Laura Rathbone, an outreach activist for people experiencing homelessness in the San Fernando Valley, has long demonstrated an unwavering commitment to helping those in need. Inspired by her father—who spent much of his life supporting unhoused individuals and even hosted Thanksgiving dinners in their family home—Laura grew up with a strong sense of empathy and community service. Her personal dedication has led her to accompany individuals to doctor’s appointments, connect them with service providers, and support their path toward stable housing.
Her advocacy extends into the civic realm. I've personally witnessed her persistence at neighborhood council and service provider meetings, where she consistently advocates for more shelters and support programs. Despite frequent resistance—including public comments tying homelessness to crime—Laura never backs down. Even when given just a few minutes to speak, with little acknowledgment or follow-up from committee members, she continues to show up. Frustrated but undeterred by the lack of urgency from local leaders, Laura decided to take matters into her own hands.
“That’s when I started Sisters on the Streets,” she recalls, “and then met Don and became the director of Clean Streets Clean Starts.”
With her sister Alycia, Laura launched Sisters on the Streets, a hygiene campaign providing feminine hygiene products to unhoused women. Together, they distributed over 10,000 pads and tampons to women in sober living homes and crisis housing. The campaign even gained the support of three San Fernando Valley high schools, which collected donations.
Later, she connected with Don Larson and became the director of Clean Streets Clean Starts (CSCS), a six-week program designed to engage unhoused individuals in maintaining local streets. Participants receive a daily stipend, two bus tokens, and a $25 gift card for stores like Vons or the 99 Cents Only Store. More than just work, the program includes interviews and planning to help participants transition into full-time employment and housing. To date, CSCS has completed four successful cycles along Reseda and Chatsworth Boulevards.
I first met Laura in February, when she was actively presenting these programs at city council meetings in both the San Fernando Valley and greater Los Angeles. Behind the scenes, she worked tirelessly—conducting outreach in encampments across Encino, Chatsworth, and behind Lake Balboa, offering food, assistance, and an open ear. Her warm, conversational approach helped build trust with the people she met.
“You’re probably the first to sit down and have a regular conversation with them in a while,” Laura said to me. “That’s why it’s never a short talk with anyone you meet.”
These experiences revealed just how circumstantial homelessness can be—and how much it means to simply listen. The people we met were grateful, often parting with a smile and renewed sense of hope. Laura has built a network of fellow advocates like Paul Reed and Manuel Flores, who help lead outreach efforts in the Valley. She also volunteers with North Valley Caring Services and has partnered with Shepherd of the Hills Church in Porter Ranch to expand CSCS’s reach.
“We have to do this ourselves,” she often says. “We have to play a part.”
In May, her efforts culminated in a successful CSCS cycle in Chatsworth, where Laura and Don brought together eight participants—both housed and unhoused—to clean storefronts along Chatsworth Boulevard. After their shift, they met with L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger at a local restaurant to discuss CSCS’s future. The result: a $15,000 grant to fund a mobile shower and work unit to store tools and supplies for future projects.
Laura’s tireless activism hasn’t gone unnoticed. In May, she was honored by the United Chambers of Commerce in the San Fernando Valley as one of the year’s most Inspirational Women. In her acceptance speech, she offered a powerful reminder:
“It’s hard out there—not just to serve the poor, hungry, sick, abused, and mentally ill, but to also stand with them. We must stand with the demonized so that the demonizing will stop.”
