About Our Community LA™

OCLA™ works to ensure that no one is hungry or unsheltered, simply because they do not know how to find help.

Mission & History

Founded to break information barriers and support LA’s most vulnerable, Our Community LA™ (OCLA™), leverages technology to help youth, families and adults of any age in need or experiencing homelessness easily connect to essential resources. Beginning with the 2012 publication of LA’s first resource directory for homeless youth to the ongoing development and maintenance of WIN What I Need mobile app, OCLA™ is committed to bringing information about available helpful services directly to those who are struggling or homeless.

Read about our Mission, Vision and History

Who We Help

OCLA’s programs help ANYONE who is Homeless or Resource-Insecure find free programs to meet their needs. In LA County, too many people of all ages find themselves struggling to maintain their home, afford food, pay for utilities or needed healthcare. Many become homeless due to loss of job, inability to pay insurmountable bills or the need to flee abuse or neglect.

Read about who we help here

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Our Leadership

OCLA™ was founded by Dr Denise McCain-Tharnstrom and a small group of volunteers who were dismayed by the information barriers confronting homeless youth and adults who were too often unable to find the help they needed to avoid homelessness and/or abuse. Today’s leadership is committed to offering social equity tools that empower anyone who is experiencing extreme resource-insecurity or homelessness to easily access reliable information about nearby helpful services.

Learn about our Leadership