Meet Albert Hernandez of Home Again Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Albert Hernandez

Hi Albert, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My name is Albert Hernandez and I am currently the Chief Executive Officer of a local non-profit organization called Home Again Los Angeles where I have been since 2015.

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, specifically Mid-Wilshire District. I am number five of eleven brothers and sisters and a child of a single parent led household. At 14 years old my father passed away and to support my mother with bills I started working at 14 years old. Each check I would hand over to her to make sure we have food on the table and a roof over our head. I haven’t stopped working since I was 14 and spent most of my career in non-profits like the Boys & Girls Clubs and now at Home Again Los Angeles.

Today I am blessed to be the CEO of Home Again Los Angeles an organization that focuses on helping unhoused families move into our shelter and eventually secure permanent housing. The organization has transformed tremendously since I started working here in 2015. We were a $100,000 organization and today we are over $3 million helping in the last 12 months 699 households. 234 of those families were unhoused and we assisted securing housing. 465 of those families were on the verge of homelessness and we provided counseling, financial assistance or employment opportunities that led to an increase in their annual household income.

Beyond what I do for a living, I also spend my time volunteering for the Rotary Club bringing service projects to those who need us, i.e. children, unhoused families, older adults, schools, teachers, etc.

I live in Santa Clarita now with my wife and daughter and continue to try to bring aid to the region whether it’s through my work or volunteering.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I think the passing of my father when I was a teen was the greatest challenge. My mother went from being a stay at home mother; making certain all the kids were taken care of, to now having to work two jobs to make ends meet. We rarely saw her and I was hoping my financial contributions as a teen worker would have helped, I am sure it did, but not to the impact that I had envisioned.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Home Again Los Angeles is a non-profit organization that helps homeless families and those on the verge of homelessness. It’s been in existence since 2010 and I have worked here since 2015. Although the organization is based in the San Fernando Valley we do our best to support any unhoused family from throughout the Los Angeles County. I serve as the Chief Executive Officer spending most of my time building relationships with other social agencies, donors, fundraising, supporting staff and strategic planning making certain we are supporting those who need us most while providing quality programming that ends the cycle of homelessness. I am so proud of this agency. I have witnessed it “grow up” from infancy to now “teenage years”. The team does a great job of bringing hope and real solutions to the families who seek our services. We provide shelter, security deposit assistance, eviction prevention support, transitional housing, outreach and educational workshops aimed at preventing homelessness. It truly is a robust program that impacts so many people as they go through their journey.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Understanding
Empathy
Listening
Allowing others to lead
Visionary
Innovative
Risk Taker
Storytelling

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.HomeAgainLA.org
• Instagram: @homeagainlosangeles
• Facebook: @HomeAgainLA
• Youtube: @HomeAgainL.A.

Image Credits
Courtesy of Home Again Los Angeles