The window of an Illumination Foundation center. Taken from Noah Berlow's 'Act As If...'
The Illumination Foundation (IF) is a non-profit organization based in Orange County, California, dedicated to breaking the cycle of homelessness. Founded in 2007 by Paul Leon and Paul Cho,[1] the IF adopts a holistic approach to solving homelessness by addressing the interconnectedness between housing and healthcare. By doing so, the IF aims to implement sustainable strategies that will help those experiencing homelessness in the long term, rather than just the immediate future.
Leon and Cho met at an MBA program at the University of California Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business and worked on a team project which eventually became the IF.[2] The pair had very different educational backgrounds (one had studied nursing and the other finance), which allowed them each to bring a unique perspective to finding solutions to one of Orange County’s most pressing social issues at the time.
Housing
As a charity working to eradicate homelessness in Orange County, one of the Illumination Foundation’s main focuses is providing housing to families and individuals without a residence. The IF currently offers various housing services, with many different types of shelters and navigation centers operating across Los Angeles County, Orange County, and the Inland Empire.
Emergency housing is offered to both individuals and families that need housing urgently. Unlike some other organizations of its kind, the IF work with people regardless of their situation; if a person is struggling with substance abuse, for instance, the non-profit will work with that person to place them into housing as soon as possible rather than turning them away from the program until they test negative for drugs or alcohol.[3] The charity has also created micro-communities, where both families and individuals are placed into large shared houses in a neighborhood that has been renovated for purpose. Here, people can also access additional support through the various other services offered by the IF.
The Illumination Foundation also focus on ensuring that their service users are able to access permanent housing through their rapid re-housing program. This involves helping people to find permanent housing, finding resources, and offer financial assistance to those who need it. These services are offered to people regardless of what their situation might be. For example, whether they are currently employed, what their income is, or what their status of sobriety is.
One of the things that sets the IF apart from other non-profits working to end homelessness is their innovative approach. In an interview with the UCI Paul Merage School’s Dean Ian O. Williamson, PhD, one of the Illumination Foundation’s co-CEOs Jack Toan, MBA expanded on this:
One of the values [of the Illumination Foundation] is innovation, and we value innovation […] to figure out solutions. […] Our LifeArk Project; it’s modular housing made of plastic and polyethylene and polyurethane inserts. Who would have thought that floating homes could potentially be a solution?[4]
Through their new initiative The LifeArk Project, the IF has used recyclable materials to create building blocks that require minimum manpower to assemble and can be made into individual houses or entire communities.[5]
Learn more about The LifeArk Project here.
Healthcare
As well as housing, the Illumination Foundation also focuses on providing healthcare to service users, recognizing that homelessness and healthcare are inherently connected. Co-CEO Dr. Pooja Bhalla explains:
One of the key things that we have kept at the forefront is that housing is healthcare. We started the organization with “Let’s try to bring light to homelessness, let’s illuminate the problem.” And at the time it was like, “we’ll connect individuals to resources,” and then we witnessed that there weren’t a lot of resources for individuals, especially families, experiencing homelessness. As we tried to disrupt the cycle of homelessness, we ended up building this system of care. […] Housing and healthcare integration has really been the key to really help address this issue.[6]
The healthcare branch of the IF includes many components. The Illumination Foundation Medical Group ensures that people have access to a wide range of healthcare services including wellness checks, mental health services, and dental care. They also offer behavioral health and substance use counseling by practitioners trained in person-centered therapy, trauma, suicidal ideation, domestic violence, and child development.[7] Having practitioners understand trauma is an imperative part of care provided by the IF, as many of their clients have been affected by trauma which in turns has effects on their health.
The Medical Respite and Recuperative Care program offers temporary housing to those experiencing homelessness that have recently been discharged from hospital or experienced a medical emergency. Through the program, the Illumination Foundation works closely with local hospitals and medical providers to offer care and ensure that people are not sent back to the streets while still in need of treatment which in turn reduces the likelihood of medical relapse and hospital re-admissions. The IF currently has seven medical respite centers with a total of 408 beds across Los Angeles, Orange County and Riverside County.[8]
Learn more about the Illumination Foundation Medical Respite and Recuperative Care program here.
Conclusion
The Illumination Foundation's impact extends far beyond temporary shelter. By focusing on the interrelated challenges of housing and health care, the organization strives to create lasting change in the lives of those experiencing homelessness and break the cycle of homelessness for good.
Explore The Illumination Foundation site here.
Act As if…
Act As If…, a short documentary about the Illumination Foundation’s work directed by Noah Berlow, received the People's Choice Award along with joint second in the Humanitarian category at the MY HERO 20th Annual International Film Festival.
Watch Act As if… here.
Read MY HERO's interview with Berlow here.
About the MY HERO International Film Festival:
The My Hero Film Festival is an annual event dedicated to showcasing films that celebrate the power of the human spirit. The festival provides a platform for filmmakers to share inspirational stories of everyday heroes. Thanks to generous sponsors, prizes are awarded to elementary, middle school, high school, college and professionals in a variety of categories including documentary, narrative, music video, animation, experimental, and more.
The festival aims to inspire audiences to recognize the heroism in their own lives and encourage positive actions in their communities. Learn more.
Join us in celebrating 20 years of The MY HERO International Film Festival on November 16, 6pm @ the Ann and Jerry Moss Theater at New Roads School in Santa Monica, California. Find out more HERE.
[1] The UCI Paul Merage School of Business. Illumination Foundation honored for fighting to end homelessness. [Online] Available https://merage.uci.edu/news/2023/02/Illumination-Foundation-honored-for-fighting-to-end-homelessness.html. 2023.
[2] Walker, Theresa. Gift of Giving: These two men launched a group that is a safety net for Orange County’s homeless. [Online] Available https://npdoc.org/in-the-news/gift-giving-two-men-launched-group-safety-net-orange-countys-homeless/. 2017.
[3] Illumination Foundation. What Illumination Foundation does best - Housing & Healthcare. [Online] Available https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKCq56gicWM. 2018.
[4] Ibid.
[5] https://www.ifhomeless.org/lifeark
[6] Illumination Foundation. 2018.
[7] https://www.ifhomeless.org/behavioral-health-substance-use-counseling
Page created on 10/21/2024 4:00:14 PM
Last edited 11/20/2024 4:32:28 PM
