Let’s start from the beginning! Tell us a little about the journey that led you to where you are now.

In 2014, my spouse Melissa and I began exploring the possibility of becoming adoptive parents. As a part of this journey, we volunteered in the foster care space where we met a young person who had aged out of the system and was looking for a permanent space to call home. After seeing a social media post about me designing a friend’s home, they reached out and asked me to visit their first-ever apartment. When we arrived, we found an entirely empty apartment — no furniture, no appliances, and nothing but the floor to sleep on. We quickly responded by asking for donated items from our community and in one day we turned the empty space into a home. I ended up receiving quite a few additional opportunities to help young people in similar situations shortly after that.

Through this experience, we uncovered a critical gap in services for youth transitioning out of foster care. Many of these young people lacked the basic resources needed to establish a home, a situation affecting thousands across Los Angeles and the nation. In fact, 50% of the homeless population in the U.S. has spent time in foster care. Despite searching extensively for nonprofits or services addressing this crisis, I came up a bit short.

In 2015, I founded A Sense of Home (ASOH) to meet this need. Our mission is to create first-ever homes for former foster youth, helping to prevent homelessness and encourage a new trajectory for their lives. ASOH offers more than just housing — we create spaces filled with love, hope, and connections to a community that cares. This is the cornerstone of our work because it contributes to a lasting impact.

Our unique approach lies in the “how.” With a small staff, we mobilize volunteers to design and build homes. By involving the community, we ensure that each young person feels truly seen, heard, and valued. This impact extends beyond the recipients, as volunteers themselves are profoundly changed by the experience. The home creation process is both a ceremony and a celebration, honoring each recipient’s resilience, achievements, and unique gifts. It provides an opportunity for volunteers to share their talents and heart for others, contributing to the ripple effect of positivity spread throughout the community.

Since our beginning days, ASOH has touched thousands of lives. With the help of over 20,000 community volunteers, we’ve created more than 1,000 homes, positively impacting nearly 3,000 former foster youth.

Your nonprofit organization, A Sense of Home, strives to prevent homelessness by creating homes and communities for youth aging out of foster care. How has the organization stayed true to this mission, and how has it evolved since its inception?

We have worked very intently to deepen the impact of A Sense of Home by listening to the needs of the community. This video captures the impact of how we create homes and this video captures exactly how we create a community of care. A very powerful aspect of our program is the 80+ alumni who are continuously committed to the work that we’re doing. Once we create a home, a recipient is invited to join our community of volunteers and help support the next recipient. For example, many of our volunteers were previously involved with A Sense of Home and are now donating their time to Home Bank LA, providing assistance for those impacted by the fires. In fact, one of our earliest alumni is leading the volunteer effort! Our entire model is about creating home and community. By creating the home, we are inviting the community in to show up for a neighbor.

In response to the devastating fires that swept through Los Angeles, A Sense of Home launched Home Bank LA. How does this new initiative support those impacted by the recent wildfires?

For the last 10 years, A Sense of Home ( ASOH) has been perfecting its technology and operational systems to harness community volunteerism. The community has donated furniture and home goods to transform empty spaces into homes for displaced persons. We have focused solely on creating homes for former foster youth. Within days of the outbreak of the fires we launched a new emergency initiative, Home Bank LA, to provide fully functioning home environments for our community members who lost everything in the fires.

To meet the moment, ASOH quickly deployed our unique systems to support those displaced by the fires. Operating out of a newly donated 10,000 sq foot warehouse in close proximity to Altadena, HBLA is an emergency response program run by ASOH.

What roles do donations and volunteers play in your work, and how can people best offer their resources to create lasting impact?

Volunteers gather donated home goods and stage a personally decorated space before introducing recipients to their new homes. With this comes community that will both welcome them and support them going forward. As the recipients enjoy lunch and chat with volunteers, our loving team will wrap and load all items into the rented truck for the recipient. This recent evening news captures the work of assembling entire “home sets.” This testimonial reflects the impact. Volunteers can join us at the warehouse every Friday and Saturday or they can create kits at home. These kits are essential. You can to the website and scroll down to volunteer at home.

Tell us what a typical day-in-the-life looks like for you.

I am either creating a home for a former foster youth or I am at the El Monte warehouse supporting those who have lost their homes to the fires.

How do you seek to incorporate balance in your life?

I am doing poorly at balance right now. But, I try to spend some time at our home in the mountains to forest bathe as often as possible!

How do you balance the emotional weight of this work with the practical aspects of running a nonprofit organization?

I find strength in the grace of those that we serve.

What’s next for you, A Sense of Home, and Home Bank LA? How do you hope to see the impact of your work take form?

We are scaling both A Sense of Home and Home Bank in many regions. They are needed in every major city. You can hear the testimonies of ASOH alumni here!

One thing that can instantly make a space feel like home?

My dog snuggled on a rug or throw pillow.

Best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

If you can inspire people a hundred people to volunteer just one hour a week, imagine how much better the world would be. Now multiple that by another 100!

What’s your go-to comfort meal?

Roast chicken.

Do you have a favorite quote or mantra you live by?

Be here now.