We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amy Favat a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy , thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about serving the underserved.

Hi. My name is Amy and I do not work for a company or a brand. But I do work.

I work as a volunteer and mentor.
But I see myself more as a contractor who creates dents of impact within the issue of youth homelessness in Los Angeles..

I am a retired producer who utilizes my past career skills and mashing it all up with my frenetic energy of wanting to always have alot of plates spinning in the air to try and help people in a variety of ways.

I get bored fast and I thrive on constant movement and activity so I like to work on different social enterprises and missions at once – but it is all grounded around the issue of youth homelessness, and the various challenges that population faces.
I am drawn to working with the unhoused community as I feel that they are folks who can be quickly and harshly judged by society and most of us have no idea how complex and complicated each individual’s life path can be that led them to becoming homeless. It is easy to paint the unhoused with a broad brush – they are drug addicts, violent, criminals, lazy, etc.
It is not a simple issue that is black and white, there are many many shades of gray. This issue is very polarizing and the unhoused population is viewed differently from other groups that are in need. I mean, let’s be honest – they can be looked down on within our society as less than, so for me that is where I want to do the work.

I am very aware that the issue of homelessness in LA is a very massive problem that not one person can solve and it can be very daunting and overwhelming to most people as to how they can help. On any given night in LA there are over 3,500 homeless youth living on the streets in LA. 75% have faced family instability, violence, and conflict, and 36% come from the foster care system. I choose to look at this social crisis in our city and say to myself – yes, this issue is beyond overwhelming, ok, so what small dents of impact can I make?
So I focus on working to make lots of little dents every day.
Dents of impact that is my daily mantra.

Since I moved to LA in 2013 most of the people I talk to about homelessness here do feel empathetic but also very helpless in how they can help or make a difference so they get frozen by it all. Folks can also feel really scared and/or really angry about the state of the city. All of these feelings are valid, and I get it, and I empathize with it all. But I have learned and observed over the years here that just being angry and screaming about a problem on NextDoor or at town meetings does not make the problem go away, or make it any better. It is a waste of energy – and isn’t that true of any problem no matter what it is?
So for myself, I have chosen to simply get in the trenches, and take some sort of action within the issue of youth homelessness in any way I can think up.

And maybe along the way I can get some folks to join me or help out if they want to do something too.
Your choice. Come along if you want – I would love to have you make some small dents.

That all said, my first dent of impact:
For the past ten years I work regularly as a volunteer at Safe Place for Youth (SPY) in Venice a 501C3 non profit. At SPY we work with the unhoused and at risk young people in LA (ages 12-25) by providing wrap around services so we can prevent them from becoming chronically homeless adults within our society.

At SPY we offer support through the following programs: street outreach, education and employment, various housing programs, case management, counseling, healing arts, addiction and mental health support, medical support with Venice Family Clinic, along with the basic needs we all require – food, hygiene, and clothing. I work every week in our clothing closet and it is there where I am able to get to know our members on a one to one basis and learn from them what their challenges are truly like.

A second dent of impact:
Through SPY, I also work on their Board of Directors and as a career mentor to a young woman who was previously unhoused.
By being a mentor I am able to work directly with a young person who has lived experience on the streets and help provide another layer of support for her as she is creating her life as a healthy, independent, working member of our society.

Another dent of impact:
From my work observations in the clothing closet at SPY I co-founded with two friends, a lost and found initiative.
We have a team of freelancers within the film and advertising industry who every month collect lost and found items from various LA gyms to give left behind clothing and shoes a second life at SPY for our members. This initiative is a win-win for all – our members, the planet, and the gyms. My goal next year is to get LA high schools (and students) involved in this program.

A third dent of impact:
I have always loved art (I married an art guy) and I have seen the strong impact that our Healing Arts Program at SPY has had on our members. Art can indeed be healing for someone experiencing trauma. So in that thinking, I co-founded with friends, a yearly one night silent art auction event called 100 Pieces. This event brings the community together through collective creativity while raising money for SPY services, all while generating awareness and engagement around the issue of youth homelessness.

I am constantly thinking of new ideas in which I can get l folks engaged by doing small, easy to do one-off projects like a food drive or new underwear or sock drive – all which I do a few times a year on social media.
These are my mini dents of impact – they are all super easy and quick but with an equally strong impact.

Another mini dent of impact is reaching out via social media to creative friends to channel their talent to do workshops at SPY.
I have learned that people do want to help, they do want to do something – they just typically don’t know where to start or what to do, or how to begin. I can help folks navigate a path so they can help in a capacity they can easily handle and it is not a stress or a burden, or a heavy lift in any way for them. Through this mindset I have been able to host various one day workshops at SPY – photography, music, art, creative writing, sewing, yoga, meditation – these types of workshops help our member’s mental health tremendously. And for our members to feel a bit less stress and more peace for a few hours – it can be the bridge needed to start the crucial work on their life issues. Gaining trust with the unhoused takes time, patience, and care – it is not an easy or quick fix. The creative workshop mini dent can be very powerful for everyone involved.

Finally, some people may say our services are enabling. I disagree as I see the results from our work.
As I stated, the reason each person is homeless is typically very complicated and it is different for each person.
But you have to start somewhere.

At SPY we meet them where they are at, with a low barrier of entry and no judgement. We take time to earn their trust and work one on one with each person to gauge where they need support and help. But as with anyone that is facing a crisis in their life, it requires dedication and work by our staff and by first providing simple necessities such as food and clothing and hygiene items – it goes a very long way in starting to build that strong net of trust and the work can go from there.
So some may see our services as enabling I see it all as the necessary bricks to repair the foundation so they may build a new life for themselves that is strongly structured and well supported.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

At SPY our mission is to empower young people experiencing homelessness to thrive by providing lasting, community-driven solutions that address racial and social inequality.

Last year we served 1,718 young people.
100% of our members want permanent housing.
83% attend school.
86% achieved employment.
46 of our members were placed in permanent housing.

Small dents of impact.

Amy , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I think I answered this all in the previous section…..

But here’s more info.

I grew up and went to college in New England. I was always a horrible student who could not sit still or pay attention, but I am an extrovert with a very strong work ethic and hustle. So I worked my way up in the advertising industry starting as a receptionist and ended my career as an Executive Producer in Boston, MA. I worked in advertising from college up until around age 40. I was very lucky as I was able to work on the award winning Anti-Tobacco TRUTH campaign which was rogue and wild and I loved it, as well as other Public Service clients, Museum of Science of Boston, as well as brand work for clients like Volkswagen and Converse. I got to work on really creative and innovative stuff which was awesome. I also worked on a documentary film that aired on the Real Life Series on MTV.

In 2008 I retired from advertising to work as a volunteer full time and I spent over ten years at REACH Beyond Domestic Violence in the Boston area, a non-profit that offers housing and support services to survivors of domestic violence. I also served on their fundraising board and on their Board of Directors. While at REACH one of the things I loved doing was I worked on helping secure the local Target to donate all of their damaged goods to our shelter. So I spent many days a month picking up tons of stuff (so much stuff!) like laundry detergent, shampoo, soap etc bringing it all to our house in our truck to clean it all up from shipping damage so we could give it a second life at the shelter. I loved that enterprise.
There is so much good stuff that is simply thrown out in our country so I always try to do action like this to get perfectly good stuff to those in need.

In 2013 my husband took a job in LA so we moved West and that is when I started working as a volunteer at Safe Place for Youth in Venice. Once I met the founder of SPY (Alison Hurst) and realized she was a literal force of nature, just a regular person who was doing the work in the trenches of this issue at a very small grassroots level I knew I found my place. I have been with them ever since.

I credit my parents for teaching me that it is my responsibility to devote a large percentage of my time, attention, and money to social causes and helping those in need. They led by example and I am simply following their lead.

I guess I am proud of all the work I do every day. It is important stuff and I love doing it.
I truly hope I am a role model and inspiration in some small way to our two kids. I want them to see I am walking the walk.
And of course I am proud of the work I do with being a career mentor to a young woman named Lena who was previously homeless in Venice. In the past few years Lena has secured housing, graduated from a job training program, and now works as a PA in the commercial and film industry. Lena also secured a talent agent that helps her work on her passion of being a voice over artist. She is amazing and we have now known each other (thanks to SPY and me working in the clothing closet) for gosh, many years now. She has come a long way and I am super proud of her and all her accomplishments as she has worked SO hard. She proves to me all the time that if given a chance along with support and care young people who are unhoused can succeed and in fact thrive. She is living proof of that.
So I am super proud of her and all that she has done for herself.

I do not have alot of followers like at all,
I don’t have a “brand”.
I am just Amy. A regular woman just doing my thing.
My husband says I am intrepid. I love that.
And my best friend says I am very action driven. I love that too.
Both descriptions seems to fit me.
When I come up with an idea I am off running and don’t stop.
My mind is always spinning with new ideas. I won’t stop it’s not in me to stop.

But I guess if anyone is asking I want folks to know that they can always reach out to me to ask questions about the work I do or if they want to get involved or just meet for coffee to discuss the issue of homelessness as they have some thoughts or ideas or questions – just send me a message.
I have no agenda here.
I am no expert at all nor do I claim to be.
But I do have years of working in the space with under served folks in our community – wether it be someone escaping a domestic violence situation and the complicated issues that surround that, or someone experiencing the complexity of homelessness and the myriad of issues that can come along with that. Two very tough social issues that can be very misunderstood.
I am an unpaid volunteer just doing my thing.
But I am an open faced sandwich so I am super receptive to anyone – if you send me a DM on Instagram (which is where I post most of the social projects/endeavours I am doing) I will get back to you.

But also, on the other hand I NEVER bug or pressure anyone to either volunteer, give money, donate goods, or time, whatever.
I just simply put it out there the work that I do and if you dig it and it speaks to you – just reach out and let’s talk.
But I won’t bug anyone or guilt anyone or worse- try and lecture anyone about the issue. Nope.
Oh, but if you are an artist I will reach out to you usually via a DM on Instagram to let you know about our 100 Pieces art show – but again just throwing the info out there to folks, I never pressure anyone – because no one likes that.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

OK I am not a” creative”.

But I think us “non creatives” actually got it all wrong by accepting that title.

I truly believe everyone and anyone can be “a creative” if they simply apply that mindset to all that they do regardless of what it is, or what their job or passion entails.

So I am not labeled as a painter, a sculptor, a photographer, etc so I am not “a creative” literally but I do use my inner creativity (which I firmly believe we all have within us) to come up with unique ideas, projects, and events that help raise awareness and create engagement in the social issue that I am passionate about and have been dedicated to for over ten years now – which is youth homelessness.

I try to apply my creative thinking skills to come up with ideas, solutions, and unique ways of approaching a problem or an issue that may be outside of the norm, or a little off center.

Through that creative mindset I actually have come up with lots of enterprises, events, and ideas that have helped my cause of youth homelessness while appealing to folks in a creative manner and approach. I have always wanted to engage people to become more educated and aware of this social issue without hitting them over the head about it, or making them feel pressured or guilty about it. So using my creative thinking skills for me has been very helpful and beneficial while getting people engaged and interested and if I am lucky. -get them engaged or to take action in some way.

I guess for me I just don’t subscribe to the thinking that someone can be labeled a “non creative”.

Once I realized that and owned it I was able to feel much less limited and constricted in my creative thinking.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My over arching mission and I guess my goal is to make folks feel that anyone can help be part of a solution to a societal problem simply by creating small divets in a cause that they care about by really simple thinking, planning, and action.

You do not need to devote a ton of time, money, effort – whatever it may be, to make an impact.
Simplicity is underrated and I truly believe people in general want to do something for others, they want to help out a cause, they want to give back, make a difference – whatever it may be, and when you get right down to it – it doesn’t need to be overly complicated. But I think especially now, people can get frozen to do anything as they view social problems as too daunting.

For me personally, I co-host an annual art auction event.
It was thought up through a simple premise: Creativity for Good.
Let’s have a great party for one night in a great space, with cool music, and art.
Anyone is welcome.
Let’s celebrate art and makers of art and have a low barrier – anyone can donate their art- all art is welcome. It is inclusive. Artists of all levels can show their art – some artists are famous or well established, and some have never shown ever. But all are equal.
OK – that sounds great.

Now let’s have the whole purpose, foundation and meaning behind this party be to raise awareness about youth homelessness in LA while also raising some money – that is our cause.
But no speeches, no guilt, no pressure – just a great night bringing folks together.
You can donate to the cause, or not, you can bid on art or not, anyone is welcome to come.
We will get the word out solely through word of mouth and Instagram. Let’ see what happens.

And at the end of the day what I think is great is yes, we raise money for the cause but we also have allowed people to be comfortable enough to ask questions about homelessness, maybe decide to volunteer, or get their company engaged in the issue, and maybe they will tell some folks and pass it on. Small divets.

So for me, I have always had a great appreciation for the maker – the artist and what they can create, build, envision. And to celebrate the creative heart of these makers while grounding an event in a socially minded issue that seems like a beautiful partnership and it just makes sense to me. I love when you can host an easily engaging social experience but have it rooted in a mission that is not self serving – that to me makes the entire experience more dimensional and serve a bigger purpose and maybe if we are lucky – our event will inspire and impact some folks in a way that makes them think and pause and maybe take some simple thinking and action of their own.

Contact Info:

• Website: 100pieces.org
• Instagram: @amyfavat. and @100pieces
• Linkedin: Amy Favat

Image Credits
Image 1: Me @amyfavat in 2015 organizing art for the first 100 Pieces Silent Art Auction event @100pieces that I co-founded to raise money and awareness for homeless youth @safeplaceforyouth. Image 2: Me and the young woman I mentor, who was previously homeless – Lena Adams, at the annual Safe Place for Youth @safeplaceforyouth gala fundraiser in 2o23. Image 3: 100 Pieces Art Auction Event 2024 crowd shot and money raised total @100pieces for Safe Place for Youth @safeplaceforyouth. Image 4: Me and Lena Adams @lenaadams94 in Venice celebrating her accomplishments of graduating from the Manifest Works @manifestworks PA training program. Image 5: Me and Maggie Baird (Billie Eilish’s mom) from Support & Feed @supportandfeed @maggiembaird – one of the non-profits that provides vegan meals for the non-profit I volunteer at @safeplaceforyouth. Image 6: Me with Rob and Gary – staff personnel working at Safe Place for Youth @safelaceforyouth in Venice at our drop in center. Image 7: Me and Erika – staff personnel working at Safe Place for Youth @safeplaceforyouth in Venice at our drop in center. Image 8: Staff at Eco Set Consulting @ecoset helping load my car with donated clothing from a recent film shoot for Safe Place for Youth @safeplaceforyouth. Image 9: Me working to organize and hang artwork for the 100 Pieces @100pieces 2024 event to benefit Safe Place for Youth @safeplaceforyouth. Image 10: Me and Sparkle AKA as @jaredlips after a drag queen performance to raise money for Safe Place for Youth @safeplaceforyouth in Venice. Image 11: Hat and clothing designer Nick Fouquet @nickfouquet and his creative team at Safe Place for Youth @safeplaceforyouth for a sewing workshop that I organized for our members.