Family Source
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 homeless 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) 357-626.
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.
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
Dajon Hancox
Data Entry Specialist
Luz Palacios
Reentry Service Specialist
Amber Evelyn
Housing Stability Advisor
Mario Vanegas
Community Health Worker
Esthela Quinones
Intake Service Specialist
Michael McClelland
Social Media Coordinator
Claudia Palacios
Reentry Lead Case Manager
Janay Brooks
Deputy Director of Family Services
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.
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
