Would Works is an LA based social enterprise that trains and employs people experiencing homelessness in the craft of woodworking. Would Works Artisans also gain practical job skills, community engagement, and a current employment reference.
In 2012 Would Works founder Connor Johnson was working at a homeless shelter in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles. He met hundreds of people who stayed in the area. He listened to their hopes and dreams and the obstacles they face every day. Time and again he would hear them say – I WOULD WORK… if I could.
He started Would Works with the help of friends and family and ran weekend workshops in church basements and housing site rec rooms throughout Skid Row.
With the support of the Los Angeles woodworking community and the amazing homeless services providers in Skid Row, Would Works has grown into a thriving social enterprise.
The Would Works workshop is located in the back studio of office42 architecture in the Cypress Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. We hold our beginner workshop twice a week with cohorts of 4-6 Artisans at a time. In these workshops, Artisans learn how to sand, finish, brand, and package our line of wood homewares, available for purchase on our website, wholesale and through pop up events.
Our Advanced Crew is composed of Artisans who have completed our beginners program and want to learn more advanced techniques such as machining, design, and furniture fabrication. These Artisans work on machining the products for the basic workshops, as well as building outdoor furniture for community spaces and supportive housing sites throughout LA.
Artisans are referred to our program by employment counselors and housing case managers from various Los Angeles organizations that serve the unhoused population, such as; Chrysalis Employment Services, Skid Row Housing Trust, Downtown Women’s Center, and The People Concern.
Our Artisans gain the satisfaction of doing hands-on work with tangible outcomes–building confidence and forging a path toward self-sufficiency.