Advocacy Matters
Hollywood 4WRD, a grassroots coalition seeking to end homelessness in Hollywood, was born from the passion and vision of Kerry Morrison in 2008. Kerry had become increasingly aware of the plight of the unhoused in her role as the executive director of the Hollywood BID, now The Hollywood Partnership, a nonprofit business improvement district. She wanted to do more for the community, so she created an informal coalition of stakeholders— members of the private sector, government representatives, social service and healthcare providers. Over the next 12 years, Hollywood 4WRD (which stands for four walls, a roof, and a door) grew into a major voice of advocacy for the unhoused and a clearinghouse of information on homelessness in Hollywood.
Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted the need to formalize the coalition. For years, Kerry had assembled an incredible team of passionate leaders, but she knew that they could accomplish so much more as a registered 501c3 nonprofit with staff and a board of directors. PowerWith Consulting was invited to work with a steering team of stakeholders from the private sector, healthcare and social services organizations, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, and The Hollywood Partnership. The team’s goal was to refine Hollywood 4WRD’s mission and draft a strategic plan to provide a formal structure and a blueprint for the future.
As part of the strategic planning process, PowerWith implemented a survey to gather feedback from Hollywood 4WRD members, who had been meeting virtually on Zoom weekly through the pandemic. The steering team members conducted interviews with local policy makers, government representatives, business owners, residents, and those who had experienced homelessness. PowerWith also facilitated three focus groups with a diverse range of stakeholders and conducted an historical document review.
The community outreach opened doors to partnerships and financial support for Hollywood 4WRD. As a result of the steering team’s dedication, the nonprofit has a revamped mission and vision, a founding board of directors, an inaugural strategic blueprint, a job description for the executive director, and a two-year budget projection.
“The silver lining of the pandemic was that it allowed us to snag the talent of Casey Gilbert, who provided phenomenal coordination in a virtual space,” said Kerry Morrison. “Casey helped our coalition distill our mission, identify guiding principles, and formulate a work plan and budget for the first year of operation. She effortlessly coordinated a community input survey, one-on-one stakeholder interviews, and focus groups with community players. She kept our Steering Committee focused and each meeting was purposeful and moved us toward the outcome.”
As of June 2021, Hollywood 4WRD has hired Brittney Weissman to lead the organization and the nonprofit is well-positioned to advocate for Hollywood’s unhoused neighbors in need.
To learn more about Hollywood 4WRD, click here.
