Meet Bishop Ed Smith | Transitional Homeless Youth Advocate

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bishop Ed Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bishop Ed, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
Foster youth who age out of the system at 18 with No money, No high school diploma, No job, No place to live and No resources or support, often end up homeless, doing and/or using drugs or caught up in Sextrafficking! It’s a national problem with Los Angeles hosting the largest number of homeless former foster youth.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Nehemiah ProjectLA was birthed out of my desire to leverage my successful business experience and the valued relationships I’ve cultivated over 40 years. I’ve always helped and served others, so my entrepreneurial success today has a lot to do with Severing Others Well!

My academic and business training along with a progressive marketing banking and finance career, gave me a broad and deep business foundation that I could build upon. So at sixty years old I wanted to transition into the next phase of life. Consequently, after 9 months of research, dialoguing with colleagues, I settled on focusing on the most hidden and most vulnerable youth community in the United States, transitional age youth (TAY), who populate the largest segment of homeless people on the streets and those who are incarcerated.

Even after I received Vision Clarity in 2016, it took years diving into this community, walking alongside and helping them with housing and other vital support services. Much of which was done with little to no budget, but collaborated with larger and more established community organizations to serve this growing population.
Once we opened our first Dream Chaser home in Whittier, California (LA County) in January 2021, funding and volunteers began to come quickly.

With a growing support community, we received a grant from a foundation with a heart for former foster youth, along with more regular donors and volunteers, helping to fuel our growth to where we are now opening our third Nehemiah Dream Chaser Home!

The biggest lessons I’ve learned by leading Nehemiah ProjectLA, are:

Clarity of Vision attracts what you need and inspires others

Don’t get distracted by good ideas, stay on Mission and Vision

Believing in your Vision deep enough where others are inspired to get involved and fan your flame

I can be Fruitful alone, but to Multiply requires a vision that is focused with a heart to collaboration within a like minded community

Making progress on a vision that is bigger than what you’ve already done, gives inspiration and motivation to others to want to help you accomplish more!

What I want people to know most about Nehemiah ProjectLA, is our collaborative strategy has proven itself and we can actually End Homelessness in Los Angeles County by 2028 by working with a collaborative Vision!!!!

www.NehemiahProjectLA.org

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My wife Vanessa and I enjoy being with friends. We are always entertaining or hanging out with others. We enjoy watching Broadway quality plays but also, smaller shows in Hollywood and other venues.

I would arrange a 2-3 day itinerary to include True Foods restaurant in Fashion Island, Newport Beach and a stay in a beach front Villa with a wide ocean view. We would enjoy a relaxing walk early on the beach, and quality time together just relaxing at the spa, a nap before getting ready for dinner at a trendy fish and vegetarian restaurant.

Depending upon my friends desires and availability, we would drive the pacific coast to visit more beaches, restaurants and schedule a movie theater to watch an exciting movie together

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The biggest influence on my progress in life has been my mother’s example of faith and determination! I grew up poor on welfare in South and East Los Angeles. However, I saw my mother advocate for vulnerable families and children, giving them a place in our home to live. My mother received toys to distribute to neighborhood children, even when we didn’t always have much for Christmas. It was her self sacrifice and generosity that inspires me to dedicate my life to help Change the trajectory of homeless former foster youth.

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