foster cross-sectional participation and tackle the deep economic inequities that drive the homeless crisis. Through our workforce development program, we’re training women coming through recovery how to create simple items from deadstock fabric (fabric otherwise destined for landfill) – pillows, accessory bags, totes – to sell to surrounding businesses and online. Our goal is to build a new workforce, with the help of existing manufacturing entities, to take on larger contracts for businesses and government. We’re not just about providing solutions; we’re about building a community of care and collaboration that actively works towards healing our shared humanity.
We envision a revitalized Los Angeles where business intersects with social services and workforce development to create more balanced, circular solutions to the unhoused emergency.
The Story Pillow Project
The Story Pillow Project was the pilot phase of the Make It Work Program – a space where we tried, tested, and learned. We taught women to create one-of-a-kind throw pillows using recycled fabrics. Our first workshop, completed on September 27th, left us overjoyed and inspired. We discovered valuable insights into skill development, but more importantly, we witnessed the transformative power of creativity. Each woman who participated had no prior sewing experience, and the results in their final pillows, and the newfound belief in their own capabilities, speak volumes about the magic of transformation through creativity, collaboration, and community.
Want to get involved with the next workshop?
We’re launching Holding Space — our next workshop designed to go deeper. Building on the Story Pillow Project, this experience creates room for continued learning, skill-building, and meaningful community connection.
Blogs and Insights
Stories, reflections, and lessons from the work we do—how it started, what we’re learning, and what continues to evolve along the way.
A closer look at the people, the process, and the moments that shape everything behind the scenes.
Affiliated Websites: GHA Enterprises | WUNZ Apparel