About Us

Mission
Hollywood 4WRD is a coalition driven to create systemic change to effectively address homelessness in Hollywood through advocacy, education, service coordination, and innovation.
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Our History

2004-5

People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) initiates the “Yes in My Back Yard” campaign to stem the NIMBY resistance to services and housing for people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. The first Homeless Connect Day is held at the former Hollygrove site on Vine St.

Our Policy Positions

IN SERVICE OF OUR MISSION, WE BELIEVE THAT:

Homelessness policy should benefit from the wisdom of the community of Greater Hollywood: housed and unhoused residents, business and property owners, faith-based organizations, and service providers.

Ending homelessness is inextricable from overall economic vitality. Addressing homelessness at the expense of economic development in Greater Hollywood is a non-starter, as is addressing economic development at the expense of homelessness.

All options for bringing unsheltered people indoors should be employed immediately. Hollywood should have an abundance of permanent supportive housing, board + care, interim housing, safe camping/parking, detox centers, public toilets, refresh spots, and access centers.

LA City and County must invest in workforce development. Volunteers add to but cannot substantively replace professional social services. Beyond living wages, a cultural
shift to elevating the status of homeless service, mental health, and substance use treatment providers must be a priority.

Hollywood’s quality of life can be improved for everyone through transparent, equitable systems that reliably provide medical, mental health, and substance use treatment, mitigate public health and safety hazards, prevent crime, and enforce fair sharing of public space.

These beliefs represent fundamental organizational values of inclusivity, leadership,collaboration and communication at Hollywood 4WRD, but are not exhaustive.

Our Values

Inclusivity

Systemic change is achieved by including all stakeholders in the process and leveraging our collective experiences.

Leadership

Visionary and proactive leadership is a catalyst for systemic change.

Communication

Consistent communication, education, and community engagement are essential tosystemic change.

Collaboration

Systemic change can be achieved when we all work together toward a unified vision.

Our Four Pillars

Advocacy

Lead with a cohesive voice, and ensure that our stakeholders are aware of the role of Hollywood 4WRD in policy initiatives.

Service Coordination

Help identify opportunities for collaboration between providers, and close the gaps in the provision of homeless services in Hollywood.

Education

Share the story of Hollywood 4WRD’s evolving mission, and share relevant information and resources to address homelessness in Hollywood.

Innovation

Discover new opportunities for solving old problems; serve as a catalyst and an incubator for innovative, forward-thinking pilot projects.

Advocacy

Lead with a cohesive voice, and ensure that our stakeholders are aware of the role of Hollywood 4WRD in policy initiatives.

Education

Share the story of Hollywood 4WRD’s evolving mission, and share relevant information and resources to address homelessness in Hollywood.

Service Coordination

Help identify opportunities for collaboration between providers, and close the gaps in the provision of homeless services in Hollywood.

Innovation

Discover new opportunities for solving old problems; serve as a catalyst and an incubator for innovative, forward-thinking pilot projects.

Leadership

H4WRD's staff and leaders reflect the diverse range of backgrounds and experience that make up the Hollywood community we're committed to serving.

Staff

Brittney Weissman

Brittney Weissman

Executive Director

Brittney Weissman has worked at the intersection of advocacy, healthcare, and public policy for 20 years. For eight+ years prior to joining Hollywood 4WRD as its inaugural Executive Director, she was the first Executive Director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Greater Los Angeles County where she provided community, hope, and policy advocacy for everyone affected by mental illness, their families, and friends in Los Angeles County.

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Tim Davis

Tim Davis

communications and operations director

Tim Davis brings a diverse, multi-disciplinary background and a long term commitment to the health and welfare of vulnerable populations to Hollywood 4WRD. The range of his professional experience gave him great insights on how to craft engaging content and establish enduring relationships with leaders in the Hollywood community.

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Clarissa Raguindin

Clarissa Raguindin

Operations and Events Assistant

Clarissa is thrilled to join the Hollywood 4WRD team as their Operations & Events Assistant. In addition to being hard-working, detail-oriented and a quick learner, she brings to the role a wealth of relevant administrative experience as the Customer Service Lead and Special Orders Assistant in the campus bookstore at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB). In that role, she provided support to students, faculty, and staff while helping to maintain many of the bookstore's relationships with their independent vendors.

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Board of Directors

Nicole Farley
Housing Navigator Manager - So Cal
Independent Living Systems

Over the past 34 years, Nicole has been a force for good in the field of Human Services and Social Work, supporting individuals experiencing homelessness, mental illness, and substance use disorder seeking medical services from emergency departments. In her current role as a CalAIM provider for most health plans, Nicole offers personalized care management services committed to improving health outcomes. Positive coping strategies: Being spiritually grounded, hanging out with family & friends, shopping, traveling and playing golf.

David Gordon
Longtime Hollywood Property Owner + Resident

David has lived in Hollywood for over 40 years, most recently as a homeowner at The Broadway Hollywood. After years with an international law firm, he is currently a Managing Director at Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc., which primarily advises boards of directors with respect to executive compensation. He is a board member of The Hollywood Partnership. Positive coping strategies: Athletics, reading.

Heather Carmichael
Executive Director, My Friend's Place

Leading with heart, humor, and determination, Heather has been with My Friend’s Place for 23 years, serving as the Executive Director since 2009. My Friend's Place offers comprehensive services to 1,000 young adults experiencing homelessness between the ages of 12 and 25 each year. Positive coping strategies: Finding goodness in unexpected places, running, and the love of dog.

Aditi Shakkarwar
Aditi Shakkarwar
Housing Advocacy Manager, United Way of Greater Los Angeles

Aditi is a Hollywood resident and housing policy advocate. Prior to working for United Way, she spent almost six years working for the California State Assembly where she advocated for tenant rights and worked to change the public narrative on unsheltered homelessness. Positive coping strategies: karaoke, audiobooks, and good conversations over good meals.

Arnali Ray
Arnali Ray
Executive Director, Hollywood Food Coalition

Arnali brings over 14 years of experience in non-profit social services and healthcare, and a passion for helping marginalized communities. Her career and volunteer service have focused on helping the most vulnerable populations access basic needs and vital services. Positive coping strategies: petting my rescue doggy JJ, being in nature, hiking, and trying new restaurants with my hubby and friends.

Brian Kohan
Brian Kohan
JPL, SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition

Brian brings to the H4WRD Board a broad expertise in computer science with over 15 years' experience developing solutions for a variety of customers including the government, academia, and the non-profit sector. When he's not working at the Jet Propulsion Lab supporting space missions and global satellite navigation infrastructure, Brian donates his technical expertise to local political campaigns and organizing with our partners at the SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition to address homelessness in Los Angeles. Positive coping strategies: Fishing and cooking passable meals shared with dear friends.

David Gordon
David Gordon
Longtime Hollywood Property Owner + Resident

David has lived in Hollywood for over 40 years, most recently as a homeowner at The Broadway Hollywood. After years with an international law firm, he is currently a Managing Director at Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc., which primarily advises boards of directors with respect to executive compensation. He is a board member of The Hollywood Partnership. Positive coping strategies: Athletics, reading.

Heather Carmichael
Heather Carmichael
Executive Director, My Friend's Place

Leading with heart, humor, and determination, Heather has been with My Friend’s Place for 23 years, serving as the Executive Director since 2009. My Friend's Place offers comprehensive services to 1,000 young adults experiencing homelessness between the ages of 12 and 25 each year. Positive coping strategies: Finding goodness in unexpected places, running, and the love of dog.

Jackie Provost
Jackie Provost
Chief Strategy Officer, Saban Community Clinic

Jackie is the Chief Strategy Officer at Saban Community Clinic, a network of federally qualified health centers serving Los Angeles metro and Hollywood communities. She began her career in non-profit health care, supporting community health centers to integrate women’s and sexual health services that are comprehensive and culturally appropriate. Positive coping strategies: Cheating her diet, staying active, and taking on new challenges.

Kathleen Rawson
Kathleen Rawson
Board Vice Chair
President and CEO, The Hollywood Partnership

Having served for over 20 years as the CEO of Downtown Santa Monica, Inc., Kathleen now brings her energy and expertise to Hollywood, where she oversees an organization whose mission is to enhance the appeal, vitality, and well-being of the Hollywood Community from the ground up. Positive coping strategies: Cooking, traveling and going to the theater.

Kerry Morrison
Kerry Morrison
Board Secretary
Founder and Project Director, Heart Forward LA

After 22 years managing The Hollywood Property Owners Alliance, Kerry stepped away in early 2019 to pursue her passion for facilitating a “new way forward” with respect to how people with mental illness in our society can be treated, integrated into community and enjoy the whole life they deserve. Positive coping strategies: calligraphy, listening to classical music and cooking.

Marina Martos Dabel
Marina Martos Dabel
Vice President of Planning, Kilroy Realty Corporation

Marina is an Urban Planner by trade with experience working in both public service and the private sector. She specializes in coordinating and processing land use entitlements and discretionary actions across multiple jurisdictions. Her role at Kilroy involves analytical property research, project management, government relations, community engagement, and coordination with consultant teams. Positive coping strategies: cooking and baking (especially for/with her husband and two young boys), going on runs through the Hollywood and Franklin hills, and listening to Spanish guitar.

Natalie Teear
Natalie Teear
Board Treasurer
Senior Vice President, Innovation, Sustainability + Social Impact, Hudson Pacific

Natalie is a real estate executive with 15+ years of environmental, social and governance (ESG) expertise. She currently leads the ESG and innovation team at Hudson Pacific Properties, a real estate investment trust with over 2 million square feet of office and studio properties in Hollywood. Positive coping strategies: spending time with family, getting outside, and reading.

Nicole Farley
Nicole Farley
Housing Navigator Manager - So Cal
Independent Living Systems

Over the past 34 years, Nicole has been a force for good in the field of Human Services and Social Work, supporting individuals experiencing homelessness, mental illness, and substance use disorder seeking medical services from emergency departments. In her current role as a CalAIM provider for most health plans, Nicole offers personalized care management services committed to improving health outcomes. Positive coping strategies: Being spiritually grounded, hanging out with family & friends, shopping, traveling and playing golf.

Stephen Fiechter
Stephen Fiechter
Board Chair
Senior Director, Clinical Services, PATH

With decades of experience in individual, organizational and community transformation, and a life-long commitment to helping the most vulnerable, Steve facilitates evaluation and growth for the enhancement of effective functioning and psychosocial adjustments, helping to bring about change that enhances human well-being. Positive coping strategies: gym rat, hiking, cooking/baking, and the garden is my happy place.

A group of people holding a ribbon in front of a building.
H4WRD’s Executive Director, Brittney Weissman, joins The Hollywood Partnership’s CEO, Kathleen Rawson for the grand opening of the Community Dispatch Center.

Who’s Involved

A diverse range of Hollywood stakeholders participate, including:

  • Service Providers
  • Nonprofit Organizations
  • Neighborhood Councils
  • Government Representatives
  • Faith Organizations
  • Healthcare Organizations
  • Businesses and Residents

Many of the stakeholders have been involved in Hollywood 4WRD from the beginning and others are new to the grassroots coalition. We welcome you to join us and find out more!

Organizational Documents

H4WRD's 2024 Annual Report

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H4WRD's Homelessness Help Sheet - Digital version (with click-able links)

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H4WRD's Homelessness Help Sheet - Print version

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H4WRD's 2023 Annual Report

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H4WRD's FAQ about Homelessness in Hollywood

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Strategic Blueprint

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2022 Accomplishments

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Annual Reports

2022 Annual Project

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2021 Annual Project

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2020 Annual Project

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