Posts by Paul Asplund
We Are Not Intimidated: A July 4th Reflection - Letters to the Housed
We Are Not Intimidated: A July 4th Reflection - Letters to the Housed

The past 8 months have been tough. The work I have done for the last decade has become more difficult, more treacherous for the people we serve and requires me to dig deep inside myself for resources of spirit and hope that I never knew I had.

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Community, Letters to the Housed, Immigrant RightsPaul AsplundCommunityResilience, OrganizationalLeadership, CommunityDefense, KnowYourRights, SocialJustice, Leadership, CommunityBuilding, DefendingDemocracy, CrisisLeadership, ValueBasedLeadership, SocialChange, ImmigrantRights, PublicPolicyComment
We Do This Because We Love People- Letters to the Housed
We Do This Because We Love People- Letters to the Housed

When anger consumed my love for working with unhoused neighbors after losing a friend, three wise elders reminded me why we serve: not to make a difference, but to be made different. This personal story explores the journey from compassion fatigue back to love-centered service, moving from trauma-informed to healing-centered engagement. Discover practical steps for rediscovering joy in helping professions and why community connection is the antidote to burnout.

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Letters to the HousedPaul Asplund#LettersToTheHoused, #LTTH, #HomelessnessIndustrialComplex, #StreetOutreach, #SkidRowLA, #SecondGraceLA, #RecoveryIsCommunity, #CommunityOverCaseManagement, #LivedExperienceMatters, #NeighborToNeighbor, #LAHomelessCrisis, #PasadenaAdvocacy, #AddictionRecovery, #CommunityWisdom, #ServiceProviders, #NonprofitReform, #GrassrootsOrganizingComment
Three Ways To Help Keep Immigrant Communities Together- Letters to the Housed
Three Ways To Help Keep Immigrant Communities Together- Letters to the Housed

Last fall, when Trump launched his first salvo against LGBTQIA+ rights, I expanded the purview of SecondGrace.LA and wrote a quick primer on actionable items and information we could take to support our communities. Since then, millions of words have been written about Trump attacking the rights of all our "vulnerable populations"—truly a bully picking on the people he sees as weak

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Letters to the HousedPaul Asplund#LettersToTheHoused, #LTTH, #HomelessnessIndustrialComplex, #StreetOutreach, #SkidRowLA, #SecondGraceLA, #RecoveryIsCommunity, #MutualAidNetworks, #CommunityOverCaseManagement, #LivedExperienceMatters, #NeighborToNeighbor, #FaithAndJustice, #SpiritualActivism, #LAHomelessCrisis, #PasadenaAdvocacy, #AddictionRecovery, #CommunityWisdom, #ServiceProviders, #NonprofitReform, #GrassrootsOrganizingComment
Here's How It Can Be Done- Letters to the Housed
Here's How It Can Be Done- Letters to the Housed

We could end homelessness in our lifetime if we provided three simple things: a living wage, affordable housing, and universal healthcare. I remember the day I came to this realization. I was writing a presentation, a variation of the same one I had given dozens of times, full of heart-rending statistics, followed by stories of triumph. It caught me off guard, a real ‘a-ha’ moment, and I paused writing the presentation and took out my notebook.

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Letters to the HousedPaul Asplund#LettersToTheHoused, #LTTH, #HomelessnessIndustrialComplex, #StreetOutreach, #SkidRowLA, #SecondGraceLA, #RecoveryIsCommunity, #MutualAidNetworks, #CommunityOverCaseManagement, #LivedExperienceMatters, #NeighborToNeighbor, #FaithAndJustice, #SpiritualActivism, #LAHomelessCrisis, #PasadenaAdvocacy, #AddictionRecovery, #CommunityWisdom, #ServiceProviders, #NonprofitReform, #GrassrootsOrganizingComment
State and National Actions- Letters to the Housed
State and National Actions- Letters to the Housed

Living Wage for All California is pushing for a $22-24 minimum wage statewide. The campaign believes California's current minimum wage is not nearly enough, and they are working with lawmakers including Assemblymember Ash Kalra who introduced Assembly Bill 1516 to study wage impacts and build momentum for higher wages.

Local victories are adding up: Los Angeles just voted to raise the minimum wage to $30 for tourism workers by 2028, creating a model other cities can follow. Find out if your city has active minimum wage campaigns and get involved.

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Letters to the HousedPaul Asplund#LettersToTheHoused, #LTTH, #HomelessnessIndustrialComplex, #StreetOutreach, #SkidRowLA, #SecondGraceLA, #RecoveryIsCommunity, #MutualAidNetworks, #CommunityOverCaseManagement, #LivedExperienceMatters, #NeighborToNeighbor, #FaithAndJustice, #SpiritualActivism, #LAHomelessCrisis, #PasadenaAdvocacy, #AddictionRecovery, #CommunityWisdom, #ServiceProviders, #NonprofitReform, #GrassrootsOrganizingComment